The creator of one of the most enduring pop songs in the world — an already successful hit that was immortalized in a classic movie made decades later — had seemingly little to predict such an impact. He had no swagger, no youthful charm, no sex appeal like Elvis, but he made up for all of that with an astounding versatility of voice. His father gave him a guitar for his six birthday, and Orbison would not let go of it for the rest of his life.

On this day, October 30, in 1964, Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” dedicated to his wife, went certified gold, with an RIAA-confirmed half a million copies sold. He eventually sold well over seven million.

The song was inspired by Claudette, Orbison’s wife, who one day as he and his co-writer Bill Dees were practicing came in to tell them she was going out. Orbison asked if she needed money, and Dees interjected, saying a “Pretty woman never needs any money.” Within forty minutes, the song, about watching a woman “walking down the street” and wondering if she was as lonely as the singer, was written.