How could anyone forget Roy Orbison, the Caruso of Rock? The man had a signature look—black hair, dark glasses, and a black outfit—and a reputation for performing with minimal motion. His songs were hot in the ‘60s, earning 22 Top 40 including several Top 10 hits, which he had either written himself or co-written with other songwriters. He experienced a popularity resurgence in the late ‘80s until he died in 1988. But little had been known about him, so let’s get to know Roy even better with these 3 facts.
1. His signature glasses look was because of his poor eyesight.
Roy, the second of three sons of Orbie Lee Orbison, an oil well driller and car mechanic, and Nadine Vesta Shults, a nurse, suffered from poor eyesight. At age four, he already had to wear thick, corrective lenses, and he had been wearing them since then.
In 1963, right before starting his tour with the Beatles in the UK, he accidentally developed his sunglasses image. According to his son, Roy Jr., the singer had left his regular glasses on the plane and couldn’t see without one. He had his dark prescription glasses, which he decided to wear then. People snapped photos of him, and it became a fashion statement and persona.
2. He dyed his hair black.
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The most popular urban myth about Roy is that he has albinism. He doesn’t. He had straw blond hair that was nearly white, which he dyed black (as he was so self-conscious) and combed into a pompadour. This dyed hair and dark glasses became part of his signature look.
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3. He formed his first musical group at 13 and his last before his death.
When Roy received a guitar from his father on his sixth birthday, he was set to make music for life. So, when he was 13, he formed his first musical group, The Teen Kings.
The group’s roots go back to 1948, two years after Roy’s family moved to Wink, Texas. Roy and his schoolmate James Morrow started playing guitar together. Then, a year later, they started a quintet with Roy on lead guitar, Morrow on electric mandolin, and their three new additions – Charles “Slob” Evans on upright bass, Richard “Head” West at the piano, and Billy Pat “Spider” Ellis on drums. They were first known as the Wink Westerners before becoming the Teen Kings. By then, Evans was no longer with the group and had been succeeded by Jack Kennelly.
Eventually, the Teen Kings gained enough traction to get noticed by Sam Phillips at Sun Records. Their first hit was titled “Ooby Dooby.” Unfortunately, the group’s eight-year musical relationship ended after Phillips pegged Roy for stardom and booked him more opportunities.
Orbison’s career with Sun wasn’t very successful. It took him another five years to finally establish his name through Monument Records. Then, in 1988, before his passing in December of that year, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys supergroup with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne.
And that’s a wrap on some quick facts about Roy Orbison.
