Walnut Ridge in Lawrence County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Roy Orbison
— Rock 'n Roll Highway 67 —
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 3, 2021
1. Roy Orbison Marker
Inscription.
Roy Orbison. . Before his trademark dark, glasses and “Oh, Pretty Woman”. made him a legend Roy Orbison was a regular performer along Rock 'n' Roll Highway 67. As a recording artist with Sun Records in the 1950s, Orbison was among the musicians who thrilled young audiences in northeast Arkansas.
Orbison, a native of west Texas, began his musical career singing the cowboy songs of Roy Rogers and others.
He soon moved to the burgeoning rock 'n' roll scene and eventually earned the notice of Sun's Sam Phillips. Orbison signed with the label and scored an early hit with "Ooby Dooby,"
The dark glasses he wore later in his career aided his very poor eyesight. During his performing days on Rock 'n' Roll Highway 67, however, he would remove his thick glasses before taking the stage - thinking that would be more appealing to the girls in the crowd – and often had to be led to his microphone.
This presented a potentially perilous situation at the Skylark Drive-In at Pocahontas, where singers performed atop the concession stand roof. Unable to see the edge of the slippery roof, Orbison needed help to keep from falling off!
Orbison and his band, The Teen Kings, are credited with originating a dance called "The Bug.” He and other band members comically pretended to throw a bug on one of the musicians, who would dance around the stage as if the bug were crawling on them. They would throw the "bug" from one member of the band to another, to the delight of the crowd.
Although he will always be remembered for his distinctive and haunting tenor voice, Orbison was also an outstanding guitarist who was often content to back up other artists in studio recordings.
Orbison notched his biggest hits after leaving Sun Records, and its rockabilly style, in 1958. His lengthy list of chart records includes "Only the Lonely," "Dream Baby," "Crying," "Blue Bayou," and “It's Over.” He enjoyed a career resurgence in the 1980s performing with other rock legends, including the Beatles' George Harrison, in the Traveling Wilburys.
[Inset] ,
Drive-In Days. Drive-in movie theaters were a routine concert venue for 1950s rockers, and Rock 'n' Roll Highway 67 was no exception. Performers would take the "stage,” which was the top of the concession stand, at the intermission between movies.
At the Skylark Drive-In between Pocahontas and Walnut Ridge, Roy Orbison nearly let his poor eyesight put him in peril. The loose, slippery gravel atop the Skylark's concession stand meant singers had to be mindful not to delve too close to the edge, but Roy would remove his thick glasses to appeal to the girls in the crowd. Fearing he would fail to see the edge of the roof, he had to instruct his fellow performers, including Sonny Burgess, to catch him if he wandered too close to danger!
Before his trademark dark,
glasses and “Oh, Pretty Woman”.
made him a legend Roy Orbison
was a regular performer along
Rock 'n' Roll Highway 67. As a
recording artist with Sun Records
in the 1950s, Orbison was among
the musicians who thrilled young
audiences in northeast Arkansas.
Orbison, a native of west Texas,
began his musical career singing
the cowboy songs of Roy Rogers
and others.
He soon moved to the burgeoning
rock 'n' roll scene and eventually
earned the notice of Sun's Sam
Phillips. Orbison signed with
the label and scored an early hit
with "Ooby Dooby,"
The dark glasses he wore later in his
career aided his very poor eyesight.
During his performing days on Rock
'n' Roll Highway 67, however, he would
remove his thick glasses before taking
the stage - thinking that would be more
appealing to the girls in the crowd – and
often had to be led to his microphone.
This presented a potentially perilous
situation at the Skylark Drive-In at
Pocahontas, where singers performed
atop the concession stand roof. Unable to
see the edge of the slippery roof, Orbison
needed help to keep from falling off!
Orbison and his band, The Teen Kings,
are credited with originating a dance
called "The Bug.” He and other band
members comically pretended to throw a
bug
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on one of the musicians, who would
dance around the stage as if the bug were
crawling on them. They would throw the
"bug" from one member of the band to
another, to the delight of the crowd.
Although he will always be remembered
for his distinctive and haunting tenor
voice, Orbison was also an outstanding
guitarist who was often content to back up
other artists in studio recordings.
Orbison notched his biggest hits after
leaving Sun Records, and its rockabilly
style, in 1958. His lengthy list of chart
records includes "Only the Lonely,"
"Dream Baby," "Crying," "Blue Bayou,"
and “It's Over.” He enjoyed a career
resurgence in the 1980s performing with
other rock legends, including the Beatles'
George Harrison, in the Traveling Wilburys.
[Inset]
Drive-In Days
Drive-in movie theaters were a routine concert venue
for 1950s rockers, and Rock 'n' Roll Highway 67 was no
exception. Performers would take the "stage,” which
was the top of the concession stand, at the intermission
between movies.
At the Skylark Drive-In between Pocahontas and Walnut
Ridge, Roy Orbison nearly let his poor eyesight put him
in peril. The loose, slippery gravel atop the Skylark's
concession stand meant singers had to be mindful not
to delve too close to the edge, but Roy would remove his
thick glasses to appeal to
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 3, 2021
2. Roy Orbison Marker
the girls in the crowd. Fearing
he would fail to see the edge of the roof, he had to instruct
his fellow performers, including Sonny Burgess, to catch
him if he wandered too close to danger!
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1958.
Location. 36° 4.027′ N, 90° 57.44′ W. Marker is in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, in Lawrence County. Marker can be reached from SW Front Street south of West Elm Street, on the right when traveling south. Located at Guitar Walk near the Walnut Ridge Train Station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 109 SW Front St, Walnut Ridge AR 72476, United States of America. Touch for directions.
The markers are arrayed around an epiphone casino shaped guitar.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 3, 2021
4. Guitar Walk at Cavenaugh Park
The Guitar Walk is a 115 foot long concrete guitar, complete with frets, and strings. Along the edges are interpretive markers that pay tribute to the early legends that gave birth to Rock n’ Roll, at venues along Rock n’ Roll Highway 67 that runs through the area. The free walk includes audio narration by none other than legendary Sun Studio recording artist, Sonny Burgess.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 198 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 7, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
