Roy Orbison

Acting

Roy Orbison

Born 1936-04-23 · Vernon, Texas, USA

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. Many of Orbison's songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male performers projected strength. He performed with minimal motion and in black clothes, matching his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses. Born in Texas, Orbison began singing in a country-and-western band as a teenager. He was signed by Sam Phillips of Sun Records in 1956 after being urged by Johnny Cash. Elvis Presley was leaving Sun and Phillips was looking to replace him. His first Sun recording, "Ooby Dooby", was musically akin of Presley's early Sun recordings. He had moderate success at Sun, but enjoyed his greatest success with Monument Records. From 1960 to 1966, 22 of Orbison's singles reached the Billboard top 40. He wrote or co-wrote almost all of his own top-10 hits, including "Only the Lonely" (1960), "Running Scared" (1961), "Crying" (1961), "In Dreams" (1963), "Oh, Pretty Woman" (1964), "I Drove All Night" (1987), "She's a Mystery to Me" (1988), "You Got It" (1988), and "California Blue" (1988). After the mid-1960s, Orbison suffered a number of personal tragedies, and his career faltered. He experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s, following the success of several cover versions of his songs. In 1988, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys supergroup with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. Orbison died of a heart attack that December at age 52. One month later, his song "You Got It" (1989) was released as a solo single, becoming his first hit to reach the top 10 in both the US and UK in nearly 25 years. Orbison's honors include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and five other Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone placed him at number 37 on its list of the "Greatest Artists of All Time" and number 13 on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In 2002, Billboard magazine listed him at number 74 on its list of the Top 600 recording artists. Description above from the Wikipedia article Roy Orbison, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

She's Having a Baby poster
5.9

Jake and Kristy Briggs are newlyweds. Being young, they are perhaps a bit unprepared for the full reality of marriage and all that it (and their parents) expect from them. Do they want babies? Their parents certainly want them to. Is married life all that there is? Things certainly aren't helped by Jake's friend Davis, who always seems to turn up just in time to put a spanner in the works.

She's Having a Baby

1988

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night poster
7.7

Recorded live at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, Roy is joined by an eclectic ensemble of rock and roll superstars including Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett, J.D. Souther, Jennifer Warnes, k.d. lang, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits.

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night

1988

Roy Orbison Live In Texas poster
NR

The great Roy Orbison and his 1986 band perform 12 of his greatest hits live in Houston, Texas

Roy Orbison Live In Texas

1986

Eddie Cochran & Friends: C'mon Everybody poster
6.5

No synopsis available yet.

Eddie Cochran & Friends: C'mon Everybody

2004

Roadie poster
5.9

A young Texas good ol' boy has a knack with electronic equipment, and that talent gets him a job as a roadie with a raucous traveling rock-and-roll show.

Roadie

1980

The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1980 poster
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1980

2007

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream poster
7.7

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich and packed with rare concert footage and home movies, this documentary explores the history of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, including Petty's famous collaborations and notorious clashes with the record industry. Interviews with musical luminaries including Jackson Browne, George Harrison, Eddie Vedder, Roger McGuinn, Jeff Lynne, Dave Stewart and Petty himself shed some revelatory vision.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream

2007

Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll poster
7.3

St. Louis, 1986. For Chuck Berry's 60th, Keith Richards assembles a pickup band of Robert Cray, Joey Spampinato, Eric Clapton, himself and long-time Berry pianist, Johnnie Johnson. Joined on stage by Etta James, Linda Ronstadt and Julian Lennon, Berry performs his classic rock songs. His abilities as a composer, lyricist, singer, musician and entertainer are on display and, in behind-the-scenes interviews, are discussed by Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bruce Springstein, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and others. There's even a rarity for Berry—a rehearsal. Archival footage from the early 1950s and a duet with John Lennon round out this portrait of a master.

Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll

1987

In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story poster
6.2

Roy Orbison - In Dreams is the ultimate exclusive music documentary of the life of Roy Orbison. It provides in-depth insights into his legendary career with classic performances, personal home movies and photos, location footage and interviews with the great and the humble that he touched with his music.

In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story

1999

Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones poster
8.5

Using previously unseen performances, a biography of rock balladeer Roy Orbison told through his own voice, casting new light on the triumphs and tragedies that beset his career.

Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones

2015

The Best of The Johnny Cash TV Show 1969-1971 poster
8.8

The Best Of The Johnny Cash Show 1969-1971, collects some of the top performances from the man in black's television show. If you're unfamiliar with the show, all you need to know is that it features Cash, his wife June Carter, and artists like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, George Jones, Neil Young, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Loretta Lynn, Ray Charles, and Roy Orbison performing some of their classic hits. Both as individuals and occasionally as duets with their host Cash. Highlights include Cash's opening "I Walk The Line", young Bob Dylan's "I Threw It All Away", George Jones' "She Thinks I Still Care", Neil Young's "The Needle & The Damage Done", CCR's "Bad Moon Rising", Loretta Lynn's "I Know How", and Cash's rousing finale of "A Boy Named Sue".

The Best of The Johnny Cash TV Show 1969-1971

2007

Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO poster
7.4

Documentary which gets to the heart of who Jeff Lynne is and how he has had such a tremendous musical influence on our world. The story is told by the British artist himself and such distinguished collaborators and friends of Jeff as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Barbara Orbison and Eric Idle. The film reveals that Lynne is a true man of music, for whom the recording studio is his greatest instrument. With access to Lynne in his studio above LA, this is an intimate account of a great British pop classicist who has ploughed a unique furrow since starting out on the Birmingham Beat scene in the early 60s, moving from the Idle Race to the multi-million selling ELO in the 70s and then, with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison, as a key member of the Traveling Wilburys.

Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO

2012

It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC poster
8.0

A celebration of rock 'n' roll in the shape of a compilation of classic artists and songs, featuring the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion and Dick Dale who all featured in the Rock 'n' Roll America series, alongside songs that celebrate rock 'n roll itself from artists such as Tom Petty (Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll), Joan Jett (I Love Rock 'n' Roll) and Oasis (Rock 'n' Roll Star).

It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC

2015

Roy Orbison Forever poster
7.0

This music documentary celebrates the five-time Grammy-winning Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. The program charts Orbison's career and relationships with other musicians through interviews and archive performances, some never before seen in America. From the sell-out international tour with The Beatles through his collaboration with George Harrison and The Traveling Wilburys, Orbison’s legacy endures.

Roy Orbison Forever

2022

The Best Of Beat poster
NR

1 –No Artist. Introduction, 2 –Stevie Wonder. Fingertips, Part 2, 3 –Bob Dylan. Blowin' In The Wind, 4 –Gene Pitney. 24 Hours From Tulsa, 5 –Roy Orbison. Pretty Woman, 6 –Sonny & Cher. I Got You Babe 7 –The Byrds. All I Really Want To Do, 8 –The Hollies. Look Through Any Window, 9 –Beach Boys*. Sloop John B., 10 –The Four Tops*. Reach Out, 11 –Ike & Tina Turner. River Deep Mountain High, 12 –Nancy Sinatra. These Boots Are Made For Walking, 13 –Peter & Gordon. Woman, 14 –Simon & Garfunkel. Homeward Bound, 15 –Pink Floyd. See Emily Play, 16 –The Moody Blues. Nights In White Satin, 17 –The Mamas & The Papas. Dedicated To The One I Love, 18 –Donovan. Mellow Yellow, 19 –Esther & Abi Ofarim. Cinderella Rockafella, 20 –Fleetwood Mac. Need Your Love So Bad, 21 –Janis Joplin. A Piece Of My Heart, 22 –Unknown Artist. When Rock Goes On (Instrumental)

The Best Of Beat

2003

The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: Million Sellers poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: Million Sellers

2006

Roy Sings Orbison poster
7.5

Roy Orbison sings some of his greatest hits, including Only the Lonely, Crying, Penny Arcade, Blue Bayou, Running Scared, Candy Man, In Dreams, Mean Woman Blues, It's Over and Oh, Pretty Woman.

Roy Sings Orbison

1975

The True History Of The Traveling Wilburys poster
7.0

Spring, 1988: George Harrison asks Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty to spend a day in the studio at Bob Dylan's L.A. house. The result is "Handle With Care." He liked the process so much that the five of them, plus Jim Keltner, spend a week in May at Dave Stewart's house, where they write and record a song a day to produce an album. We watch the creative process: group efforts ("Dirty World" is a found poem) and individual ones (Dylan's lyrics for "Congratulations'). Petty calls them "a bunch of friends who happened to be really good at making music." The album, released in October, goes platinum. The rock video for "End of the Line" is a eulogy for Orbison (1936-1988).

The True History Of The Traveling Wilburys

2007

No artwork available
8.0

For many music fans, history is divided into the long, dull centuries before rock 'n' roll was born and the exciting decades since, when the influential musical form changed the world. This documentary traces the early years of this audio revolution, featuring historic footage and interviews with several musical pioneers, including Little Richard, Bill Haley and The Comets, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bo Diddley.

One for the Money: The Birth of Rock & Roll

2006

Roy Orbison Live in 1965: The Monument Concert poster
9.0

Filmed in black and white at the Theater Singer in Laren, The Netherlands on March 25th, 1965, this short concert features the Big O performing hits from the classic catalogue of songs he recorded for the American independent label Monument in the early 60s.

Roy Orbison Live in 1965: The Monument Concert

1965

Johnny Cash: Live On Air poster
9.3

Selection of live tracks by the late, great country singer. Includes full-length performances from The Johnny Cash Show, Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert, Farm Aid, and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Tracks include: 'Oh! Pretty Woman', 'Matchbox', 'Folsom Prison Blues', 'Ring of Fire', and many more.

Johnny Cash: Live On Air

2008

Roy Orbison at the BBC poster
6.0

A deep-dive into the BBC’s archives to celebrate the great Roy Orbison – full-time rock 'n’ roll legend, part-time Traveling Wilbury and the man Elvis famously described as ‘the best singer in the world’. The Big O’s story was in many ways a tragic one, full of family tragedies and heartbreak, and his extraordinary voice captured all those emotions and more, bringing a new dimension to popular music. This programme features some of the hits that had fans eraptured and fellow music superstars singing his praises, with performances from his many visits to the UK including Only the Lonely, Crying and Oh Pretty Woman.

Roy Orbison at the BBC

2023

Roy Orbison: Mystery Girl - Unraveled poster
6.5

The discography of Roy Orbison (1936-1988) - which yielded some of the most heartfelt, passionate classics of the rock ‘n’ roll era - shined even brighter with the release of Mystery Girl, the last album Orbison recorded, in 1989. The commercial success of Mystery Girl was nothing short of impressive: the album was a Top 5 hit, eventually earning Orbison his first platinum award for over 1 million sales, and featured the worldwide Top 10 smash “You Got It.” Mystery Girl: Unraveled features a new hour-long documentary on the making of the album, executive produced by Roy’s sons. The documentary includes new interviews with those behind the album including Steve Cropper, Tom Petty, Mick Campbell and Jeff Lynne. In addition there are eight wonderful music videos, including an unreleased alternate video for “She’s a Mystery to Me” and three new videos for “The Way Is Love,” “You Got It” and “California Blue.

Roy Orbison: Mystery Girl - Unraveled

2014

The Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1977 poster
NR

Johnny Cash's second Christmas special includes an all-star tribute to Elvis Presley, who died in August 1977, two months before this program was taped for CBS television. Fellow rockabilly pioneers Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison join Cash on "This Train is Bound For Glory" in memory of Presley, whose affinity for such sacred music was well-known. The 1977 special also includes holiday guest performances as Johnny takes the stage with Roy Clark for a spirited rendition of "Frosty The Snow Man" as well as the Statler Brothers with the yuletide classic "Blue Christmas."

The Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1977

1977