Roy Orbison

A Great Voice, A Lonely Sound

My friend Mike said, "The vocalist who did the best job of preserving his pipes was the late Roy Orbison. He was just as clean and sweet up top as the day he recorded his hits... Amazing!!! This one from a Black & White Night friggin' drops me every time... The performance gets me teary eyed!"

I know where Mike's reaction comes from. In addition to preserving his pipes, Roy was the master of emotion that would sound maudlin coming from anyone else. I will sit riveted to PBS throughout the pledge drive breaks so as not to miss a note.

Among the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll, Roy Orbison looked like a geek before it was chic, but his distinctive melancholy vocal and songwriting style made him a natural for NPR's 50 Great Voices series.

Audio: NPR's All Things Considered 5/3/10, Reporter: Eric Westervelt.

Hear 3 more complete songs at NPR.