When the British Invasion broke out in 1964, Orbison was one of the few who survived. His single, "Oh, Pretty Woman," actually broke the Beatles stranglehold on the Top Ten, catapulting to the #1 position in August of 1964 (where it would remain for three weeks). In fact, the record sold more copies in the first 10 days than any other single up to that time and would go on to sell more than 7 millions copies.
The song was written in one afternoon while Orbison and his songwriting friend Bill Dees were working. Orbison's wife at the time, Claudette, was leaving to do some shopping when Orbison asked her if she needed any money; to which Bill Dees interjected, "A pretty woman never needs any money." They both thought that it would make a great song title and by the time that Claudette returned home from her shopping trip, the duo had written the now legendary song.
Many people often wonder if Orbison had eye problems which forced him to wear sunglasses, even at night. He did not have a specific eye ailment; the sunglasses actually became part of his persona by pure accident. After flying in to Alabama for a performance, Orbison accidently left his regular glasses on the plane and didn't realize he had his sunglasses on until the evening; but by then he had no choice, he had to wear the sunglasses or no glasses at all and not be able to see.
So he went onstage wearing the dark glasses and the next day he flew to England to tour with the Beatles. Again, he was forced to wear the sunglasses and photographs of him and the Beatles circulated worldwide, and, although it was all unplanned, he was stuck with the new image and kept it throughout his amazing career.
In 1965, Orbison left Monument Records opting to move over to MGM, a label that promised him more money. Unfortunately, he would not make the Top Ten in the US again until 1989 he went to #9 with a song Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne wrote for him, "You Got It." It was also during this time Orbison worked with Petty, Lynne, George Harrison, and Bob Dylan in the Traveling Wilburys.
But Orbison was a world-wide music sensation and he remained very popular in Europe and Australia. In fact, his cut "Working For The Man" topped the Australian charts and the song "Too Soon To Know" peaked at #3 in England. He was also very popular in Germany, actually recording his hit song "Mama" in the native tongue. In France, he was viewed as the master of lost love ballads and a cover version of his 1963 hit, "Blue Bayou" (#29 on the Billboard Top 40 chart and a #3 hit for Linda Ronstadt in 1977), that was performed in French by Mireille Mathieu topped the French charts. Additionally, fans in the Netherlands formed his largest worldwide fan club.
Article comments
1 - Rene Dwight
Roy was greatly underestimated when it comes to his place in recent music history, maybe his sunglasses image held him back but it has to be said he was a "one of a kind". It is said he took on the songs that Elvis's voice did not suit [ those with a higher operatic pitch ].. People like Roy, Buddy Holly and Rock Nelson have all been a great influence on my own music and I can only aspire to be even just the slightest bit as good as them..
Rene Dwight - The Blue Cougars...