Roy Orbison was one of the most dynamic figures in the rock 'n roll industry throughout the 1960s. He helped to draw in allure for the obscure country/pop based rock music and was heralded for his operatic voice and melodramatic storylines that encompassed love and emotions. He was, as many fans liked to think of him, the hopelessly romantic loser, becoming his own man in his own particular brand of music. Orbison later went on to inspire like-minded roots musicians like Bruce Springsteen and Chris Isaak. His rockabilly style has also not been lost on present and future generations of music lovers.Orbison made his first widely praised recordings for Sun Records in 1956, and he was billed as a very capable and skilled musician. He eventually, though, went in the direction of songwriter especially after the early success of the song "Claudette," which was recorded by the Everly Brothers. Orbison knew that he had skill buried deep within him, and he showed the world just what he could do with the song "Only the Lonely." The ballad appeared at the number two spot on the charts in 1960 and paved the way for Orbison's highly successful path to fame in the industry. Throughout the 1960s, he had 15 Top 40 hits that included "Running Scared," "Crying," "In Dreams" and "It's Over." One of his biggest and best hits of the era remains "Oh Pretty Woman," which soared to the number one spot in late 1964.As the 1960s began to fade, so did Orbison's popularity. He endured rough times with his wife dying in a motorcycle accident and his house burning down, with two sons perishing in the resulting flames. His career was also in tatters, and he lost much of his fortunes. He returned to the public eye in the mid 1980s and joined forces with other artists like George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne in the Traveling Wilburys. Their successful collaboration helped get fans geared up for Orbison's best album in over 20 years. Unfortunately. just following its release, Orbison died of a heart attack in December 1988.