At this time Orbison was signed to Sun Records, but he had had little success as a recording artiste and was relying on writing songs for other performers. He achieved chart success himself after moving to Monument Records in 1960; his first UK hit was Only the Lonely, which went to No. 1 (on the London label).
Roy and Claudette divorced in 1964 – "over her infidelities", according to Wikipedia – but were reconciled in 1965 and remarried. They shared a love of motorcycles, and this led to Claudette's death in June 1966 when she hit a truck that pulled out in front of her, as she and Roy were returning home.
Further tragedy struck Orbison in 1968, while he was on tour in Great Britain. His home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, burned down, and his two eldest sons died in the blaze. The property was sold to Johnny Cash, who demolished the building and planted an orchard on the site.
© Haydn Thompson 2018