An Unforgettable Voice

Roy Orbison was born on this day in 1936 in Vernon, Texas. Orbison, who was known for songs such as "Crying," "Oh, Pretty Woman," and "Only the Lonely," had one of the most amazing voices ever heard on a rock and roll stage. I have thought about it for years, and I think the best way I can describe it is that he had one of those mournful West Texas voices that seem to be influenced by wind and desolation. I can only imagine what it must have been like to hear him on AM radio while driving across the plains in the early 1960s.


Here is Roy Orbison playing "Crying" in 1988, the year that he died. Watch for Bruce Springsteen, k.d. lang, and Elvis Costello.