Bobby Vinton

Easy listening / pop singer Bobby Vinton – born Stanley Robert Vinton on April 16, 1935, in Canonsburgh, Pennsylvania, is best known for his hit single “Blue Velvet,” which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. Born of Polish and Lithuanian descent, he was nicknamed ‘the Polish Prince’ since he often celebrated his Polish heritage in his music. He formed his first band at the age of 16 and performed in local Pittsburgh clubs, earning money to finance his education at Duquesne University. Earning a degree in musical composition, he also learned to play several instruments including piano, drums, clarinet, saxophone, oboe and more. Inspired by seeing Elvis Presley in the movie Jailhouse Rock, he tried his hand at recording and released his debut single, “Twilight Time,” on his own label, Bobby Records, in 1958. He released several more independent singles before joining the US Army for two years. Once he left the army, he signed with Epic Records as a bandleader but cut some vocal sides, releasing three singles in 1961. The singles were not successful, nor were his first two albums. Epic Records were about to drop him from their roster but his single “Roses Are Red (My Love)” sailed to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 thanks to some savvy self-promotion from Bobby Vinton himself. The hit saved his career and led to 1963’s “Blue Velvet,” his best-known song. The single reached number 1 on the Hot 100 and paved the way for a long career that ended 52 years later when her retired in 2015. Other hits for Bobby Vinton included “There! I’ve Said It Again” (number 1 in 1963), “Mr. Lonely” (number 1 in 1964), and the Top 10 hits “Blue on Blue” (1963), “My Heart Belongs to Only You” (1964), “Please Love Me Forever” (1967), “I Love How You Love Me” (1968), and “My Melody of Love” (1974). Alongside nearly 40 studio albums and over 65 compilations, Bobby Vinton also acted in several films in several films and TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s. He also became a regular on variety and talk shows in the 1970s. After contracting shingles in 2015, he retired from recording and performing.