Roy Orbison: King of Hearts

The definitive biography of one of music history’s most beloved, versatile, unforgettable icons—Roy Orbison, the singer-songwriter of legendary hits including “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” and “Oh, Pretty Woman”—from his chart-topping highs and tragic lows to his momentous comeback.

He didn’t look, move, or sound like his contemporaries, but Roy Orbison, king of the emotionally charged, slow-burning, drama-ballad, struck a worldwide chord. Now, from acclaimed music biographer Jeff Apter, comes the definitive biography of one of music history’s most beloved, versatile, singer-songwriter legends.

Clad in black with dark shades, Roy Orbison had a mystique, style, and voice that were unmistakable and singularly different from his famous peers of the 1950s and ’60s, like Johnny Cash, Elvis, or Jerry Lee Lewis. Roy hit notes that, in the words of Bruce Springsteen, sounded “like the world’s going to end.”