Vernon in Wilbarger County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Roy Orbison
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 5, 2025
1. Roy Orbison Marker (panel 1)
Born Apr. 23, 1936 at Christ the King Hospital located on Deaf Smith Street in Vernon Texas. Orbison’s father, an oil field worker, moved his family from Vernon in the early 1940’s returning for only a short time during WWII before moving to Wink, Texas.
“Ooby Dooby”, “Only the Lonely”, “Crying”, and “Oh Pretty Woman” were only a few of Orbison’s top ten hits which earned him an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 by Bruce Springsteen. Elvis Presly called Orbison the greatest singer in the world.
Erected by Vernon Street Machine and Classic Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical date for this entry is April 23, 1936.
Location. 34° 7.911′ N, 99° 18.032′ W. Marker is in Vernon, Texas, in Wilbarger County. It can be reached from Sand Road just south of Cannon Avenue, on the left when traveling south. The marker is on the south side of the Orbison Aquatic Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4400 Sand Road, Vernon TX 76384, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Big Country. It is also on the American Great Plains and specifically on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comanchería, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Operation Desert Storm (within shouting distance of this marker); Waggoner-Hicks House (approx. 1.3 miles away); W. D. Berry Home (approx. 1.6 miles away); Vernon Texas Confederate Monument (approx.
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Roy Kelton Orbison (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: American singer, songwriter and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were in the early 1960s and the late 1980s. Many of Orbison's songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male performers projected strength. He performed with minimal motion and in black clothes, matching his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses.(Submitted on May 14, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)Orbison began singing in a country-and-western band as a teenager. He was signed by Sam Phillips of Sun Records in 1956 after being urged by Johnny Cash. His first Sun recording, “Ooby Dooby”, was musically akin of Presley's early Sun recordings. He had moderate success at Sun but enjoyed his greatest success with Monument Records. From 1960 to 1966, 22 of Orbison's singles reached the Billboard top 40. He wrote or co-wrote almost all his own top-10 hits.
Orbison's honors include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and five other Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone placed him at number 37 on its list of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” and number 13 on its list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. In 2002, Billboard magazine listed him at number 74 on its list of the Top 600 recording artists.
2. Roy Orbison (official website).
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 5, 2025
2. Roy Orbison Marker (panel 2)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 5, 2025
3. Roy Orbison 1936-1988
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 5, 2025
4. Roy Orbison Marker (dedication)
Dedicated to the people of Vernon, Texas and the world by Vernon Street Machine and Classic Association
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 5, 2025
5. Roy Orbison Monument (east side)
The Orbison Aquatic Center park pavilion is in the background.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 5, 2025
6. Roy Orbison Monument (west side)
The Orbison Aquatic Center park pavilion is in the background.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 5, 2025
7. Roy Orbison Mural
In downtown Vernon, on Olive Street at Main Street.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 11, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 20 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on May 14, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
