3mo ago

TIL Roy Orbison wasn't blind. He just wore dark prescription glasses due to an impairment that made him sensitive to bright lights.

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TIL people assumed Roy Orbison was blind.
- I have never even had the passing thought that he was blind.
Is it assumed he was blind? Hadn’t heard that before personally
- Yep, plenty of folks believed he was blind.
  
  You believed he was blind 🤣
  
  Is there any other evidence other than sunglasses? Were there prior internet discussions about his vision abilities, or lack thereof?
If he were blind though, Pretty Woman would have a different feel
- I always thought that.
In the old days, before the internet, stupid people would say he was blind and stupid young people like me would believe it. I never cared enough to fact check it in the new days.
Orbison sang so Bono could warble.
- Funny story, Bono fell asleep listening to the Blue Velvet soundtrack and dreamed he heard a Roy Orbison song. Turns out it didn’t exist. So he tries to recreate it, and comes up with “She’s A Mystery to Me,” which he happened to be carrying around on a cassette when he bumps into Orbison by accident at a function. Bono nervously plays it for Orbison like a high schooler fumbling through a presentation due to star shock, and Orbison agrees to record it. Tl;dr that’s why it sounds like a U2 song fronted by Orbison.
Not blind. Just cool af
TIL somebody besides my wife thought that Roy Orbison was blind.
He was from the mirror universe, got it!
So he had what German singer Heino only pretends to have. In reality, Heino has a condition that makes his eyes look unattractive.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heino
- As far as I understand it, he doesn't even have that anymore, but now it has become a part of his look so he doesn't change it.
Might not have even been light sensetivity so much as point sources of light would wash everything else out.
Source: My defective eyeballs.

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