Bobby Vinton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bobby Vinton
Vinton in 1964
Background information
Birth name	Stanley Robert Vinton
Born	(1935-04-16) April 16, 1935 (age 90) Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Pop, lounge
Occupation(s)	Singer actor
Years active	1958–2015
Labels	Bobby Records Alpine records Epic ABC Ahed Tapestry Curb

Stanley Robert Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American singer and actor. He became famous in the 1960s as a "teen idol." People called him "The Polish Prince" because his music often honored his Polish background. One of his most famous songs is "Blue Velvet." This song reached number one on the Billboard music chart in 1963. It was also a big hit in Canada and the UK. Bobby Vinton even had his own TV show in the late 1970s.

Bobby Vinton's Early Life

Bobby Vinton was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of Stan Vinton and Dorothy Studzinski Vinton. His father was a popular bandleader in their town. Bobby's family had Polish and Lithuanian roots. Their last name used to be Vintula, but his father changed it.

Bobby's parents wanted him to love music. They gave him 25 cents every day after he practiced the clarinet. When Bobby was 16, he started his first band. They played in clubs around Pittsburgh. He used the money he earned to help pay for college.

Bobby went to Duquesne University. He studied musical composition there. He became very good at playing many instruments. These included the piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums, and oboe. Both Bobby and his father were named Stanley when they played music. To avoid confusion, Bobby's father suggested he use his middle name, Robert, for his music career.

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, is also the hometown of another famous singer, Perry Como. The town named two streets after Bobby Vinton: Bobby Vinton Boulevard and Bobby Vinton Drive. Bobby Vinton did not want a statue built in his honor. He felt the money could be used for more important things in the town.

Bobby Vinton's Music Career

Starting Out in the 1950s

Bobby Vinton was inspired to record his own music after seeing the Elvis Presley movie Jailhouse Rock. In 1958, he started his own record company called Bobby Records. His first song release was "Twilight Time." He sang on the other side of the record, which was called "Hallelujah." This was his first song released for people to buy.

In 1959, Bobby recorded music for the Melody label. He was listed as "Bobby Vinton and his Orchestra." His song "Harlem Nocturne" and "Always in My Heart" became popular in Pennsylvania. He became known for his style as a "young man with a big band." Later in 1959, he moved to a bigger record company called Alpine Records. He released two more songs there.

Hits of the 1960s

Billboard advertisement for "Blue Velvet" in 1963

After serving in the United States Army, Bobby Vinton signed with Epic Records in 1960. He was hired as a bandleader. He got this chance after his band appeared on a TV show called Guy Lombardo's TV Talent Scouts. For a while, his songs were not very successful. Epic Records was thinking about ending his contract.

Then, Bobby found a song that had been set aside. It was called "Roses Are Red (My Love)." Bobby believed in the song. He bought a thousand copies himself. He hired someone to deliver a copy of the song and a dozen red roses to every local radio DJ. The song became a huge hit! It was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in 1962. This success made Epic Records keep Bobby and let him be a solo singer.

One of Bobby Vinton's most famous songs is "Blue Velvet" from 1963. It was originally a smaller hit for Tony Bennett in 1951. Bobby's version also reached number one on the music charts. Many years later, in 1986, the movie director David Lynch named his film Blue Velvet after the song. In 1990, Bobby's "Blue Velvet" song became popular again in the UK. It reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart after being used in a TV commercial.

In 1964, Bobby Vinton had two more number one hits. These were "There! I've Said It Again" and "Mr. Lonely." "There! I've Said It Again" was the last song to be number one in the U.S. before The Beatles took over the charts. Bobby Vinton was special because he kept having big hits even when British bands became very popular. Many other singers from his time struggled to stay on the charts.

Bobby Vinton performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969

Bobby Vinton wrote "Mr. Lonely" when he was in the U.S. Army. He recorded it at the same time as "Roses Are Red (My Love)." Even though Bobby wanted "Mr. Lonely" released as a single, Epic Records waited. Two years later, after many of his songs sold millions, Bobby convinced Epic to include "Mr. Lonely" on his Greatest Hits album. Radio DJs started playing it, and it quickly became a number one hit in December 1964. The song has remained popular for many years. It was even featured in the 2007 movie Mister Lonely and was the basis for Akon's 2005 hit song, "Lonely."

In 1965, Bobby continued his success with "Lonely" songs. He wrote "L-O-N-E-L-Y" himself. His 1966 song "Coming Home Soldier" was also a hit. It was very popular on radio shows for soldiers during the Cold War and Vietnam era. In 1967, his remake of "Please Love Me Forever" sold over a million copies. His 1968 hit "I Love How You Love Me" also sold over a million copies and earned a gold record.

Success in the 1970s

Bobby Vinton in 1977

Bobby Vinton continued to have hits in the 1970s. These included "Ev'ry Day of My Life" and "Sealed With a Kiss." Even with these hits, Epic Records decided to end his contract. They thought he would not sell many records anymore.

But Bobby did not give up. He spent $50,000 of his own money to record "My Melody of Love." He helped write this song, and he sang part of it in Polish. His mother gave him the idea for the song. After many record companies said no, ABC/Dunhill Records decided to release it. The song became a huge success in 1974. It sold millions of copies and reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

A gold album called Melodies of Love followed. He also had another Top 40 hit with "Beer Barrel Polka," which he also sang partly in Polish. Bobby recorded four more albums for ABC Records. Epic Records, seeing his new success, released two albums of his older songs. In 1975, Bobby Vinton started his own TV show, The Bobby Vinton Show. It was a popular half-hour variety show that aired from 1975 to 1978. "My Melody of Love" was the theme song for the show.

In 1978, Bobby Vinton wrote a book about his life called The Polish Prince. It became a bestseller.

Later Years and Achievements

In the early 1990s, Bobby Vinton performed in Branson, Missouri. He was surprised by how many people came to his concerts there. He liked the idea of Branson so much that he built his own theater, the Bobby Vinton Blue Velvet Theatre. He performed there for ten successful years. In 2002, he sold the theater. Bobby Vinton still returned to Branson sometimes for special shows.

Bobby Vinton performing in 2004

Billboard Magazine called Bobby Vinton "the all-time most successful love singer of the 'Rock-Era'." From 1962 to 1972, he had more number one hits on Billboard than any other male singer, even Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. For his amazing music career, Bobby Vinton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located at 6916 Hollywood Boulevard.

His college, Duquesne University, gave him an honorary doctorate degree in music in 1978.

Bobby Vinton as an Actor

Bobby Vinton also acted in several movies and TV shows. His first movie role was in Surf Party in 1964. In 1965, he appeared in an episode of the TV show The Patty Duke Show. He also acted alongside John Wayne in two movies: Big Jake (1971) and The Train Robbers (1973). His last acting role was in 1997, when he appeared as himself in the TV show Coach.

Bobby Vinton's Personal Life

Bobby Vinton and his wife, Dolores, have been married since December 17, 1962. They live in Englewood, Florida. They have five children together. In 2015, Bobby Vinton stopped performing live and recording music. He had a serious case of shingles. In 2018, he spoke on a radio show and encouraged everyone to get a shingles vaccination.

Discography

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Bobby Vinton para niños