Chuck Lanehart
Editor’s Note: Jack Becker is the editor of Caprock Chronicles and is a librarian at Texas Tech University Libraries. He can be reached at jack.becker@ttu.edu. Today’s article is by frequent contributor Chuck Lanehart, Lubbock attorney and historian.
His iconic contemporary, Buddy Holly often praised his South Plains heritage, but superstar rock balladeer Roy Orbison was critical of his own West Texas roots. Orbison said, “If you grow up in West Texas, there are a lot of ways to be lonely. There is little doubt West Texas culture – and Roy’s determination to overcome its challenges – played an inspirational role in his development as a singer-songwriter.