Roy Orbison Tickets

Among the most iconic singers of all time, Roy Orbison had no less than 22 top 40 hits in the United States as a solo artist between 1960 and 1964 alone. Having inspired a variety of imitators and tribute acts since his death in 1988, the performer's music lives on to this day. Fans of tracks such as “Oh, Pretty Woman”, “Only the Lonely” and “In Dreams” can enjoy some startlingly realistic impersonations of the singing style of the rock 'n' roll artist. Thanks to Orbison's strident stage look, with quiffed, jet-black hair and dark shades, his appearance is able to be replicated by the many tribute shows that pay homage to him. As a singer, a guitarist, a harmonica player and – perhaps, above all – as a writer of songs, the unique blend that made Orbison the artist he was continues to delight.

Roy Orbison's legacy

Thanks to so many hit songs from his early career, Orbison had already achieved fame and admiration in the rock 'n' roll and rockabilly fraternity second only to Elvis Presley. Nevertheless, Orbison's comeback in the 1980s and his later membership of the supergroup The Travelling Wilburys have cemented his position as one of the 20th century's leading popular musicians of any genre. Rolling Stone magazine placed Orbison at number 37 on their list of the Greatest Artists of All Time and he regularly scores highly among music fans' polls of best singer-songwriters.

While Orbison was playing as a young man in a band called the Teen Kings, it was Johnny Cash who first got his career as a solo artist off the ground. He recommended Orbison to Sam Phillips, the legendary producer and owner of Sun Records, where Presley had first made his name. In the late 1950s, the Teen Kings recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis and Orbison met his hero, Presley.

Departing from the fashionable rockabilly sound somewhat, Orbison embarked on a solo career. He is credited with pioneering the country-influenced rock 'n' roll sound that became known as the Nashville style. When the singer laid down “Only the Lonely”, he found the sound that suited his voice best and it made him a star virtually overnight. Many other singles followed in the same vein including the huge hit “Crying”.

Orbison returned in the late 1980s. At this time he released a retrospective album of his hits, all of them completely re-recorded. He also began working with Jeff Lynne of ELO and this led to the two forming The Travelling Wilburys, with Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Tom Petty.

Similar to Roy Orbison

Fans of rock 'n' roll should seek tickets for The Elvis Years or tribute acts such as The Bootleg Beatles at StubHub.