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No books on Roy Orbison?

  • 06-12-2012 3:57pm
    #1
    Dan133269
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭


    As the title says, are there no decent biographies of Roy Orbison? Arguably the greatest singer of all time, how could there be no decent books on him?

    I'm trying to identify a book on the big O that my mrs could get me for xmas. So far there appear to be only 3 books:

    - Dark Star: The Roy Orbison Story by Ellis Amburn. It has got some terrible reviews by fans who appear to be very familiar with the life and work of Orbison.
    - Only The Lonely: Roy Orbison by Alan Clayson. Virtually every review of this book says that it is not worth the paper it's written on. Littered with howling factual errors and terrible presentation, every reviewer urges others to avoid it.
    - Roy Orbison: The Invention of an Alternative Rock Masculinity by Peter Lehman. This has got some good reviews but as the title suggests, it's more of an academic analysis of Orbison's work, rather than a biography of Roy Orbison the person.

    Anyone read any books on Orbison and have any opinions? There appears to be a good book due out next May, so I'll get that when it comes out, but wanted something a little sooner.


Comments

  • #2
    karaokeman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭karaokeman


    Don't know of any myself.

    The man's a very under represented figure in the history of popular music, overshadowed by the likes of Chuck Berry, Ray Charles and Elvis.

    This is just why I think most significant musicians should write autobiographies, I suppose it wasn't as popular in Orbison's day as it is now.


  • #3
    mikom
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,391 ✭✭✭✭mikom


    Dan133269 wrote: »
    As the title says, are there no decent biographies of Roy Orbison? Arguably the greatest singer of all time, how could there be no decent books on him?

    ♫ Anything you want, you got it.♫

    He lied.


  • #4
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Orbison was held in high esteem by all fellow musicians from Elvis to Bruce Springsteen and his stint with the Traveling Willburys / his Black and White night concert are testament to this ..


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