Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter, born in Texas in 1936. After recording Ooby Dooby for Sun Records, he developed his distinctive dramatic ballad style at Monument. Songs including Only the Lonely, Crying, In Dreams and Oh, Pretty Woman paired an unusually wide vocal range with narratives of longing and loss.

Orbison toured Britain with the Beatles in 1963. Renewed attention followed the use of In Dreams in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet and his membership of the Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. He died in 1988; Mystery Girl followed posthumously in 1989.