Roy Orbison at the BBC
2023 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Roy Orbison
1936-04-23
•
Vernon, Texas, USA
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were in the early 1960s and the late 1980s. Many of Orbison's songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male performers projected strength. He performed with minimal motion and in black clothes, matching his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses. Born in Texas, Orbison began singing in a country-and-western band as a teenager. He was signed by Sam Phillips of Sun Records in 1956 after being urged by Johnny Cash. Elvis Presley was leaving Sun and Phillips was looking to replace him. His first Sun recording, "Ooby Dooby", was musically akin of Presley's early Sun recordings. He had moderate success at Sun, but enjoyed his greatest success with Monument Records. From 1960 to 1966, 22 of Orbison's singles reached the Billboard top 40. He wrote or co-wrote almost all of his own top-10 hits, including "Only the Lonely" (1960), "Running Scared" (1961), "Crying" (1961), "In Dreams" (1963), "Oh, Pretty Woman" (1964), "I Drove All Night" (1987), "She's a Mystery to Me" (1988), "You Got It" (1988), and "California Blue" (1988). After the mid-1960s, Orbison suffered a number of personal tragedies, and his career faltered. He experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s, following the success of several cover versions of his songs. In 1988, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys supergroup with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. Orbison died of a heart attack that December at age 52. One month later, his song "You Got It" (1989) was released as a solo single, becoming his first hit to reach the top 10 in both the US and UK in nearly 25 years. Orbison's honors include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and five other Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone placed him at number 37 on its list of the "Greatest Artists of All Time" and number 13 on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In 2002, Billboard magazine listed him at number 74 on its list of the Top 600 recording artists. Description above from the Wikipedia article Roy Orbison, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
Roy Orbison Forever
2022 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
McCartney 3, 2, 1
2021 · TV Show
as Self (archive footage)
Roy Orbison: Love Hurts
2017 · Movie
as Himself (archive footage)
Roy Orbison: Black and White Night 30
2017 · Movie
as Self
Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones
2015 · Movie
as Himself (archive footage)
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC
2015 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Roy Orbison: Mystery Girl - Unraveled
2014 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO
2012 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live - Light My Fire
2009 · Movie
as Himself
Johnny Cash: Live On Air
2008 · Movie
as Self
The True History Of The Traveling Wilburys
2007 · Movie
as Self
The Best of The Johnny Cash TV Show 1969-1971
2007 · Movie
as Self
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream
2007 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1980
2007 · Movie
as Self
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: Million Sellers
2006 · Movie
as Self
No image
One for the Money: The Birth of Rock & Roll
2006 · Movie
Legends
2006 · TV Show
as Self (archive footage)
Eddie Cochran & Friends: C'mon Everybody
2004 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Best Of Beat
2003 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Roy Orbison: Greatest Hits
2003 · Movie
as Himself (archive footage)
Roy Orbison - Live at Austin City Limits
2002 · Movie
as Himself
In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story
1999 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Roy Orbison: The Anthology
1999 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Classic Albums
1997 · TV Show
as Self (archive footage)
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
1988 · Movie
as Self - Lead Vocals/Guitar
She's Having a Baby
1988 · Movie
as Roy Orbison (uncredited)
Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll
1987 · Movie
as Self
Roy Orbison Live In Texas
1986 · Movie
Just Our Luck
1983 · TV Show
Wogan
1982 · TV Show
as Self
Roadie
1980 · Movie
as Self
Living Legend: The King of Rock and Roll
1980 · Movie
The Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1977
1977 · Movie
as Self
Roy Sings Orbison
1975 · Movie
as Self
Saturday Night Live
1975 · TV Show
as Self - Musical Guest
Roy Orbison: Live From Australia
1973 · Movie
The Midnight Special
1972 · TV Show
as Self
The Johnny Cash Show
1969 · TV Show
as Self
The Fastest Guitar Alive
1967 · Movie
as Johnny
Roy Orbison Live in 1965: The Monument Concert
1965 · Movie
No image
The Roy Orbison Show
1964 · Movie
as Himself
Shindig!
1964 · TV Show
as Self - Singer
Top of the Pops
1964 · TV Show
as Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · TV Show
as Self (archive footage)
The Dick Clark Show
1958 · TV Show
as Self
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948 · TV Show
as Self
