Singer Roy Orbison’s work and his voice are often described as haunting and sad.

Since Orbison wrote or co-wrote many of his tunes, it’s assumed that their downbeat nature came from a tough early life. That’s one of the topics explored in the documentary, "Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones." The film is making its U.S. premiere March 30 at Tempe Marketplace.

Peter Lehman, director of Arizona State University’s Center for Film, Media and Popular Culture, spoke about Orbison’s music and his career’s ups and downs.