Legends of Rock & Roll: Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison had one of the best voices in pop music. It was a forceful, almost operatic bel canto tenor that is unlike anyone else in music. When you hear a Roy Orbison song, you almost immediately know who it is. Roy had a wonderful career that was cut short at what could be called, the prime of his life. In a career that had its ups and downs, he was just approaching the part of the cycle which would take him up again, when he died of a heart attack at the age of 52.

Roy Orbison had a voice that made one think of angels singing in a choir in heaven. It’s unusual for a rock singer to be a tenor, but Roy Orbison was probably the best tenor that has ever hit the pop charts in this country.

This little book is like the others in the Legends of Rock & Roll series. This is number 14 overall, and the second volume that concentrates on artists whose popularity started in the 1960's. The topics covered in this book are, 1) youth and beginning of a career, 2) first bands, 3) the first recordings, 4) the breakthrough hit, 5) his ups and downs, 6) personal tragedy, 7) was Roy Orbison blind? 8) Pretty Woman, 9) The Traveling Wilburys 10) his untimely death, 11) his legacy and 12) a selected discography of his work.