Bobby Vinton
Encyclopedia
Bobby Vinton is an American pop music
singer
of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".
of a locally popular bandleader
, Stan Vinton and Dorothy Studzinski Vinton. The family surname was originally Vintula, and was changed by the senior Vinton. Vinton's parents encouraged their son's interest in music by giving him his daily 25 cent allowance after he had practiced the clarinet. At 16, Vinton formed his first band
, which played clubs around the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
area. With the money he earned, he 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
, drum
s and oboe
. When Vinton became an active musician, it was common for people to become confused with the bands of father and son, as both were named Stanley. Vinton's father suggested his son use his middle name of Robert professionally to clear up the confusion.
Vinton's birthplace of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
is also the birthplace of Perry Como
. His hometown named two streets, Bobby Vinton Boulevard and the shorter adjoining Bobby Vinton Drive, in his honor. These streets were built in the late 1970's, prior attempts to name a residential street after him failed. The residents did not care for the singer always using Pittsburgh as his home town on TV interviews. Como always claimed Canonsburg as his home town and thus hundreds of people changed their address when the town re-named a street in the east end after Perry Como.
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.
, when he served as a chaplain's assistant, Vinton was signed to Epic Records
in 1960 as a bandleader: "A Young Man With a Big Band". The break for the Epic Records contract came after Vinton and his band appeared on Guy Lombardo
's TV Talent Scouts program. 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)
". Vinton had to do his own promotion for the song; he bought 1,000 copies and hired a young woman to deliver a copy of the record and a dozen red roses to every local disc jockey. It spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100
. Arguably, his most famous song is 1963's "Blue Velvet
", originally a minor hit for Tony Bennett
in 1951, 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
commercial. In 1964, Vinton had two #1 hits, "There! I've Said It Again
" (a #1 hit in 1945 for Vaughn Monroe
) and "Mr. Lonely
". Vinton wrote "Mr. Lonely" during his service in the U.S. Army in the late 1950s, when he served as a Chaplain's Assistant. The song was recorded during the same 1962 session that produced "Roses Are Red
" and launched Vinton's singing career. It was released as an album track on the 1962 Roses Are Red
(and other songs for the young & sentimental) LP. Despite pressure from Vinton to release it as a single, Epic instead had Buddy Greco
release it and it flopped. Two years and millions of records sold later, Bobby prevailed on Epic to include "Mr. Lonely" on his Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits
LP. Soon DJ's picked up on the song and airplay resulted in demand for a single release. "Mr. Lonely" shot up the charts in the late fall of 1964 and reached #1 on the charts on 12 December 1964. Epic then released the LP Bobby Vinton Mr. Lonely, giving the song a unique claim to fame since it now appeared on three Bobby Vinton albums released within two years. The song has continued to spin gold for its composer
in the 45 years since it hit #1. 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, deposed from the Hot 100's summit by "I Want to Hold Your Hand
". Also noteworthy is the fact that Vinton continued to have big hit records during the British Invasion
, scoring 16 top ten hits, while Connie Francis
, Ricky Nelson
, the Shirelles and other major artists of the early 1960s struggled to reach even the Top 30.
In 1965, Vinton continued his "Lonely" success streak with the self written "L-O-N-E-L-Y". "Long Lonely Nights" peaked at #12 and spawned an album, Bobby Vinton Sings for Lonely Nights
. Vinton's self written 1966 hit, "Coming Home Soldier", was a favorite on request shows on the American Forces Network
during the Cold War
and Vietnam
era, often called in by soldiers about to board the Freedom Bird
that would take them back to the "Land of the Round Doorknobs". 1967 saw Vinton's lush remake of "Please Love Me Forever" reach #6 and sell over a million copies. His 1968 hit, "I Love How You Love Me
", surged to #9, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record
by the RIAA
.
", produced by Jimmy "The Wiz" Wizner and CBS recording engineer Jim Reeves, which peaked at #24 in January, and "Sealed With a Kiss
" hitting #19 in June, 1972. The next year, Epic Records decided to drop Vinton from his contract (despite the notable success of these two hits), claiming that his days of selling records were over. Undeterred, Vinton spent $50,000 of his own money on a self-written song sung partially in Polish
: "My Melody of Love
". The suggestion for the song came from Vinton's mother. After Vinton was turned down by six major labels, ABC Records
bought Vinton's idea, and the result was a multi-million selling single that hit #3 on the Hot 100, #2 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart, and #1 on the AC
chart in 1974. A gold album, Melodies of Love
, followed as well as more Top 40 pop hits ("Beer Barrel Polka
" and "Dick And Jane
" in 1975), 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. In 1978, CBS TV aired Bobby Vinton's Rock N' Rollers a one hour special that achieved top ratings. Earlier in the decade, he also starred in two John Wayne
movies: Big Jake
and The Train Robbers
.
until 2002, when the theater was sold to David King
, creator and producer of Spirit of the Dance
. Vinton returns to Branson annually for limited engagements at the theater.
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.
Vinton's alma mater, Duquesne University
, awarded him an honorary doctorate in music in 1978.
(1990).
The Vintons make their home in Englewood, Florida
.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".
Early life
Vinton is the only childOnly child
An only child is a person with no siblings, either biological or adopted. In a family with multiple offspring, first-borns, may be briefly considered only children and have a similar early family environment, but the term only child is generally applied only to those individuals who never have...
of a locally popular bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
, Stan Vinton and Dorothy Studzinski Vinton. The family surname was originally Vintula, and was changed by the senior Vinton. Vinton's parents encouraged their son's interest in music by giving him his daily 25 cent allowance after he had practiced the clarinet. At 16, Vinton formed his first band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, which played clubs around the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
area. With the money he earned, he helped finance his college education at Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
, where he studied music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and graduated with a degree in musical composition. While at Duquesne, he became proficient on all of the instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
in the band: piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s and oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
. When Vinton became an active musician, it was common for people to become confused with the bands of father and son, as both were named Stanley. Vinton's father suggested his son use his middle name of Robert professionally to clear up the confusion.
Vinton's birthplace of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802....
is also the birthplace of Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
. His hometown named two streets, Bobby Vinton Boulevard and the shorter adjoining Bobby Vinton Drive, in his honor. These streets were built in the late 1970's, prior attempts to name a residential street after him failed. The residents did not care for the singer always using Pittsburgh as his home town on TV interviews. Como always claimed Canonsburg as his home town and thus hundreds of people changed their address when the town re-named a street in the east end after Perry Como.
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.
1960s
After two-years service in the U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, when he served as a chaplain's assistant, Vinton was signed to Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in 1960 as a bandleader: "A Young Man With a Big Band". The break for the Epic Records contract came after Vinton and his band appeared on Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
's TV Talent Scouts program. Two albums and several singles were not successful however, and with Epic ready to pull the plug, Vinton found his first hit single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
literally sitting in a reject pile. The song was titled "Roses Are Red (My Love)
Roses Are Red (My Love)
"Roses Are Red " is a popular song composed by Al Byron and Paul Evans. It was recorded by Bobby Vinton and was a number-one song in the United States during the year 1962. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on July 15, 1962, and remained there for four weeks. The recording was his...
". Vinton had to do his own promotion for the song; he bought 1,000 copies and hired a young woman to deliver a copy of the record and a dozen red roses to every local disc jockey. It spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Arguably, his most famous song is 1963's "Blue Velvet
Blue Velvet (song)
"Blue Velvet" is a 1950 popular song, written by Bernie Wayne and Lee Morris. It has been recorded by several artists, most notably Tony Bennett and Bobby Vinton, and has inspired a film of the same name.-History of recordings:...
", originally a minor hit for Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
in 1951, that also went to No.1. Twenty-three years later, David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
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
Nivea
Nivea is a global skin- and body-care brand that is owned by the German company Beiersdorf. The company was founded on March 28 1882 by pharmacist Carl Paul Beiersdorf. In 1900, the new owner Oskar Troplowitz developed a water-in-oil emulsion as a skin cream with Eucerit, the first stable emulsion...
commercial. In 1964, Vinton had two #1 hits, "There! I've Said It Again
There! I've Said It Again
"There! I've Said It Again" is a popular song written by Redd Evans and David Mann popularized originally by Vaughn Monroe in 1945, and then again in late 1963 by Bobby Vinton....
" (a #1 hit in 1945 for Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Wilton Monroe was an American baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader and actor, most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording and radio.-Biography:...
) and "Mr. Lonely
Mr. Lonely
"Mr. Lonely" is a song co-written and recorded by Bobby Vinton. The song originally appeared on Vinton's album Roses Are Red in 1962. Later that year, Buddy Greco recorded a version of the song using a very similar musical arrangement as Vinton's version. Greco's single release reached #64 on the...
". Vinton wrote "Mr. Lonely" during his service in the U.S. Army in the late 1950s, when he served as a Chaplain's Assistant. The song was recorded during the same 1962 session that produced "Roses Are Red
Roses Are Red (My Love)
"Roses Are Red " is a popular song composed by Al Byron and Paul Evans. It was recorded by Bobby Vinton and was a number-one song in the United States during the year 1962. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on July 15, 1962, and remained there for four weeks. The recording was his...
" and launched Vinton's singing career. It was released as an album track on the 1962 Roses Are Red
Roses Are Red (album)
Roses Are Red was Bobby Vinton's third studio album, released in 1962. After Vinton's hit "Roses Are Red " reached #1 , the eponymous album was released and made its way up to #5 on the Billboard Hot 200...
(and other songs for the young & sentimental) LP. Despite pressure from Vinton to release it as a single, Epic instead had Buddy Greco
Buddy Greco
-Biography:He was born Armando Greco in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Greco began playing piano at the age of four. His first professional work was playing with Benny Goodman's band. Most of Greco's work has been in the jazz and pop genres...
release it and it flopped. Two years and millions of records sold later, Bobby prevailed on Epic to include "Mr. Lonely" on his Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits
Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits
Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits is a 12-track collection that contains the first 12 singles by Bobby Vinton; it was released in 1964, two months after his album Tell Me Why...
LP. Soon DJ's picked up on the song and airplay resulted in demand for a single release. "Mr. Lonely" shot up the charts in the late fall of 1964 and reached #1 on the charts on 12 December 1964. Epic then released the LP Bobby Vinton Mr. Lonely, giving the song a unique claim to fame since it now appeared on three Bobby Vinton albums released within two years. The song has continued to spin gold for its composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
in the 45 years since it hit #1. Harmony Korine
Harmony Korine
The story is told from the perspective of a young man suffering from untreated schizophrenia, played by Ewen Bremner, as he tries to understand his deteriorating world. Julien's abusive father is played by Werner Herzog...
named his 2007 film Mister Lonely
Mister Lonely
Mister Lonely is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Harmony Korine, and co-written with his brother Avi Korine.-Plot:A young American man living in Paris scratches out a living as a Michael Jackson look-alike, dancing on the streets, public parks, tourist spots and trade shows. During a show in...
after the latter, and it is now also the basis for Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
's hit, "Lonely
Lonely (Akon song)
"Lonely" is a single by Senegalese-American singer Akon, it appears on his debut album, Trouble. The single was released in 2005 and was his first worldwide hit. It reached number one in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany , and Australia...
".
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, deposed from the Hot 100's summit by "I Want to Hold Your Hand
I Want to Hold Your Hand
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and recorded in October 1963, it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment....
". Also noteworthy is the fact that Vinton continued to have big hit records during the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
, scoring 16 top ten hits, while Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
, Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
, the Shirelles and other major artists of the early 1960s struggled to reach even the Top 30.
In 1965, Vinton continued his "Lonely" success streak with the self written "L-O-N-E-L-Y". "Long Lonely Nights" peaked at #12 and spawned an album, Bobby Vinton Sings for Lonely Nights
Bobby Vinton Sings for Lonely Nights
-Charts:Album - Billboard Singles - Billboard...
. Vinton's self written 1966 hit, "Coming Home Soldier", was a favorite on request shows on the American Forces Network
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
era, often called in by soldiers about to board the Freedom Bird
Government contract flight
A government contract flight is a type of charter airline operation contracted with a government agency.In the United States, the massive mobility requirements during World War II proved that military transport could not meet all the logistical needs that might arise...
that would take them back to the "Land of the Round Doorknobs". 1967 saw Vinton's lush remake of "Please Love Me Forever" reach #6 and sell over a million copies. His 1968 hit, "I Love How You Love Me
I Love How You Love Me
"I Love How You Love Me" was an American 1961 Top Ten hit for the Paris Sisters which inaugurated a string of elaborately produced classic hits by Phil Spector...
", surged to #9, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
1970s
In the 1970s, the "Polish Prince" continued to hit the Top 40, notably with "Ev'ry Day of My LifeEv'ry Day of My Life
"Ev'ry Day of My Life" is a popular song written in 1954 by Al Jacobs and Jimmie Crane.Two of the most popular versions of this song were recorded by Malcolm Vaughan and The McGuire Sisters...
", produced by Jimmy "The Wiz" Wizner and CBS recording engineer Jim Reeves, which peaked at #24 in January, and "Sealed With a Kiss
Sealed with a Kiss
"Sealed with a Kiss" is the title of a song written by Peter Udell and Gary Geld. It was first recorded by The Four Voices in 1960 as a single, but their recording was not a hit....
" hitting #19 in June, 1972. The next year, Epic Records decided to drop Vinton from his contract (despite the notable success of these two hits), claiming that his days of selling records were over. Undeterred, Vinton spent $50,000 of his own money on a self-written song sung partially in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: "My Melody of Love
My Melody of Love
"My Melody of Love" is the title of a popular song from 1974 by the American singer Bobby Vinton. Vinton adapted his song from a German song composed by Henry Mayer, and it appears on Vinton's album Melodies of Love....
". The suggestion for the song came from Vinton's mother. After Vinton was turned down by six major labels, ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
bought Vinton's idea, and the result was a multi-million selling single that hit #3 on the Hot 100, #2 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart, and #1 on the AC
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart in 1974. A gold album, Melodies of Love
Melodies of Love
Melodies of Love was Bobby Vinton's twenty-fourth studio album and his first studio album for ABC Records. It was released in 1974.The album was released in response to popular demand, following Vinton's million-selling single "My Melody of Love", his first single in two years, which proved a...
, followed as well as more Top 40 pop hits ("Beer Barrel Polka
Beer Barrel Polka
Beer Barrel Polka, also known as Roll Out the Barrel, is a song which became popular worldwide during World War II. The music was composed by the Czech musician Jaromír Vejvoda in 1927. Eduard Ingriš wrote the first arrangement of the piece, after Vejvoda came upon the melody and sought Ingriš's...
" and "Dick And Jane
Dick and Jane
Dick and Jane were the main characters in popular basal readers written by William S. Gray and Zerna Sharp and published by Scott Foresman, that were used to teach children to read from the 1930s through to the 1970s in the United States...
" in 1975), a successful half-hour variety show The Bobby Vinton Show
The Bobby Vinton Show
The Bobby Vinton Show was a Canadian musical variety television series produced for the CTV Television Network between 1975 and 1978, with a total of 52 episodes broadcast. Starring Bobby Vinton, a best selling pop singer since the early 1960s, the series mixed comedy skits with musical interludes....
(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. In 1978, CBS TV aired Bobby Vinton's Rock N' Rollers a one hour special that achieved top ratings. Earlier in the decade, he also starred in two John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
movies: Big Jake
Big Jake (film)
Big Jake is a 1971 Western film, filmed on location in Durango, Mexico, starring John Wayne and directed by George Sherman.Big Jake was released to box-office success and generally-positive critical reviews, despite a mixed reaction by John Wayne fans....
and The Train Robbers
The Train Robbers
The Train Robbers is a 1973 Western film starring John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, and Ben Johnson. The movie was written and directed by Burt Kennedy....
.
Honors and achievements
He owned, and performed at, the Bobby Vinton Blue Velvet Theatre in Branson, MissouriBranson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
until 2002, when the theater was sold to David King
David King
David or Dave King may refer to:In sports:*David King , Australian rules footballer for the Kangaroos Football Club*Dave King , Scottish businessman, Rangers F.C...
, creator and producer of Spirit of the Dance
Spirit of the Dance
Spirit of the Dance was created and produced by one of the UK's most successful international producers, David King. The production is an Irish inspired dance show that was originally formatted in the vein of Riverdance but within a short time it established its own originality and identity...
. Vinton returns to Branson annually for limited engagements at the theater.
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
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. In recognition of his recording career, Bobby Vinton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6916 Hollywood Blvd.
Vinton's alma mater, Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
, awarded him an honorary doctorate in music in 1978.
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 GoodfellasGoodfellas
Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
(1990).
The Vintons make their home in Englewood, Florida
Englewood, Florida
Englewood is a census-designated place in Charlotte and Sarasota counties in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 16,196.Englewood also was the original name for Vineland, Florida...
.