"Peter Lehman's Roy Orbison probes the mind and psyche of American pop music's mystery man better than anything I've ever read. By exploring the depths of Roy Orbison's talents and tracking a remarkable but uncharacteristic career path, Lehman instills new passion for the man's music. Yet we are left in awe by this dark and obsessive artist whose humble beginnings belie his creative genius. To borrow a time-worn cliché, there will never be another Roy Orbison—and there may well never be another book as penetrating and revealing as this."—Terry Lickona, Producer, Austin City Limits
"In what is essentially an extension and expansion of his Running Scared: Masculinity and the Representation of the Male Body, Lehman here dissects Orbison, his 1957-87 oeuvre, and his influence in exacting—and often excruciating—detail. Caveat: this is not a biography of Orbison per se. Instead, using the language and the tools of poststructuralism, Lehman proffers an analysis of Orbison's locus within the black/white, effeminate/macho, rock/pop dialectics that are so often (and perhaps too readily) used to define popular singers of the late Fifties and early Sixties—a locus, which Lehman fails to note, shared with the equally popular and influential Buddy Holly. "—Bill Piekarski, Lackawanna, NY, Library Journal
"Lehman sheds new light on Orbison's elusive character...this is a skillfully written book dealing with Orbison's darker, masochistic side."—Record Collector Magazine, 4-star (out of 5) review