Why Roy Orbison Temporarily Quit Performing Before “Only the Lonely”

Before the dark glasses, the operatic voice, and the string of heartbreaking hits, Roy Orbison was just another struggling musician on the verge of quitting. In the late 1950s, his career teetered on the brink of oblivion. A Misfit at Sun Records Roy Orbison's story begins, like many of his peers, a

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What is the story about?

Before the dark glasses, the operatic voice, and the string of heartbreaking hits, Roy Orbison was just another struggling musician on the verge of quitting. In the late 1950s, his career teetered on the brink of oblivion.

A Misfit at Sun Records

Roy Orbison's story begins, like many of his peers, at the legendary Sun Records in Memphis. Label owner Sam Phillips, who had molded Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, tried to fit Orbison into the popular rockabilly mold. While he scored a minor regional

hit with "Ooby Dooby," the aggressive, upbeat style never truly suited Orbison's unique talents. Phillips and his producers were reportedly more impressed with Orbison's guitar skills than his now-iconic voice, with one even telling him he'd never make it as a ballad singer. Frustrated by creative constraints and royalty disputes, Orbison left the label, his future uncertain.

The Songwriting Wilderness

After departing Sun and a brief, unsuccessful stint with RCA Records, Orbison's confidence was shattered. By 1958, he had essentially stopped performing, quitting for a period of about seven months to make a living as a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music in Nashville. It was a humbling period. Instead of stepping into the spotlight himself, he spent his days crafting songs for other artists. His big break in this new role came when The Everly Brothers recorded his song "Claudette" as the B-side to their massive hit "All I Have to Do Is Dream." The success provided a crucial income stream but kept him behind the scenes, a songwriter for hire rather than the star he hoped to become.

A Lifeline Named Fred Foster

Just as Orbison's performing career seemed to be over, he met Fred Foster, the founder of the new independent label Monument Records. Foster was different from other producers. Where Sam Phillips saw a rockabilly guitarist, Foster saw a singular, transcendent vocalist. He didn't try to change Orbison; he encouraged him to embrace the very things that made him unique. Foster loved the vulnerability and the dramatic, almost operatic quality of his voice. He supported Orbison's vision of creating complex, emotional ballads, even when it went against the commercial grain of Nashville at the time. This partnership would change the course of popular music.

The Triumph of 'Only the Lonely'

With Foster's encouragement, Orbison brought him a song he had co-written with Joe Melson, a dramatic ballad titled "Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)." Orbison had so little confidence as a performer that he had initially tried to give the song away to Elvis Presley and The Everly Brothers, who both turned it down. But Foster knew it was a smash. During the 1960 recording session at RCA Studio B, Foster framed Orbison's soaring, plaintive voice with a simple doo-wop backing vocal and subtle strings, creating a sound that was entirely new. The song shot to number two on the Billboard charts, launching Orbison into superstardom and defining the sound that would make him a legend. It was the hit that almost never happened, the culmination of years of struggle and the beginning of an extraordinary new chapter.