Bobby Vinton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Bobby Vinton
Born April 16 1935 (1935-04-16) (age 74)
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
For the R&B singer, see Bobby Valentino. For another 1960s singer, see Bobby Vee.

Bobby Vinton is an American pop music singer.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Born Stanley Robert Vinton, Jr. in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh), he was the only child of a locally popular bandleader, Stan Vinton (Stanley Vinton, Sr.).

At 16, Vinton formed his first band, which played clubs around the Pittsburgh area. With the money he earned, Vinton helped finance his college education at Duquesne University, where he studied music and graduated with a degree in musical composition. While at Duquesne, he became proficient on all of the instruments in the band: piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums and oboe.

Vinton's birthplace of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania is also the birth place of Perry Como. Vinton has been honored by his hometown with a major thoroughfare Bobby Vinton Boulevard. Canonsburg town fathers had plans to erect a statue in his honor, but Vinton vetoed the idea noting that the $100,000 planned cost could go to far more important town needs.

[edit] Career

[edit] 1960s

After a brief spell in the U.S. Army, Vinton was signed to Epic Records in 1960 as a bandleader: "A Young Man With a Big Band." Two albums and several singles were not successful however, and with Epic ready to pull the plug, Vinton found his first hit single literally sitting in a reject pile. The song was titled "Roses Are Red (My Love)." It spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Arguably, his most famous song is 1963's "Blue Velvet" that also went to No.1. Twenty-three years later, David Lynch named his movie Blue Velvet after the song. In 1990, "Blue Velvet" climbed to the top of the music charts in Great Britain, after being featured in a Nivea Skin Cream commercial. In 1964, Vinton had two #1 hits, "There! I've Said It Again" and "Mr. Lonely". Harmony Korine named his 2007 film Mister Lonely after the latter, and it is now also the basis for Akon's hit "Lonely."

Vinton's version of "There! I've Said It Again" is noteworthy for being the final U.S. Billboard number one single of the pre-Beatles era; it was deposed from the top of the Hot 100 by "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Also noteworthy is the fact that Vinton continued to have big hit records during the British Invasion, while Connie Francis, Ricky Nelson, the Shirelles and other major artists of the early 1960s struggled to reach even the Top 30.

[edit] 1970s

In the 1970s, the "Polish Prince" continued to hit the Top 40, notably with "Ev'ry Day of My Life" and "Sealed With a Kiss" in 1972. That same year, Epic Records decided to end its relationship with Vinton and ended his recording contract. Undeterred, Vinton spent $50,000 of his own money on a self-written song sung partially in Polish: "My Melody of Love." After Vinton was turned down by 7 major labels, ABC Records bought Vinton's idea, and the result was a multi-million selling single that hit #1 on the AC charts in 1974. A gold album, Melodies of Love, followed as well as a successful half-hour variety show The Bobby Vinton Show (which aired from 1975 to 1978), which used "My Melody of Love" as its theme song; ABC Records subsequently released an album of songs performed on the show. He also starred in two John Wayne movies: Big Jake and The Train Robbers.

[edit] Honors and achievements

In the course of his career, Vinton has sold over 75 million records (singles, albums, compilation inclusions, etc) and is still performing on tour. He owned and performed at the Bobby Vinton Blue Velvet Theatre in Branson, Missouri until 2002 when the theatre was sold to David King, creator and producer of Spirit of the Dance. Vinton returns to Branson annually for limited engagements at the theatre.

Billboard Magazine called Bobby Vinton "the all-time most successful love singer of the 'Rock-Era'". From 1962 through 1972, Vinton had more Billboard #1 hits than any other male vocalist, including Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. In recognition of his recording career, Bobby Vinton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6916 Hollywood Blvd.

In 2002, the Norwegian electronica-duo Röyksopp released their debut album Melody A.M. including a delicate cover version of the Vinton-hit "Blue On Blue" called "So Easy" - which also was the group's first single and furthermore used in several ads.

[edit] Personal

Vinton and his wife Dolores "Dolly" Dobbins-Vinton have been married since December 17, 1962, and they have five children: Robert, Kristin, Christopher, Jennifer (who later changed her name legally to Hannah after getting married) and Rebecca. His oldest son, Robbie Vinton, played Vinton in the movie Goodfellas (1990).

[edit] Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

  • 1966: Live at the Copa

Compilations

Singles

Year Single Chart positions Album
U.S. AC C&W U.S. R&B UK
1962 "Roses Are Red (My Love)" 1 1 - 5 15 Roses Are Red
"Rain Rain Go Away" 12 4 - - - Bobby Vinton Sings the Big Ones
"I Love You the Way You Are" 38 - - - -
1963 "Trouble Is My Middle Name" 33 7 - - - Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits
"Let's Kiss and Make Up" 38 - - - -
"Over the Mountain (Across the Sea)" 21 - - - - The Greatest Hits of the Golden Groups
"Blue on Blue" 3 2 - - - Blue on Blue
"Blue Velvet" 1 1 - - (see
1990)
1964 "There! I've Said It Again"
(released in the UK in 1963) 		1 1 - - 34 There! I've Said It Again
"My Heart Belongs to Only You" 9 2 - - -
"Tell Me Why" 13 3 - - - Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits
"Clinging Vine" 17 2 - - - More of Bobby's Greatest Hits
"Mr. Lonely" 1 3 - - - Roses Are Red
"The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" 23 - - - - A Very Merry Christmas
"Dearest Santa" 8 - - - -
1965 "Long Lonely Nights" 17 5 - - - Bobby Vinton Sings for Lonely Nights
"L-O-N-E-L-Y" 22 7 - - -
"Theme from 'Harlow' (Lonely Girl)" 61 - - - - Drive-In Movie Time
"What Color (Is a Man)" 38 7 - - - More of Bobby's Greatest Hits
1966 "Satin Pillows" 23 - - - - Bobby Vinton Sings Satin Pillows and Careless
"Petticoat White (Summer Sky Blue)" 81 - - - -
"Dum-De-Da" 40 - - - - More of Bobby's Greatest Hits
"Tears" 59 - - - -
1967 "Coming Home Soldier" 11 - - - - Bobby Vinton Sings the Newest Hits
"Please Love Me Forever" 6 - - - - Please Love Me Forever
1968 "Just as Much as Ever" 24 - - - -
"Take Good Care of My Baby" 33 - - - - Take Good Care of My Baby
"Halfway to Paradise" 23 - - - - I Love How You Love Me
"I Love How You Love Me" 9 2 - - -
1969 "To Know You Is to Love You" 34 - - - - Vinton
"The Days of Sand and Shovels" 34 - - - -
1970 "No Arms Can Ever Hold You" 93 - - - -
"My Elusive Dreams" 46 7 27 - - My Elusive Dreams
1972 "Ev'ry Day of My Life" 24 2 - - - Ev'ry Day of My Life
"Sealed With a Kiss" 19 2 - - - Sealed With a Kiss
1974 "My Melody of Love" 3 1 - - - Melodies of Love
1975 "Beer Barrel Polka" 33 5 - - - Heart of Hearts
1976 "Save Your Kisses for Me" 75 - - - - Serenades of Love
"Moonlight Serenade" 97 - - - -
1977 "Only Love Can Break a Heart" 99 - - - - The Name Is Love
1979 "Make Believe It's Your First Time" 78 - 86 - - Encore
1983 "You Are Love" - - 87 - - The Name Is Love
1989 "It's Been One of Those Days" - - 64 - - Timeless
"Please Tell Her That I Said Hello" - - 70 - -
"The Last Rose" - - 63 - -
1990 "Blue Velvet" - - - - 2 Blue on Blue
"Roses Are Red (My Love)" (reissue) - - - - 71 Roses Are Red

[edit] External links

fr:Bobby Vinton it:Bobby Vinton nl:Bobby Vinton ja:ボビー・ヴィントン sv:Bobby Vinton uk:Боббі Вінтон

Retrieved from "http://india.smashits.com/wikipedia/Bobby_Vinton"
Views
Personal tools

Toolbox