Bobby Vee
Launching his career as a fill-in for the recently deceased Buddy Holly, Bobby Vee scored several pop hits during the early '60s, that notorious period of popular music sandwiched between the birth of rock & roll and the rise of the British Invasion. Though a few of his singles -- "Rubber Ball," for one -- were as innocuous as anything else from the era, Vee had a knack for infectious Brill Building pop, thanks to his ebullient voice as well as the cadre of songwriters standing behind him.
Born in Fargo, North Dakota in 1943, Robert Thomas Velline was still in his teens when he formed his first combo, the Shadows, with his brother Bill and their friend Bob Korum. The trio were playing around the area when their big break came, at the expense of one of Bobby's musical idols; the Winter Dance Party package tour, with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper were on their way to Fargo when their plane went down in Iowa, killing all three. The Shadows were scheduled to play the date instead of Holly, and several months later, producer Tommy "Snuff" Garrett supervised their first recording session and the release of the single "Suzie Baby" on Soma Records. Liberty/RCA picked up the single later in the year, and though it just barely scraped the pop charts, the label kept plugging with Vee as a solo act, recording him on Adam Faith's "What Do You Want?," which also failed to move.
With the collective might of the Brill Building behind him, though, Vee was guaranteed to make it; his third single, "Devil or Angel," hit the Top Ten in mid-1960, followed by "Rubber Ball" later that year. One year later, Vee's biggest hit, "Take Good Care of My Baby," spent three weeks at number one, followed by the number two "Run to Him." His fame appeared to wane after the 1962 Top Ten single "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes," due in large part to the success of the Beatles and other English acts. Vee appeared in several movies (Just for Fun, Play It Cool) and briefly tried to cash in on the British phenomenon -- with the disappointing Bobby Vee Sings the New Sound from England! -- but also recorded songs by his early influences, including Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Vee continued to chart throughout the '60s, and even hit the Top Ten again in 1967 with "Come Back When You Grow Up," but after a brief attempt at more serious recordings, he hit the rock & roll oldies circuit. He died in 2016 at the age of 73.
© John Bush /TiVo
Similar artists
-
The Classic Years
Pop - Released by Sleeping Giant Music on 5 Nov 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Love Love
Electronic - Released by Rabbit Musik on 19 Mar 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lookin' for Love
Electronic - Released by Redlobstar on 29 Jul 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Everyday - Single (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Bacci Bros Records on 5 Feb 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes - Single (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Bacci Bros Records on 9 Feb 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
It Doesn't Matter Anymore - Single (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Bacci Bros Records on 5 Dec 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Do You Wanna Dance
Rock - Released by bright & undefiled on 17 Aug 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bobby Vee Classic Albums Vol. 3
Rock - Released by Giggling Gecko on 4 Feb 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
More Than I Can Say - Single (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Bacci Bros Records on 7 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Back to Back: Bobby Vee & Johnny Tillotson (Live)
Rock - Released by Bringins Music on 17 Dec 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A not so Merry Christmas - Single (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Bacci Bros Records on 17 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Take Good Care of My Baby - Single (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Bacci Bros Records on 31 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Early in the Morning - Single (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Bacci Bros Records on 5 Dec 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Bobby 100 (100 Original Tracks)
Pop - Released by Hoogan Records on 23 May 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Teen Idols - Bobby Vee
Rock - Released by Ap music on 9 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The High School Sweetheart: Bobby Vee
Pop - Released by Shami Media Group 3 on 13 Apr 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo