After Orbison finished writing the song, he went into a room in his house, sat on the bed, said a prayer, and cried tears of joy.

Cecil Brower, who brought classical jazz violin to Western swing, died unexpectedly on this day in 1965. He was 50 years old.

From his initial success in the 1960’s to the resurgence of his career in the 80’s, Roy Orbison’s voice remained remarkable, communicating an emotional intensity not experienced in popular music ...