The Songs of Roy Orbison

Rock legend Roy Orbison died Dec. 6, 1988. Today we take a look at the afterlife of his signature tunes.

Mal Sharpe (1936–2020), pioneering radio prankster

Mal Sharpe  was the pioneering radio comic known for “The Man on the Street” pranks. In the early 1960s, Sharpe teamed with Jim Coyle to go out in the street in San Francisco and prank unsuspecting people with unusual interview questions. After fooling someone with their bizarre inquiries, they would reveal the joke. The pair had a show on radio station KGO. After the duo filmed a TV pilot in 1965, Coyle mysteriously left show business. Sharpe continued to do some radio work and formed a jazz band in which he played trombone.  

Bill Wright (1936–2021), first Black golfer to win a USGA title

Bill Wright was the first Black golfer to win a United States Golf Association (USGA) event, 1959’s Amateur Public Links Championship in Denver.

John Madden (1936–2021), legendary NFL coach and broadcaster

John Madden was the former head coach of the Oakland Raiders who went on to a long career as an NFL color commentator.

Dr. David Shaffer (1936–2023), expert in child and teen suicide 

Dr. David Shaffer was a psychiatrist who did pioneering studies on child and teen suicide that led to more effective prevention methods. 

Mickey Gilbert (1936–2024), Robert Redford’s stunt double 

Mickey Gilbert was a veteran stuntman who performed daring feats as the stand-in for such actors as Robert Redford and .

Jacob Rothschild (1936–2024), financier and philanthropist

Jacob Rothschild was a financier and philanthropist from the Rothschild banking dynasty who walked away from his family’s empire to forge his own path.