Roy Orbison's High School Won a State Championship in Football in 1952!

[Phil C]

Roy Orbison went to High School at Wink starting in 1950 until he graduated in 1954. It was during his junior year they won the state championship in Class A Football. Later in interviews Roy was always proud to point out this championship. He had moved to Tennessee for his singing and recording career but he was also always proud to point out he was a Texan. He was a great singer, songwriter and musician being able to play the guitar and harmonica. :clap:

http://www.wlisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=179449&type=d&pREC_ID=374937

[Phil C]

Roy was born in Vernon, Texas in 1936 and lived there and Fort Worth. His father was an oil field worker and mechanic and his mother a nurse. They moved to Wink, Texas while he was in junior high and always considered Wink his home town. Wink is located about 8 miles from Kermit and 53 miles west of Odessa. When he lived there it had about 2000 people with maybe 1200 in the city limits and 800 just outside. When he was there it is said he was also a football team manager but when he and friends formed a band he had no time for sports even though I am sure he had friends on the team and went to games. Wink had good football teams while he went to school there but the 1952 team was the top. In high school he was good in science and thought about being a geologist and later a teacher in case his singing career didn't go anywhere but fortunately it did. His career did great in the 60s and the DJ's called him the boy from Odessa even though he only lived there a short while after high school but then no one would have known where Wink was. Even though he performed and was popular in the 70s his career was not as good as it had been. Fortunately the money he made was used wisely and he invested in real estate and money was never a problem for him. His career started going strong again in the 80s. Unfortunately he smoked and we lost him to soon but we are fortunate to be able to enjoy his great talent today.

[Phil C]

Below is a chance for you to hear a song by the young Roy at age 20. It was one of his early recordings and isn't well known but the talent is shown. Beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96L1w4AQyF4

[toddg]

My uncle went to school and was good friends with Roy.. They both died the same year with same cause of death .. Must have been all the floride in the water....

[Phil C]

He turned 18 in the year that Dawn at Socorro came out. I wonder if he ever saw that movie. Don't forget to go to the Dawn at Socorro Thread in Nonsports forum where it is disclosed when the movie is being shown on the Encore Western Channel.

[Phil C]

This song was made before Roy was a star. It is a good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5vLgpZLOTw