Calling Wink, Texas a "small town" is certainly an understatement. Home to less than 1,000 people, the place that music legend Roy Orbison put on the map is quite literally in the middle of nowhere. Chances are if you're visiting the Roy Orbison Museum - you really, really want to see it
Located about 90 minutes west of Odessa, Roy Orbison (Pretty Woman, You Got It, Dream Baby, Crying) spent the formative years of his life in Wink. The house where the Orbison's lived is no longer standing though a historical sign marks the spot.
While researching my book The Ultimate American Music Bucket List, I learned of the Roy Orbison Museum in Wink, Texas and have had it on my list for a while. As luck would have it, only a 45 minute detour on a recent road trip would finally bring me there.
I called ahead to let them know I was coming. (There's a sign on the door with a phone number to call for anyone that stops by.) They only get a few visitors a week - though sometimes large groups do stop by. Barbara is the volunteer that greets you at the front door and shares stories about Orbison's time in Wink.
She notes that she isn't originally from Wink and didn't even really know much about Roy Orbison when she started volunteering. "I'd go to the post office across the street and sometimes see people standing at the museum's front door and would later wonder if they ever got in." She added, "It was heartbreaking because I figured most of these people were traveling far to get here."
The museum itself is quite small and only has a couple of items that actually belonged to Roy Orbison. Most of the museum is made up of newspaper clippings, album covers, records, and lots of photographs. That didn't disappoint one overseas visitor who strung together a doozy of transportation choices to finally get here. "One lady was visiting from Australia and found an Uber driver to bring her to Wink from Midland - about 90 minutes away" according to Barbara.
Yearbooks from Orbison's school years in Wink sit atop a counter in the museum and Barbara is quick to point out that even at a young age, Roy knew he was interested in music. His senior photo notes that his goal is to start a band. She also notes that Roy loved to sketch and showed off some of his drawings that made it into the yearbook.
Barbara may not have initially been an Orbison fan but she seemed excited to share little known "fun facts" as I strolled around the museum. She pointed out that Orbison was once in a movie called The Fastest Guitar Alive. She also talked about the many tragedies in his life - from losing his wife in a motorcycle accident in 1966 to losing two of his children during a house fire in 1968.
The highlight of the visit was seeing an actual pair of Roy Orbison's iconic prescription sunglasses that he was known to wear on stage. The story goes that Orbison was performing one night and left his regular eyeglasses on the airplane. He had a number of problems with his eyes - including hyperopia, severe astigmatism, anisometropia, and strabismus, which required him to wear thick corrective lenses.
In a pinch, reluctantly used his prescription sunglasses during his performance. Orbison feared that the audience would think he was crazy and worried about what people would think of him wearing sunglasses indoors. Who could have imagined he'd help start a new trend that's become commonplace among celebrities and certainly musicians.
A real treat - Barbara let me try on the glasses which are preserved in a special protective case. They were quite heavy and incredibly thick. I couldn't see a thing out of the glasses they were so strong!
A stop inside the Roy Orbison Museum is certainly not an all day event and you won't find high tech displays or interactive exhibits. But, a true fan will be happy to visit Wink and pay respect to one of the most unique and enjoyable musicians of the Rock and Roll era.
The Roy Orbison Museum is located at: 213 Hendricks Blvd, Wink, TX 79789. You can call: 432-999-8838 when you arrive or in advance to make an appointment.
Some other interesting sites that include Roy Orbison artifacts include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; the Country Music Hall of Fame; The Musicians Hall of Fame; and the Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, NM.
Orbison is buried in an unmarked grave in Los Angeles, California.