Bobby Vinton

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For the R&B singer, see Bobby Valentino. For another 1960s singer, see Bobby Vee.
Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton

Bobby Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American pop music singer.

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

After a brief spell in the US 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. 23 years later, David Lynch named his movie Blue Velvet after the song. In 1964, Vinton had two #1 hits, "There! I've Said It Again" and "Mr. Lonely", the latter now being the basis for Akon's hit "Lonely."

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). He also starred in two John Wayne movies: Big Jake and The Train Robbers.

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'". Vinton fans and even the singer's press releases have claimed that during the first ten years of rock and roll's existence, Vinton had more Billboard #1 hits than any other male vocalist, including Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. That claim is false. Vinton had four No. 1 hits in the first ten years of the rock and roll era, while Presley had 14, or 15 if you consider the two-sided No. 1 hit "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" as two hits, from 1956-1966. The claim becomes correct if worded as, "From 1962-1972, the 10 years following Vinton's first hit, he had more #1 hits than any other male vocalist."

In recognition of his recording career, Bobby Vinton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6916 Hollywood Blvd.

Vinton has been married since December 17, 1962 to his wife, Dolly, and they have five children--three daughters and two sons. His son, Robbie Vinton, played Vinton in the movie Goodfellas (1990).

Vinton's birthplace of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania is also the birth place of Perry Como. Vinton always claimed to be from Pittsburgh, while Como stayed loyal to his hometown by saying he was from Canonsburg.

Vinton's version of "There! I've Said It Again" is noteworthy for being the final US 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.

Studio albums

Live albums

  • 1966: Live at the Copa

Compilations

  • 1964: Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits (US #12)
  • 1966: More of Bobby's Greatest Hits
  • 1969: Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits of Love (US #138)
  • 1970: Vinton Sings Vinton
  • 1971: Love Album
  • 1971: To Each His Own
  • 1972: Bobby Vinton's All-Time Greatest Hits (US #119)
  • 1973: Bobby Vinton Treasury
  • 1974: The Many Moods of Bobby Vinton
  • 1974: The Many Moods of Bobby Vinton in Love
  • 1975: Bobby Vinton Sings the Golden Decade of Love (US #154)
  • 1976: K-Tel Presents Bobby Vinton - 20 Greatest Hits
  • 1978: Autumn Memories
  • 1979: Spring Sensations
  • 1979: Summer Serenades
  • 1979: Million Selling Records of Bobby Vinton
  • 1980: My Song
  • 1981: Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits
  • 1983: His Heart-Touching Magic
  • 1985: The Best of Bobby Vinton
  • 1985: Ballads of Love
  • 1988: Bobby Vinton
  • 1991: 16 Most Requested Songs (US #199; charted in 1996)

Singles

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

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../b/o/b/Bobby_Vinton_8eba.html"
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