The man behind the song Pretty Woman, Roy Orbison, was born on April 23, 1936 in Vernon, Texas. At just 20 years old, Orbison recorded his first songs with the Sun Records label, achieving a modest hit with his first single, Ooby Dooby.By his mid-20s, Orbison had shifted his focus from singing to song writing, penning the song, Claudette, which was later recorded by the Everly Brothers.

After a brief stint with the RCA label, Orbison switched to Monument Records, where he released his1960 hit, Only the Lonely. He continued to release additional hits on the Monument label, such as Pretty Woman, which established his persona as the crooning King of lonely hearts.In1963, Orbison beat the British invasion by joining it – touring with The Beatles in their native England.

Orbison’s personal life took a series of devastating hits beginning in 1966, with his wife’s death in a motorcycle accident. A few years later, Orbison’s house burned to the ground, claiming the lives of two of his sons.Orbison had a brief comeback in the 80s, joining George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne in the star-studded band, the Traveling Wilburys.

On the heels of his Wilburys success, Orbison released Mystery Girl, his first solo album in over 20 years. However, Orbison did not live to see the album hit the charts in 198, as a heart attack claimed his life in 1988.Orbison’s legacy lives on through his enduring ballads, and the recognition he received from his contemporaries. Elvis Presley referred to Orbison as "the greatest singer in the world" , while Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees called Orbison the "Voice of God". Meanwhile, Orbison’s former band mate and fellow legend, Bob Dylan, had more confusing (but just as well-meaning) words of praise about Orbison’s talents, "[He sang] his compositions in three or four octaves that made you want to drive your car over a cliff. He sang like a professional criminal. … His voice could jar a corpse, always leave you muttering to yourself something like, 'Man, I don't believe it'. His songs had songs within songs. Orbison was deadly serious–no pollywog and no fledgling juvenile. There wasn't anything else on the radio like him."