Roy Orbison, who was born on April 23, 1936 and passed away on December 6, 1988, was known for his amazing voice and his signature look. The image we have of him is dressed in black and wearing sunglasses. But he did not always wear his signature sunglasses, as shown by the below performance of “Only the Lonely” on Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Beechnut Show.
Throughout the pandemic, I have been digging deeper into artists I have always loved. Lately, one of my obsessions has been Roy Orbison.
There are various stories about why Orbison wore sunglasses on stage. One of the most popular legends is that Orbison was shy and the sunglasses helped him overcome stage fright.
But in the book The Authorized Roy Orbison, Orbison’s sons Roy Jr., Wesley, and Alex explained the story behind the famous sunglasses. While on tour with the Beatles in 1963, Roy Orbison left his regular glasses on an airplane. Orbison had poor eyesight and was at a loss without his glasses, but he had a pair of sunglasses with him (apparently prescription sunglasses). So he wore the sunglasses on the tour, creating what would become his iconic look.
Prior to 1963, however, Orbison did not perform with the sunglasses. So here, you may see Orbison perform one of the great classics “Only the Lonely” below in what appears to be from July 23, 1960 on Dick Clark’s show. Check it out.
What is your favorite Roy Orbison song? Leave your two cents in the comments.
