Gene Vincent

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from The Blue Caps)
Jump to: navigation, search
Gene Vincent
Birth name Vincent Eugene Craddock
Born February 11, 1935
Origin Norfolk, Virginia
Died October 12, 1971 (aged 36)
Genre(s) Rock and Roll,
Occupation(s) Singer, Musician
Instrument(s) Vocals, Guitar

Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 - October 12, 1971) was an American rock'n'roll pioneer musician, best known for his hit "Be-Bop-A-Lula".

Contents

His parents, Ezekiah Jackson and Mary Louise Craddock, were shop owners in Norfolk, Virginia. He grew up in Virginia under the influence of country, rhythm and blues and gospel music. He received his first guitar as a gift from a friend at the age of 12.

In 1952, Gene left school and joined the Navy. In 1955 he was stationed in Korea. In July 1955, whilst in Norfolk, he was involved in a severe motorcycle accident that shattered his left leg. He refused to have it amputated, the leg was saved, but left him with a permanent limp and considerable chronic pain for the rest of his life.

He left the Navy and started playing in various country bands in his native Norfolk, Virginia. There, he won a talent contest organised by local radio DJ "Sheriff Tex" Davis, who became his manager.[1] In 1956 he wrote "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and signed a publishing contract with the legendary Bill Lowery of The Lowery Group of music publishers in Atlanta, Georgia. Lowery recorded Gene singing "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and with Lowery's influence secured him a recording contract with Capitol Records. "Be-Bop-A-Lula" was not on Vincent's first album and was not picked by Capitol as the first single to be released, however, Lowery got Capitol to agree that "Be-Bop-A-Lula" would be the "B-side" of the first single ("Woman Love"). Prior to the release of the single record, Lowery pressed promotional copies of "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and sent them to radio stations throughout the country. By the time that Capitol released the single, "Be-Bop-A-Lula" had already gained attention from the public and radio DJ's. "Be-Bop-A-Lula" was picked up and played by other U.S. radio stations (obscuring the original "A-side" song), became a hit and launched Gene Vincent as a pop star. Vincent's backing band included Willie Williams on rhythm guitar, Jack Neal on upright bass, Dickie Harrell on drums, and the innovative and influential lead guitarist, Cliff Gallup.

After "Be-Bop-A-Lula" became a huge hit (peaking at #7 and spending 20 weeks in the Billboard Pop Chart), Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps were unable to follow it up with the same level of commercial success, but released critically acclaimed songs like "Race With The Devil" (#96 in Billboard) and "Bluejean Bop" (#49). That year, Vincent was reportedly convicted of public obscenity and fined $10,000 by the state of Virginia for his live performance of the erotic song, "Woman Love", although this is now believed to have been a rumour, possibly started by his manager.

The group had another hit with 1957's "Lotta Lovin'" (highest position #13 and spending 19 weeks in the charts). Gene Vincent was awarded Gold Records for 2 million sales of Be-Bop-A-Lula and 1.5 million sales of Lotta Lovin'. The same year he toured the east coast of Australia with Little Richard and Eddie Cochran. Vincent also became one of the first rock stars to star in a film, The Girl Can't Help It together with Jayne Mansfield. In late 1957, Gene Vincent had his last USA hit single with "Dance To The Bop" (which spent 9 weeks in the charts peaking at #23).

Departing from traditional naming conventions, he and his band are named "Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps", not "...the Blue Caps" as often stated. A dispute with the US Tax Authorities and The American Musicians' Union over payments to his band and his having sold the band's equipment to pay a tax bill led him to leave the USA and try his hand in Europe.

Following a visit to Europe in 1959, Vincent managed to attract a new huge and discerning audience there, especially in Britain and France. By that time his career had mostly ended in the US. In 1960, while on tour in Britain, Vincent and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were seriously injured in a high-speed traffic accident in a private hire taxi travelling through Chippenham, Wiltshire on the A4 on the journey to London Airport where they were set to return to the US that night. The car, a Ford Consul, suffered a blowout causing it to swerve and crash into a lamp post. Vincent broke his ribs, collarbone, and further damaged his weakened leg, and Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis. Both Vincent and Sheeley survived, but the accident killed Vincent's tourmate and Sheeley's fiancé, Eddie Cochran.

The car and other items from the crash were impounded at the local police station until a coroner's inquest could be held. At that time, Dave Dee, later of the band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, was a police cadet at the station, and taught himself to play guitar on Eddie Cochran's impounded Gretsch.

A rumour circulates that an unknown rock 'n' roll fan called Mark Feld had carried the same guitar to the limo from a London gig the night before. Feld later changed his name to Marc Bolan and became one of the stars of the British Glam Rock scene of the 1970s. This is unlikely as Gene and Eddie were completing a week engagement in Bristol and had not gigged in London the night before.

Vincent subsequently moved to England in 1963. His stage shows became "must see" events that greatly influenced some of the most respected players in the world today. It was during his early tours of Britain that he adopted the trademark leather outfit, at the suggestion of British Rock 'n' Roll impressario, Jack Good. British fans held in high regard the supreme band that supported him, Sounds Incorporated - the great six-piece outfit which includes three saxes, guitar, bass and drums. They later went on to play with The Beatles at their famed Shea Stadium concert.

His attempts to re-establish his American career recording in folk rock and country rock genres proved unsuccessful, he is best remembered today for his recordings of the 1950s and early 1960s which originally appeared on the Capitol Records label. He also put out some tracks on EMI's Columbia label, the best of which being his cover of Arthur Alexander's "Where Have You Been All My Life". A new backing band called The Shouts joined him at this time.

In 1966, back in the States, he recorded an album for Challenge Records. On this, he was backed by ex-members of The Champs and Glen Campbell. Although critically well received, it did not sell very well either in the USA or Britain where it was released on the London label.

In 1969, he recorded the album "I'm Back and I'm Proud" for long-time fan John Peel's Dandelion label, which included backing vocals by Linda Ronstadt. He later recorded a further two albums for the Kama Sutra label.

He has achieved a genuine legendary status and his work is respected, and often copied, by singers and groups worldwide. His major hit, Be-Bop-A-Lula, is considered one of the great rock 'n' roll records.

On his final tour of the UK, he was backed by The Wild Angels, a British band who had previously worked at the Royal Albert Hall with Bill Haley & His Comets and Duane Eddy. Because of pressure from his ex-wife, the Inland Revenue and promoter Don Arden, Gene had to return rather swiftly to the USA.

Gene Vincent died in 1971 from a ruptured stomach ulcer while visiting his father in California, and is interred in the Eternal Valley Memorial Park, Newhall, California.

He was the first inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame on its formation in 1997. The following year he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

  1. ^ http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2956395.ece

  • Steven Mandich "SWEET GENE VINCENT ( The Bitter End ) Orange Syringe Publications. (2002) 1000 Printed. ISBN 0-953762602
  • Susan Vanhecke. Race With the Devil: Gene Vincent's Life in the Fast Lane. Saint Martin's Press ISBN 0-312-26222-1
  • Derek Henderson "GENE VINCENT A Companion" (the ultimate reference book to his recorded work) (A4 176pp Soft Cover) Spent Brothers Productions (2005) ISBN 0-9519416-7-4
  • Mick Farren "GENE VINCENT. There's One In Every Town" The Do-Not Press (2004) ISBN 1-904316-37-9

  • Havana 3 a.m.'s song "Blue Gene Vincent" is a tribute to the man.

  • There is a scene early in the movie Quadrophenia where Kevin is singing in the bathtub. The song he's singing is Vincent's Be-Bop-A-Lula.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Vincent"
Advanced Search
Included Web Search Engines


Safe Search

close

Top Matching Results

Occasionally Search.com will highlight specialized results that are based on the context of your query. Examples of specialized results include specific links to news, images, or video.

Top Matching Results may highlight information from other Search.com pages, content from the CNET Network of sites, or third party content. The listings are based purely on relevance. Search.com does not receive payment for listings in this section but our partners that provide this data may get paid for listing these products.

Sponsored Links

This section contains paid listings which have been purchased by companies that want to have their sites appear for specific search terms and related content. These listings are administered, sorted and maintained by a third party and are not endorsed by Search.com.

Search Results

Search.com sends your search query to several search engines at one time and integrates the results into one list which has been sorted by relevance using Search.com's proprietary algorithm. You can customize the list of search engines included in your metasearch from the preferences.

The search engines that are used in your metasearch may allow companies to pay to have their Web sites included within the results. To view the Paid Inclusion policy for a specific search engine, please visit their Web site. Search.com does not accept payment or share revenue with any search engine partner for listings in this section.