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Roy Orbison: A Life from Beginning to End

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Discover the remarkable life of Roy Orbison...Free BONUS Inside!Roy Orbison possessed a voice that commanded immediate attention. He may have appeared meek and mild-mannered on the surface, yet beneath this facade lay an inner world brimming with passion and fervor. Orbison’s style was innovative and avant-garde, almost as if he were an embodiment of alternative rock before the term even entered the lexicon. He represented the emotive, tender facet of rock and roll, a stark contrast to his contemporaries who were often swathed in leather jackets and exuded the confidence of a typical rockstar.Yet despite achieving international success with songs like “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” and “Oh, Pretty Woman,” Orbison’s life was far from perfect. The premature deaths of his wife and two of his children had a profound impact on him, and his music from this period reflects a deep sense of loss. His life journey, punctuated by soaring highs and heartbreaking lows, is a tale of resilience and survival, and this book aims to explore it thoroughly from beginning to end.Discover a plethora of topics such asEarly Life in TexasA Target for BulliesOrbison and the Teen KingsTriumph and TragedyRoy’s Last The Traveling WilburysSudden DeathAnd much more!So if you want a concise and informative book on Roy Orbison, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access!

54 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 23, 2023

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Hourly History

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At Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.

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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Apollo Hesiod.
131 reviews50 followers
December 4, 2023
Roy Orbison: A Life from Beginning to End

I found this very informative, I always liked his music, but never really knew alot about him. If you are a music lover you should read this book.
Profile Image for Autumn Kearney.
1,026 reviews
July 17, 2024
ROY ORBISON A Life from Beginning to End. I knew nothing about the singer-songwriter. Despite his fame he had a sad life. Even now, I feel sorry for him.
Profile Image for Bonnie Gleckler Clark.
883 reviews16 followers
July 29, 2023
I knew very little about this man…

I admit I knew next to nothing about Roy Orbison before reading this Hourly History. My husband and daughter used to listen to a great deal of country music in the late 70s and early 80s so I began listening as well.
Many of Roy’s songs were played on our local radio as Roy was from Texas and that was where we lived at the time.
I would have loved to have been able to attend one of his concerts. Thank you Hourly History for making my day.
Profile Image for Dale.
1,951 reviews66 followers
September 11, 2023
Published in July of 2023 by Hourly History.

Roy Orbison (1936-1988) was an early rock singer. As this book notes, the heart of his career is right after Elvis joined the Army and just before the Beatles broke it big. His hits include Pretty Woman and Only the Lonely. Also, he is one of my favorite singers so I was pretty excited to read this short biography.

I have no problems with the facts as laid out in this biography, although I was very disappointed by the disjointed and sometimes just plain old weird writing style. I have to wonder if this was written by an AI program. Because of the writing style I am going rate this e-book 3 stars out of 5.

https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2023...
Profile Image for Tammy.
8 reviews
July 30, 2023
Nice!

It was an enjoyable quick read about a music legend who seriously impacted the industry; and he remains to have fans everywhere even 35 years after his passing…I quite enjoyed reading this and having gained some great small talk for conversation, and that I am quite likely to expand on exactly where I learned of Roy Orbison’s background …. No, not Rolling Stone… (I do miss that old newspaper magazine!) … but from free-book-a-week at HistoryHour.com. thank you again! ❤️
804 reviews6 followers
November 9, 2025
The Big O, # 1…

The other Big O, of course being Otis Redding. Another huge talent whose life was cut short way before his time. Well I don’t want to dishonor the first Big O, by getting lost in the second. However easy that is to do when discussing lives of such monumental talent. Honored best: “In Dreams” 🕴️Excellent 💥 Read 🧞‍♀️ 😊 👯‍♂️
Profile Image for F.
1,186 reviews9 followers
October 6, 2025
One of the best of these books I have read in a long time- perhaps because of the absence of obvious agendas, politics and biases. I loved learning about Roy's life, love of music and trials and tribulations as he became a musical legend.
89 reviews2 followers
July 30, 2023
Roy's unknown life

A great biography of a wonderful songwriter a d performer! May we always remember his contributions to the music scene!
Profile Image for Vickie Jameson.
367 reviews39 followers
August 6, 2023
A brief look into the life of Roy Orbison. Part tragedy, part triumph, it was an interesting read.
Profile Image for Robin Dix.
734 reviews
September 2, 2024
I didn't know much about Roy before this book. He seems like a stand-up guy and wonderful performer.
2 reviews
December 7, 2024
Quick, good read.

I enjoyed this quickie look at the amazing talent that was that Big O. His voice was a gift he shared with the world as long as he could.
152 reviews4 followers
August 8, 2023
He Was One of the Very Best

I’ve always loved Roy Orbison's music and voice. It was interesting to read the details of his life. I knew nothing about his later grouping with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty (Traveling Wilburys) and others to form a new group. I will be looking for that music. I would vote Roy the greatest balladeer of all time.
Profile Image for D. Thrush.
Author 14 books160 followers
April 5, 2025
I enjoyed this short 51-page bio of Roy Orbison. I saw him perform in the ‘80s and didn’t know much about him. It’s sad that there was so much tragedy in his life, and he died in his early 50s. His music endures.
3,948 reviews21 followers
May 22, 2024
In just a few pages, this tells the fascinating story of a legend -- Roy Orbison. People who wrote about him often commented that he dressed like an insurance salesman, instead of a rock star. Roy Orbison has a tragic life, with huge highs and terrible lows. I liked that this quick eBook mentioned the Traveling Wilburys, the super-group he was in at the time of his death.

Barbara Orbison, Roy's second wife (after the death of Claudette), kept his music and legend alive until her death. Then, the mantle was passed to their two boys. I wondered what happened to the third child (Wesley), from his first marriage. There was no information.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

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