Roy Orbison’s song “Crying” was a big hit when it came out on July 31, 1961. From 1960 to 1966, Roy had 22 singles that made it to the Billboard Top 40. “Only the Lonely” and “In Dreams” were two of his biggest hits. Remember how great Roy looked?
Roy’s band is playing in a studio in front of a crowd. He sings and plays guitar in a band, and they all wear black suits that match. Roy’s name is carved into the guitar strap.
Roy sings the emotional lyrics, “I was okay for a while, I could smile for a while.” Then, last night, I saw you. You were really holding my hand. When you came over to say hi. You were happy for me. You couldn’t have known that I had been crying because of you.
Roy would usually perform while standing still and wearing black clothes that matched the color of his dyed hair. He wore the dark sunglasses that he always wears to finish off his look. People thought that the glasses helped him stay calm on stage because he always had stage fright.
Roy Orbison and Joe Melson wrote “Crying” for Roy’s third studio album, also called “Crying.” It reached number two in the U.S., and Don McLean sang it in 1980.
Roy’s operatic singing style made him known as “The Caruso of Rock” and “The Big O.” His emotional ballads showed how vulnerable he was through the words he used.
Roy is best known for his hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which was number one for three weeks in 1964. Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” put “Crying” at number 69. Roy was a legend in American music because of his unique style and stage persona.