GRAMMY MUSEUM PRESENTS
ROY ORBISON: THE SOUL OF ROCK & ROLL

The GRAMMY Museum latest exhibit now open, Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock-n-Roll. Housed on the museum’s fourth floor, the exhibit will explore the life and legacy of music legend and cultural enigma Roy Orbison. The exhibit is launching in celebration of Orbison’s 75th birthday.

“Roy Orbison has one of the most haunting and emotional voices in the history of American music,” said GRAMMY Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli.  “His too brief, yet brilliant career still lives today, and deserves to be heard.  We’re pleased to re-introduce his music to his fans who recall the genius of his work, as well as introduce him to a new generation of fans.”

Best recognized around the world for his otherworldly voice and black sunglasses, Roy Orbison was both rock & roll pioneer and prototypical singer-songwriter, beginning with his first high school band (The Wink Westerners) and shifting into mass consciousness in the 1960s with a string of singles for the Monument label that defined an artist and helped launch a label.

Orbison is perhaps best know for his signature classic, "Oh, Pretty Woman," recorded on August 1, 1964. Orbison was the recipient of multiple GRAMMY Awards and received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.

Bringing together more than 40 diverse artifacts, rare photographs and more, the exhibit features items from the private collection of Orbison’s widow, Barbara, and family. On display, visitors will see a wide-ranging array of items, including:
Orbison’s prescription black-framed sunglasses; handwritten set list, signed by Orbison; several of Orbison’s guitars; handwritten lyrics and letters; Orbison ticket stubs, concert posters, fan memorabilia; and more, including an exciting selection of biographical films and archived footage.

"I am honored The GRAMMY Museum is remembering Roy, a man, who has so often been a total mystery. Now the world will have a glimpse into his life and a chance to know him through more than his music," said Barbara Orbison, Roy ’s widow.

Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock-n-Roll will be on display in The GRAMMY Museum’s Special Exhibits Gallery – where temporary exhibits are showcased on a rotating basis – through November 28, 2011.

The GRAMMY Museum is located at 800 West Olympic Boulevard at L.A. LIVE, at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles.

 

 

Photography by: Barbara Orbison Living Trust