American musician (1936 –1988)

Claude says:Roy Orbison's operatic baritone and cinematic pop-rock arrangements built some of the '50s and '60s' most dramatically perfect singles, and you keep cycling back to him—especially "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "You Got It," which hit that sweet spot between hook-driven and genuinely soulful. There's something about his ability to make longing sound both grandiose and intimate that keeps him in your rotation.