This film documents the musical career of influential singer/songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Roy Orbison told by his record producer, road manager, and numerous rock luminaries including Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, Jeff Lynn, and Bono, just to name a few. Orbison, best known for his distinctive, powerfully soulful voice and dark emotional ballads, burst onto the scene in the late 1950s, in the early days of rock & roll. He grew up in Texas knowing all along he would become a singer, though he became much more with his huge hits “Only the Lonely”, “Crying,” and “Pretty Woman”. On tour with the Beatles, they asked him to go on first since he was making all the money and he agreed, but after 14 encores John and Paul said “Yankee go home!”

His life was besieged with tragedy when his 1st wife died in a car accident, and later his sons were killed in a house fire. Though his career slowed in the ’70’s it resurged in the 1980’s with the use of “In Dreams” in David Lynch’s film Blue Velvet and later as a member of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys. Orbison will always be remembered by his angelic voice delivering words from the soul. As the Rolling Stones (with whom he also toured) Bill Wyman states: “What he does, no one does it better.”

– David Kramer