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The new 4-CD collection of Roy Orbison music, "The Soul of Rock and Roll", spans a lifetime of rock music, from his first single, “Ooby Dooby,” to his final performance in Cleveland shortly before his death in 1988—and represents a history of a music genre. Growing up in the 1930s and 1940s in small Texas towns, Orbison listened to pop, country, rhythm and blues and Mexican music – and all these influences helped to frame his music. He was given his first guitar at age 6 and began singing on local radio by age 8. He started a high-school combo, the Teen Kings and together they cut their first song – which led to the contract with Sun Records. The anthology includes several of these early recordings including “Ooby Dooby” as well as “Tutti Fruit” and “Rock House” |
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Orbison moved to the Nashville based Monument label in 1960 and hit his stride in the first half of the sixties. He had a series of 19 Top Forty hits – all included on the CDs. Many, for those of us old enough to remember, bring back memories of dance parties and “hops” – including “Crying”, “It’s Over” and “Only the Lonely”. It always seemed there was an Orbison song to fit all of our situations from finding love to losing it! The collection includes several versions of some songs, done at various times and in slightly different interpretations, giving the listener a chance to see the singer’s vocal range. Especially memorable are the many blues-sounding, intense ballads and a fine duet with Emmylou Harris, the country-styled, “That Lovin’ You Feelin’ Again.” Orbison’s last performance was a Cleveland concert in December 1988. Two days later, while on a visit to his mother’s in Nashville, he died of a heart attack. This collection insures that Roy Orbison’s music will live on. |
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