The audience loves supermen, but is interested in those who sing about romantic failures and express sad moods. In the distant 60s, an incorrigible romantic came to be known as Orbison Roy. He did not have a bright appearance, dazzling charisma, but the lack of these qualities compensated for the velvet voice, which could compete with the opera. He had a deep and pronounced talent, and his performance touched the soul. Orbison created his rock and roll form and gave the platform to many country stars.
Not superman
Who inspired him to work? Carla Perkins, Johnny Cash and, of course, Elvis Presley. Orbison Roy relied heavily on country and pop music in his work. His followers were Bruce Springsten, Chris Isaac. The musician was born in April 1936. It was the state of Texas. His family was not connected with music. Already at the age of six, the Orbison Roy family received a guitar. Perhaps this predetermined the fate of the guy. Soon, he did his best to participate in improvised home concerts. At eight, Orbison Roy wrote his first love song.
Start way
After the debut song, the boy received an invitation to the Saturday radio show. At the end of 1946, the Orbison family moved to Winx. Here Roy gathered his first band (The Wink Westerners) when he was barely 13 years old. The group was surprisingly successful. The guys regularly received invitations to the radio. The repertoire was gradually expanded. It included instrumental compositions. Promising singer Roy Orbison was a very active teenager and could not sit still. During the holidays, he moonlighted physically, took on any dirty and hard work. He also managed to play in the orchestra, play the trumpet. In graduation, he became the manager of the school football team. In 1953, the group began touring city clubs and soon went on a tour of West Texas. After school, Roy entered college, where he made his first professional record with fellow students. True, they did not receive the contract.
At the fork
At college, Roy chose history and English. Other members of his group gathered here with him. They changed their name and slightly updated the style of music. The guys got their own show on local television, where they called guests. He was interviewed by Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, who had always admired him. The group existed until 1956, and then broke up. Roy decided to direct his efforts to develop composer skills.
In 1958, Roy recorded the song Claudette, dedicated to his wife. The composition rose to the Top 30, and Roy's songs interested Buddy Holly, Rick Nelson and Jerry Lee Lewis. Orbison has grown a lot in terms of professionalism and began to set the fashion in music, creating his own orchestrations with exciting drums and strings. The creation of hits did not stop. Orbison took an unexpected step and began to act as the opening act for the Beatles, who had just begun in 1963.
Hit for the ages
In 1964, Roy Orbison released a unique hit. Pretti Wumen was co-written by Bill Dees. In fact, this is the most iconic song of the rock era. In August 1964, the single was released in the States, and it fell into the hands of seven million music lovers around the world. The lyrics are the story of a man who saw a beauty on the street. He longs for her and asks himself if such a beauty could be lonely. At the end of the song, a woman notices him and approaches. The text appeared by chance when Roy and Bill Dees saw Roy's wife go to the store. When she returned, the song was ready. Then, in many interviews, the musicians said that it took as much time to create a melody as it sounds.
Tipping point
No matter how famous Roy Orbison was, all his songs could not become hits, and therefore failures also occurred. In 1966, his wife Claudette died in a car accident. Two years later, two children died in a fire, and his house burned to the ground. Overcoming the crisis helped a new acquaintance. The young German Barbara became Roy's second wife. But for a long time it was not possible to revive fame. I had to earn on tour. All this, along with smoking and poor nutrition, undermined Roy's health. In January 1978, he underwent heart surgery.
the end
In 1988, in Nashville, the singer died of a heart attack. He was only 52 years old. After a short time, Roy's name returned to the first lines of the charts. Orbison's work continued to be carried to the masses by his faithful wife Barbara, who inherited everything. Today they continue to listen to Roy Orbison and are very fond of, and reissues of his albums continue to be redeemed. He was loved for his melodic voice and the complexity of musical arrangements. He was nicknamed "Caruso" in the world of rock.
Orbison's work was affected by the influence of his idols - Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, but Roy managed to find a balance between the styles of these artists. He did not need to create a sexual image, he naturally conveyed an image of masculinity and self-confidence. Eyewitnesses recall that Roy was modest in everyday life, loved black clothes and dark glasses, hid from journalists and maintained a halo of mystery.
In 1987, he was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Nashville Poets Hall. In 2010, a star was installed on the Walk of Fame in his honor. And even now it’s too early to summarize the creative work of the maestro. He released 38 (!) Albums, and not all of them were composed by Roy Orbison himself. Albums since 1989 came out posthumously. In total, there are 11 pieces. The audience does not associate many songs of Orbison with his name. For example, such a story happened with an incredibly romantic track from the movie "Ghost", where the song became a symbol of love between the heroes Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. The charming voice of Elvis Presley perfectly blends with the text and composition style, so associations arise solely with the king of pop music, and not with the humble composer Orbison. But the people "firmly connect the composition" Pretti Womens "with the images created by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in the film" Pretty Woman ". Slicing of the composition has long gone into the people and according to the first chords the people begin to be imbued with the theme of the episode.
After the death of the composer, the mayor of Nashville gave him a present - declared May 1 as Roy Orbison's Memorial Day. And in 2008, an entomologist from the University of Arizona introduced a rare Indian beetle, which he named after Orbison. In addition, the musician became the prototype of Doctor Octopus in the comic book "The Amazing Spider-Man."