Dark Star: The Roy Orbison Story

by Ellis Amburn

A detailed biography of singer Roy Orbison chronicles the life and career of the influential rock 'n' roll pioneer, from his rise to stardom, to the tragedies that led to his obscurity, to his dramatic comeback and premature death at the age of fifty-two

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, History

283 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1990

Reviews

[Garrett Cash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm kind of torn about this book. On the one hand, it was very entertaining and I learned a lot more about Roy Orbison than I ever knew. It made me want to listen to his music more. On the other hand, it's horribly written, highly opinionated, amateurish, and gossipy. Amburn takes great pleasure in juicy details that don't matter at all to the story. Why do we want to know what Dennis Wilson did (sexually speaking) on tours? The author also takes any opportunity he can to highlight the shortcomings of many heroic musical figures, which showcases the author's low self-esteem that leads to hardcore pomposity. The book is cluttered with historical errors and false generalizations. The more I read music books the more I realize that a lot of people who write them don't read them much themselves. His opinionated tone was incredibly unappealing. For instance, he took every opportunity he could (and many times went out of his way) to disparage motorcycles as being "suicide machines" that bring nothing but injury and death. Amburn is adequate when he talks about Orbison's music (which should be the focus), but instead he revels in the sordid and barely spends any time whatsoever on Roy's conversion to Christianity. There doesn't appear to be any definite Orbison biographies out there, so I suppose this will have to do until somebody does something more along the lines of Guralnick rather than Tosches.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not an avid non-fiction reader, so I don't feel so inclined to provide a rich criticism of this book. However, I did find it to be rather linear and ordinary in structure.

With the exception of the very beginning which was a foreshadowing of a later outcome in Roy Orbison's life, from then on in it became a chronological retelling of his life's significant events.

I suppose there isn't much other choice than to take this route when creating a biography. His simple task is to filter out enough to maintain an emphasis on the important, rather than obstruct the momentum with minor details. At least, this is what I find important about a biography. Keeping it relatively simple.

As for 'Dark Star', it certainly does paint an honest portrait of Roy that I would never have imagined; with his destructive and hedonistic habits, along with his great misfortunes in his personal life. What ultimately took away from the novel achieving more was it's often monotonous minor details and lack of climactic design.

If I wasn't a fan of Roy Orbison, and I attempted to read this, I would have given up very early. It rested completely on my curiosity towards his life that compelled me to finish it.

'Dark Star: The Roy Orbison Story'= 6.5/10

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark star, the Roy Orbison story by Ellis Amburn
Starts when there is talk of his reckless stunts he'd show off to the fans.
Like haring the back story of his life and the problems he had with his eyes as I also have major eye issues.
Love how he started playing his guitar. Never realized all the travel he put into his career. Covers his whole life from school age, college, married life and onward.
So sad to have lost him at such a young age, he was a great star.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Don Shreve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my shelf for years. What a great biography about one of my favorite singer song writers. He had a tragic life , losing his wife in a motorcycle crash and two of his sons in a house fire when he was away doing a concert.

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me an even deeper appreciation for the music and life story of Roy Orbison. I never knew how hard he worked and how persistent he had to be just to get his music on the radio. I grew up listening to his music on an old LP my mom had. I assumed he was equally famous with Elvis or the Beatles because his music is what I heard most in my house, other than gospel music by other performers. What I couldn’t know because I couldn’t see is that he was a plain man, not physically charismatic or as attractive as other performers. While he had a beautiful voice with excellent range, his shyness was also a problem that caused him to be overshadowed by other performers. Insecurity and shyness plagued him throughout his life, even as he broke into the music business at a time when confident swagger was the name of the game. I also noticed that many of the performers who created the new rock and roll sound had deeply troubling personality issues, especially with their liking for young teenage girls and their dependence on various drugs and alcohol. Roy, along with Elvis, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis each married a girl that was extremely young at the time of marriage. Lewis was actually expelled from England because people were angry about his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin. Orbison kept his marriage to14-year-old Claudette very private, not taking her along on his more visible touring. In fact, Claudette hadn’t even successfully completed the eighth grade before dropping out of school and marrying Roy. Today, it’s more likely he would be charged with statutory rape then allowed to marry such a young girl.
This book has given me a lot to think about. I am learning some important lessons about how a person can succeed, even if they start with fewer resources and are less physically attractive than their competition. Hard work, persistence, and building connections with other people can help compensate for not having wealth or good looks. However, the flipside of this is that insecurity and shyness can break those connections so easily, and we can be our own worst enemy as we isolate ourselves to try and protect ourselves from perceived threats. When I was younger, I loved this man’s music. It is an integral part of growing up for me, just like music from Elvis. Now, as an adult who is trying to find her way past some of the same issues of insecurity and shyness, Roy Orbison‘s story serves as a challenge to me. I don’t want to make some of the mistakes he did, and I consider this book to be an important part of my growth as a person, and understanding what I truly have to lose if I don’t address some of these issues. He dealt with a lot of tragedies, including the death of Claudette and of some of his children. I hope that his remaining children are able to find some peace and happiness in the lives they lead now.

[Norman Weatherly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I speed read most of this book because I didn't enjoy the tone, style or method of story telling that was employed in this book. I found it too opinionated and constantly telling us how unattractive Mr. Orbison was in the opinion of the author. I managed to glean some nuggets but they were few and far between.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tragic, and it darkened my view of Orbison, as well as Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Chuck Berry! The writing showed an obvious dedication and care for the subject, and for that it made a great biography.

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poorly written! Obviously NOT someone that even liked Roy Orbison!

[John Truby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of triumph and tragedy. Good read.

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I had heard Roy Orbison songs since I was a child, I never wondered anything about his life until I saw the Black & White Night concert video. Wiki is always a great source for info, but I decided to get this book for even more info. This biography definitely left the feeling that Roy Orbison was a mixed bag sort of man, someone who seemed one way to some and another way to others. Who is right, who is wrong, or is everyone presenting the honest picture of him that they knew?

It's probably safe to say Mr. Orbison was a workaholic; not the best husband, father or son in the world; and not the best looking man in the world. Yet author Ellis Amburn seemed weirdly obsessed with repeatedly mentioning the singer's looks, and it seemed ridiculous to think his looks had such a tremendous impact on his life and actions. Oh, and it's also safe to say Roy Orbison had one of the absolute greatest singing voices ever heard on the radio and in concerts during the 1950s-1980s.

[Bruce Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title about sums it up. Roy was a star: Elvis Presley said he had the best voice in the world. Emmylou Harris was in awe of it. They weren't alone. Who could attract Bob Dylan to join his band? Roy could.
Roy had a dark side, just like the moon. Darkness included self-loathing, thus the dark glasses. Darkness included a proclivity for young women, including his wife. In this he was not alone; Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley did as well. Darkness included a taste for intoxicants.
He sang as if he was going to die any second, and seemed to live that way too. Perhaps you know the joke, 'I know my limit, but I pass out before I get there.' Roy is lucky to have lived as long as he did. We are too.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Star. This book is aptly named. Roy Orbison and his contemporaries came from dust and were able to find success in life from country music that morphed into rock n roll. There were many casualties along the way from car and motorcycle wrecks, plane crashes, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and overwork. Roy was lucky to live as long as he did and enjoy the accolades of his music career. He left his indelible mark on history and on many peoples lives in his short 52 years. He is missed. Enjoy this book and ponder the complicated life he lived.

[James Hutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellis Amburn's take on Roy Orbison's biography is a compelling read, but the nature of his earlier works makes me question the credibility. Amburn was known for writing scandalous Hollywood biographies, focusing upon the "dirty" allegations levied at film stars. As a result, his earlier books read like National Enquirer. Until this story can be corroborated by a more credible author, I will find "Dark Star" mediocre at best.

[Timothy Swartout · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not as well- written as I had hoped it would be. I do appreciate the timeline of the operatic singer’s life and the candidness of the moments documented, but this is at many times a trashy read. Its redemption as a biography comes near its end as we read of his late-career successes with his final solo album and the Traveling Wilburys album and how they came together. As with many celebrities, Orbison had his demons and didn’t always treat his family well. But, oh, that voice….

[Ilena Holder · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely loved this book.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a well written biography but the only one I could find to learn more about Roy Orbison.

[John Kidman · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my heroes. Have his music on loud while reading this book.

[Karry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've loved Roy Orbison from when I was a kid and it's still true. That's why we decided to read this book. As a matter of fact, had I not loved Roy's singing I would not give this book three stars. The author was less than a good writer, he has a lot of strikes against him, as a matter of fact. He over emphasised his opinion that Roy was an unattractive person from a young age until he died. I think that has little to do with his gift as a writer and singer. If Roy was unattractive, lets look at other performers, Lyle Lovett? Mick Jagger? Keith Richards?...come on! We all know that looks have very little to do with talent. I was interested in his life and the author did cover his history fairly well. On the other hand, I could not recommend this book as one anyone should read.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I looked around for a good quality bio of Orbison, a man from Wink, West Texas, and this was about the best I could do. It's not particularly well written, but it has the basic chronology and facts.

I've always been a fan of the 1960s music of Mr. Orbison, who got his start with Sun Records in Memphis, playing rockabilly songs like "Down the Line," "Ooby Dooby" and "Rockhouse." Alas, he was not much of a success at Sun, competing for attention with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and other stalwarts. Roy's strength, of course, was his remarkable singing voice and his interpretation of near-operatic ballads about bad love and broken hearts. He was such a smash hit in England that on one tour, the Beatles - just getting recognized nationally - opened for him. (The promoter realized the audience felt differently and changed that around pretty quickly.)

Orbison dressed in black and wore dark glasses, initially because he thought he was unattractive and he was trying to hide as much of himself as he could. With big ears, glasses, and squinty eyes, he was not the best looking young man in West Texas.

Like Presley and Jerry Lew Lewis, Orbison was drawn to underage girls who looked grown up. He married Claudette when she was just 14. Let's remember, though, that it was not unusual for couples in the deep South to get married quite young. To be sure, Claudette's parents gave consent. Lewis, by the way, married his 13 year old cousin and didn't try to disguise the fact, which completely derailed his career. Worse, Lewis was already married when he purported to marry his cousin, committing bigamy in the process.

Once he got married, Roy stayed on tour, screwed around with groupies, and generally neglected his bride, who naturally got involved with someone else, leading to the Orbisons' divorce. However, the couple reconciled and remarried.

Everything about the rest of Roy's story changed my opinion of the man for the worse. In short order, Claudette was killed riding a motorcycle. Her three boys, Roy's sons, went to live with Claudette's parents. Alas, a house fire killed the two older boys, leaving only Wesley. Roy soon married a 17 year old woman from Germany named Barbara. Wes was not invited to live with them, even after Barbara had children. Roy was less than generous to his former in-laws, while Roy and Barbara and their own kids lived in luxury.

The deaths of Claudette and his two older boys are often cited as facts in Roy's "tragic" life. Unfortunate those things were, but Roy wasn't great to Claudette and treated his remaining son like shit. Yeah, his career revived in the end, but this was not, I'm sorry to say, a genuinely good man. Maybe a blind man? Deliberately blind? No better.

P.S. I don't want to obscure the fact that much of the music Orbison made is fantastic, particularly the recordings on Monument, his revival with The Traveling Wilburys (Roy was "Lefty Wilbury," reflecting Roy's admiration for country legend Lefty Frizzell), and his final album, "Mystery Girl." I defy anyone to listen to the song "You Got It" and not start singing along in your head.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking story. Very informational about Roy Orbison and his journey through life. I learned a lot but also felt the author didn't really elaborate on some of the pieces I would have liked further backstory on, as a music aficionado.

[Steve Indig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing and well-written music biography of a huge figure in popular music, with a personal story as grand and tragic as his songs.

[Nina]

Although familiar with Orbison's music, I knew little about his background. Much of the book focuses on his relentless drive and determination to succeed in the music industry.