SINGER

Roy Orbison

1936 - 1988

Photo of Roy Orbison

Icon of person Roy Orbison

Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) 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. He was nicknamed "The Caruso of Rock" and "The Big O." Many of Orbison's songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male rock-and-roll performers projected strength. He performed with minimal motion and in black clothes, matching his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Roy Orbison is the 129th most popular singer (down from 95th in 2019), the 915th most popular biography from United States (down from 576th in 2019) and the 51st most popular American Singer.

Roy Orbison is most famous for his distinctive voice and his successful career as a rock and roll singer.

Memorability Metrics

Loading...

Page views of Roy Orbison by language

Loading...

Among SINGERS

Among singers, Roy Orbison ranks 129 out of 4,381Before him are Bryan Adams, Peter Gabriel, Dolly Parton, Psy, Harry Belafonte, and Mercedes Sosa. After him are Georges Moustaki, George Clinton, Laura Branigan, Bruce Dickinson, Melanie, and Selena.

Most Popular Singers in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1936, Roy Orbison ranks 40Before him are Gerhard Ertl, Robert Downey Sr., Georges Perec, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim Clark, and Alan J. Heeger. After him are Tariq Aziz, Buddy Holly, Michael Landon, Émile Lahoud, Yasuo Fukuda, and Burt Reynolds. Among people deceased in 1988, Roy Orbison ranks 22Before him are Isidor Isaac Rabi, Chiang Ching-kuo, Tibor Sekelj, Juan Pujol García, Trevor Howard, and Klaus Fuchs. After him are Chet Baker, Hiroaki Sato, Kim Philby, Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad, Virginia Satir, and Raymond Carver.

Others Born in 1936

Go to all Rankings

Others Deceased in 1988

Go to all Rankings

In United States

Among people born in United States, Roy Orbison ranks 915 out of 20,380Before him are Tippi Hedren (1930), Thomas Friedman (1953), H. H. Holmes (1861), John Huston (1906), Edward Emerson Barnard (1857), and Farrah Fawcett (1947). After him are Pete Seeger (1919), Edwin S. Porter (1870), George Cukor (1899), Alfred Kinsey (1894), Billie Jean King (1943), and Alan Shepard (1923).

Among SINGERS In United States

Among singers born in United States, Roy Orbison ranks 51Before him are Diana Ross (1944), Nancy Sinatra (1940), Anastacia (1968), Steve Perry (1949), Dolly Parton (1946), and Harry Belafonte (1927). After him are George Clinton (1941), Laura Branigan (1952), Melanie (1947), Selena (1971), Art Garfunkel (1941), and Jimmie Rodgers (1897).