[Music] Roy Kelton Orbison was born on April 23 1936 in Vernon Texas a year before beatlemania overtook the United States in 1964 The Four Lads from Liverpool invited Orbison to open for them on their English tour on his first night Orbison performed 14 in cores before the Beatles even made it on stage Orbison was perhaps the most unlikely sex symbol of the 1960s he dressed like an insurance salesman and was famously lifeless during his performances he never even twitched recalled George Harrison who was simultaneously awestruck and confounded by orbison's stage presence he was like marble what Orbison did have was one of the most distinctive versatile and Powerful voices in pop music in the words of Elvis Presley Orbison was simply the greatest singer in the world Born To A working class Texan family in 1936 Orbison grew up immersed in musical styles ranging from rockabilly and Country to zetiko tex-mexed and the blues his dad gave him a guitar for his sixth birthday and he wrote his first song The Vow of love and was eight in high school Orbison played the local circuit with a group called The teen Kings when their song ooby Dooby came to the attention of Sam Phillips the legendary producer at Sun Records Orbison was invited to cut a few tracks in addition to a highly collectible album called Roy Orbison of the Rock House their collaboration yielded a re-recording of ubi-dooby that became orbison's first minor hit after Orbison land a record deal with the national based label monument in 1960. he began perfecting the sound that would define his career his big break came after he tried to pitch his composition only the loan lead to both Presley and the Everly Brothers and was turned down by both deciding to record the song himself Orbison used his vibrato voice and operatic style to create a recording unlike anything Americans had heard at the time reaching his high the number two spot on the billboard singles chart Only the Lonely has since been deemed a pivotal force in the development of rock music between 1960 and 1965 Orbison recorded nine top 10 hits and another 10 that broke into the top 40. these included Running Scared crying it's over an old Pretty Woman none of which adheres to a conventional song structure when it came to composition Orbison called himself blessed with not knowing what was wrong or what was right as he put it the structure sometimes has the chorus at the end of the song and sometimes there is no chorus it just goes but that's always after the fact as I'm writing it all sounds natural and in sequence to me as distinctive as his three octave voice and unorthodox songwriting technique was orbison's unglamorous style which some have described as Geek Chic stricken with both Jonas and bad eyesight as a child Orbison had salad skin and thick corrective eyewear not to mention his shy demeanor on a fateful day during his 1963 tour with the Beatles Orbison left his glasses on the plane before his show which forced him to wear his unsightly prescription sunglasses for that mate's show although he considered the incident embarrassing the look became an instant trademark orbison's unhip Underdog looks suited his music well as his lyrics were marked by incredible vulnerability at a time when rock music went hand in hand with confidence and machismo Orbison dared to sing about insecurity heartache and fear his staged Persona which has been described as borderline masochistic went a long way toward challenging the traditional ideal aggressive masculinity and rock and roll although the first half of the 1960s saw the rise of Orbison star the second half of the decade brought harder times tragedy struck on orbison's wife Claudette was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1966 and again when his two oldest sons died in a house fire in 1968. following those incidents a devastated Orbison failed to generate many hits and with the rise of the Psychedelic movement and rock and roll the market for rockabilly had all but dried up anyway Orbison returned to his musical career in 1980 however when the evils invited him to join them on their Hotel California tour that same year he rekindled his relationship with country music fans by performing a memorable do it with emila Harris on that loving you feeling again which went on to win a Grammy award when Van Halen covered oh pretty woman in 1982 Rock Fans were reminded that gratitude for the song was owed to Orbison by the late 1980s Orbison at stage a successful comeback joined the All-Star super group The Traveling Wilburys alongside Tom Petty Bob Dylan George Harrison and Jeff Lynne and been admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Orbison died of a heart attack on December 6 1988 his posthumously released comeback album mystery girl reached number five on the charts becoming the highest charting solo album of his career although he was only 52 when he died Orbison lived to see his rightful place in music history restored despite his Sith charts and accolades Orbison is most remembered today as an improbable rock star who put his heart on his sleeve and moved people with his music when you were trying to make a girl fall in love with you Tom Waits once recalled it took roses the ferris wheel and Royal Orbison foreign if you liked the video please don't forget to subscribe