“We were able to finish it up and get it out by Father’s Day, too, which was obviously special to us.”
- #wikipedia
- #quote
- #trusted-source
- #www.theguardian.com
- #corroborated
Figure timeline
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were in the early 1960s and the late 1980s. Many of Orbison's songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male performers projected strength. He performed with minimal motion and in black cloth…
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
entertainment · American singer-songwriter (1936–1988) · singer · guitarist · composer · songwriter · singer-songwriter · vocalist · actor · musician · bandleader · also Roy Orbison, Roy Kelton Orbison, The Big O, Lefty Wilbury, Roy K. Orbison, the Big O
Born 23 April 1936 · Died 6 December 1988 · Q188426
168 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
Photos & media
10 photos
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
In the news
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Recent highlights
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
- Quote
- Quote
2026· 4 entries
“In Glasgow, we were all backstage listening to the tremendous applause he was getting. He was just standing there, not moving or anything.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
Yahoo: 9 Songs You May Not Know Roy Orbison Wrote
- #news
- #headline
Public attention spiked: 9,900 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.1× the usual 3,193, with 0 article edits.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #attention
- #spike
- #pageviews
2025· 3 entries
Billboard: Roy Orbison Estate Signs With Sandbox Succession for Management
- #news
- #headline
The Telegraph: A Roy Orbison biopic is in the works
- #news
- #headline
American Songwriter: Roy Orbison’s Family Co-Producing New Biopic and Documentary About the Legendary Singer/Songwriter
- #news
- #headline
2023· 1 entry
The Cheat Sheet: Roy Orbison’s Cover of an Elvis Presley Song Was a Bigger Hit Than the Original
- #news
- #headline
2022· 2 entries
Released album “Roy Orbison - Die Rocklegende der Sechziger Jahre (Biografie)”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Smile For A While (Live 1965)”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
2020· 1 entry
Published video “Roy Orbison - Beautiful Dreamer (Audio)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
2019· 9 entries
Published video “Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman (Live From Australia, 1972)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
Published video “Roy Orbison - It's Over (Live From Australia, 1972)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
Published video “Roy Orbison - Sweet Caroline (Live From Australia, 1972)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
Published video “Roy Orbison - Running Scared (Live From Australia, 1972)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
Published video “Roy Orbison - Leah (Live From Australia, 1972)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
Published video “Roy Orbison - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Live From Australia, 1972)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
Published video “Roy Orbison - Land Of 1000 Dances (Live From Australia, 1972)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
Published video “Roy Orbison - Blue Bayou (Live From Australia, 1972)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
Published video “Roy Orbison - Penny Arcade (Live From Australia, 1972)”.
- #social
- #youtube
- #self-published
2018· 3 entries
Yahoo: A Star is Reborn: Roy Orbison Reemerges With a Surprise Tribute in Bradley Cooper’s Hit Musical
- #news
- #headline
Vulture: The Roy Orbison Hologram Concert Is, Disappointingly, Not As Creepy As You’d Think
- #news
- #headline
Released album “A Golden Hour Of Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
2017· 1 entry
The Hollywood Reporter: Roy Orbison Hologram at Center of New Legal Fight
- #news
- #headline
2016· 1 entry
Released album “80th Birthday Celebration”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
2015· 2 entries
Released album “One of the Lonely Ones”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
The studio album One of the Lonely Ones, recorded by Orbison in 1969, was posthumously released
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2014· 2 entries
Released album “Rock House”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
A demonstration recording of Orbison's "The Way Is Love" was released as part of the 25th-anniversary deluxe edition of Mystery Girl
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2013· 1 entry
Released album “In Concert (Roy Orbison Vol.3 Collection)”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
2011· 1 entry
NPR: Roy Orbison: Songs We Love
- #news
- #headline
2009· 1 entry
Released album “Sing Elvis Presley and Others!”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
2002· 2 entries
Billboard magazine listed him at number 74 on its list of the Top 600 recording artists
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Billboard magazine listed Orbison at number 74 in the Top 600 recording artists
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2001· 1 entry
Released album “Candy Man”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1998· 1 entry
Awarded Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1998).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
1996· 1 entry
The album The Very Best of Roy Orbison documented his entire career
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1992· 2 entries
Released album “King of Hearts”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
King of Hearts—another album of Orbison songs—was released
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1990· 15 entries
Released album “The Legendary Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Legends in Music”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Rock 'n' Roll Ballads”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Hits (3 CD Box Set)”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Love Songs”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison, Volume 1”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Hits 2”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Swingin' Rockin' "O"”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Ballads (22 Classic Love Songs)”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Colin Escott wrote an introduction to Orbison's biography published in a CD box set: "Orbison was the master of compression
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “Pretty Woman”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Hits 3”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Hits and Other Favorites (26 Great Tracks)”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Golden Decade: 1960–1969”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Rare Orbison II”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1989· 26 entries
Released album “Rare Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Orbison became the first deceased musician since Elvis Presley to have two albums in the US top five at the same time, with Traveling Wilburys Vol
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
(Mystery Girl was number two and the compilation The Legendary Roy Orbison was number three)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
And became the highest-selling album of his career
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “The Original”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “A Legend in Time”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Unforgettable Memories”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Sun Years”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Blue Blue Day”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Legend”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Best-Loved Standards”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “20 Golden Greats”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Wonderful World of Roy Orbison: 24 Golden Hits”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Blue Bayou”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Our Love Song”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Monumental Hits”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Roy Orbison Collection”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Collection”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “"The Big ‘O’: The Early Years”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Roy Orbison / Ray Peterson”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Singles Collection 1965-1973”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
“I have been looking forward to this for my entire life,”
- #wikipedia
- #quote
- #trusted-source
- #www.theguardian.com
- #corroborated
Released album “An Original”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Communication Breakdown (The MGM Years 1965-1970)”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Early Days”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Classic Roy Orbison - 1965-68”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1988· 8 entries
Died 1988-12-06.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #death
Peter Watrous of The New York Times wrote that Orbison's songs are "dreamlike claustrophobically intimate set pieces"
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “Beautiful Dreamer”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “For the Lonely: A Roy Orbison Anthology 1956-1965”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Oh Pretty Woman”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “12 of His Best”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Co-founded the Traveling Wilburys supergroup with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “Mystery Girl”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1987· 9 entries
Awarded Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
When Orbison began collaborating seriously with Electric Light Orchestra bandleader Jeff Lynne on a new album
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “In Dreams: The Greatest Hits”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Orbison was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and was initiated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springsteen, who concluded his speech with a reference to his own album Born to Run: "I want
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Orbison released an album of re-recorded hits titled In Dreams: The Greatest Hits
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “The RCA Sessions”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Only the Lonely”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Big 'O'”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
The Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1986· 3 entries
Released album “Class of ’55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “All-Time Greatest Hits”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The Original Class of ’55”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1981· 4 entries
Released album “Golden Days”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Emmylou Harris and he won a Grammy Award for their duet "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again" from the comedy film Roadie (in which Orbison also played a cameo role), and things were picking up
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “Ooby Dooby”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Performed "Pretty Woman" on an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1980· 1 entry
Don McLean recorded a cover of Orbison's 1961 hit single "Crying" and it went to the top of the charts, first in the Netherlands then reaching number five in the US and staying on the charts for 15 weeks; it was number o
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1979· 1 entry
Released album “Laminar Flow”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1977· 2 entries
Her version reaching number three on the Billboard charts and remaining in the charts for 24 weeks
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “The Sun Story. Vol.4: Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1976· 3 entries
Released album “Focus On Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Regeneration”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
And recorded Regeneration with Fred Foster, but it proved no more successful than before
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1975· 2 entries
Released album “The Best of Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “I’m Still In Love With You”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1974· 1 entry
Switched record labels from MGM to Mercury Records for a one-album deal
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1973· 1 entry
Released album “Milestones”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1972· 4 entries
Released album “Memphis”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Roy Orbison Sings”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Roy Orbison At Sun Studios, Memphis (Remastered)”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “The All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1970· 2 entries
Released album “Hank Williams the Roy Orbison Way”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Big O”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1969· 3 entries
Orbison and Barbara married
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “The Original Sound”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Roy Orbison’s Many Moods”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1967· 3 entries
Released album “Cry Softly Lonely One”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Sings Don Gibson”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Live in Melbourne 1967 (Live: Melbourne Festival Hall, Australia January 1967)”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1966· 5 entries
Released album “The Classic Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
When Orbison and Claudette were both riding their motorcycles home from Bristol, Tennessee, she was struck by a pickup truck in Gallatin, Tennessee, and thrown into the air
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “The Orbison Way”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Orbison broke his foot falling off a motorcycle in front of thousands of screaming fans at a race track; he performed his show that evening in a cast
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “The Very Best of Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1965· 4 entries
Released album “Orbisongs”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “There Is Only One Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Claudette gave birth to Roy's third child, and Roy and Claudette reunited several months later
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1964· 6 entries
Released album “Oh! Pretty Woman”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “More of Roy Orbison’s Greatest Hits”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
And 'Oh, Pretty Woman' on October 8, 1964
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “Special Delivery From Bobby Bare... Joey Powers... Roy Orbison”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
And he was forced to stay in his hotel room because he was mobbed on the streets of Sofia
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Toured Australia and New Zealand with the Beach Boys and returned again to Britain and Ireland, where he was so besieged by teenaged girls that the Irish police had to halt his performances to pull the girls off him
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1963· 6 entries
Roy Orbison was the only American artist to have a number-one single in Britain
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Touring took a toll on Orbison's personal life
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Orbison was forced to wear his prescription Faosa sunglasses on stage and found that he preferred them
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Orbison toured England, Ireland, and Canada
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
After leaving his thick eyeglasses on an airplane in 1963, Orbison was forced to wear his prescription Faosa sunglasses on stage and found that he preferred them.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #life
- #public-image
Released album “In Dreams”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1962· 4 entries
Released album “Roy Orbison’s Greatest Hits”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Charted with "The Crowd", "Leah", and "Workin' for the Man", which he wrote about working one summer in the oil fields near Wink
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Released album “Orbiting With”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Crying”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1961· 2 entries
Released album “At the Rock House”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Lonely and Blue”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1960· 2 entries
When it was able, in his words, to allow its "flowering"
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
The charts in the United States came to be dominated by teen idols, novelty acts, and Motown girl groups
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1958· 2 entries
And 1959, Orbison recorded seven songs for RCA Victor at their Nashville studios; only two singles ("Paper Boy" and "With the Bug") were judged worthy of release by the label
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
And the two decided to write some songs together
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1957· 1 entry
And their first child was born on September 16, 1958
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1956· 1 entry
But Orbison's relationship with the rest of the band was deteriorating at this stage
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1955· 1 entry
And 1956, appearing on the same local TV show as the Wink Westerners, Cash said, "[I]n late '55 or early '56, I was touring with Elvis when I met Roy in Texas
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1954· 3 entries
Orbison enrolled at North Texas State College in Denton
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
And was impressed by the shocking gyrations that Elvis exhibited on stage
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
The Wink Westerners had mostly played country and western swing music throughout the night, but ended the night by playing Bill Haley & the Comets’ hit song "Shake, Rattle and Roll" repeatedly, which became the catalyst
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1953· 1 entry
The Wink Westerners entered a talent contest on KMID-TV in Midland, Texas
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1949· 1 entry
Orbison (then 13 years old) formed the band "Wink Westerners" with school friends Billy Pat Ellis on drums, Slob Evans on bass fiddle, Richard West on piano, and James Morrow on electric mandolin
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1944· 1 entry
Prompted his parents to send Orbison (then eight) and his brother Grady Lee to Vernon to live with their grandmother
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1936· 1 entry
Born 1936-04-23.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #birth