Dark Star: The Roy Orbison Story
From his rockabilly roots in West Texas, Roy Orbison perfected the operatic rock ballad ("Only the Lonely," "Crying") delivered in a quavering voice that could "scream away the pain of heartbreak." And there was heartache aplenty to sing about: his teenage first wife, whom he began dating when she was 14, died in a motorcycle accident in 1966; two years later, two of his sons died in a fire that destroyed the family home. Already addicted to sleeping pills, amphetamines and fast motorcycles, according to this account, Orbison married a German teenager in 1969 as his personal life spun out of control and his career fell into near-total eclipse. His comeback, cresting in a collaborative album with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and George Harrison, was cut short by his death in 1988. This well-researched bio provides vivid glimpses of the workaholic rocker's early years with Sun Records, his tours with the Beatles, his self-destructive tendencies. Amburn has collaborated on autobiographies with Shelley Winters and Priscilla Presley. Photos.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.