Gene Vincent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gene Vincent
Vincent in 1957
Born	Vincent Eugene Craddock (1935-02-11)February 11, 1935 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Died	October 12, 1971(1971-10-12) (aged 36) Newhall, California, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter guitarist
Spouse(s)	Ruth Ann Hand ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1956)​ Darlene Hicks ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1961)​ Margaret Russell ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1965)​ Jackie Frisco ​ (m. 1966)​
Musical career
Genres	Rockabilly rock and roll country
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1955–1971
Labels	Capitol Columbia Dandelion
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1952–1955
Rank	Seaman
Battles/wars	Korean War
Awards	Good Conduct Medal National Defense Service Medal Korean Service Medal United Nations Medal Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

Vincent Eugene Craddock (born February 11, 1935 – died October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician. He helped create the styles of rockabilly and rock and roll. His song "Be-Bop-a-Lula" was a big hit in 1956. It is seen as an important early example of rockabilly music.

Gene Vincent's music career was quite short in the US. He had three songs in the top 40 in 1956 and 1957. After that, his songs did not reach the top 100 again in the US. In the UK, he was more popular. He had eight songs in the top 40 between 1956 and 1961.

Vincent was honored by being added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Sometimes, people called him the "Screaming End."

Biography

Early life and Navy Service

Vincent Eugene Craddock was born on February 11, 1935. His hometown was Norfolk, Virginia. His parents were Mary Louise and Ezekiah Jackson Craddock. He loved different kinds of music, including country, rhythm and blues, and gospel. He especially liked Beethoven's Egmont overture.

His family lived in Munden Point, Virginia, for a while. They ran a country store there. Gene got his first guitar when he was twelve years old. It was a gift from a friend.

Gene's father joined the United States Coast Guard during World War II. He helped protect American ships from German submarines. Gene's mother managed their general store. Later, his family moved to Norfolk, which had a big naval base. They opened a store and a tailoring shop for sailors.

In 1952, at age seventeen, Gene left school. He joined the United States Navy. His parents had to sign papers because he was under 18. He served on a ship called the USS Chukawan. He also spent time on the USS Amphion.

Gene did not fight in battles, but he served during the Korean War. He planned to stay in the Navy for his career. In 1955, he bought a new Triumph motorcycle with his re-enlistment bonus.

On July 4, 1955, Gene was in Norfolk. He had a bad motorcycle accident. His left leg was badly hurt. Doctors wanted to remove his leg, but Gene said no. His leg was saved, but he always had a limp and pain. He wore a steel brace on his leg for the rest of his life. He was medically discharged from the Navy soon after the accident.

Starting his Music Career

After leaving the Navy, Gene got involved in the music scene in Norfolk. He changed his name to Gene Vincent. He formed a rockabilly band called Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps. The name "Blue Caps" referred to enlisted sailors in the US Navy.

The band members were Willie Williams on rhythm guitar, Jack Neal on bass, Dickie Harrell on drums, and Cliff Gallup on lead guitar. They played in country bars in Norfolk. They became well-known for their performances.

They won a talent contest organized by a local radio DJ, "Sheriff Tex" Davis. He then became Gene Vincent's manager.

His Biggest Hits

In 1956, Gene Vincent wrote the song "Be-Bop-a-Lula". People compared him to Elvis Presley when they heard it. Rolling Stone magazine later called it one of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

"Sheriff Tex" Davis helped make a demo of the song. This demo helped Gene get a contract with Capitol Records. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" was first planned as the B-side of his first single. But radio stations started playing it a lot. It became a huge hit, reaching number 7 on the Billboard pop chart. This song made Gene Vincent a rock-and-roll star.

After "Be-Bop-a-Lula," Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps released other popular songs. These included "Race with the Devil" and "Bluejean Bop". Cliff Gallup, the lead guitarist, left the band in 1956. Other guitarists joined and left the band.

In 1957, the group had another hit with "Lotta Lovin'" which reached number 13 on the Billboard chart. Gene Vincent received gold records for selling millions of copies of "Be-Bop-a-Lula" and "Lotta Lovin'".

In 1957, he toured Australia with Little Richard and Eddie Cochran. They performed for many thousands of fans. Vincent also appeared in the film The Girl Can't Help It. He performed "Be-Bop-a-Lula" in the movie.

His song "Dance to the Bop" was released in October 1957. Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps performed it on The Ed Sullivan Show. The song reached number 23 on the Billboard chart. This was Gene Vincent's last hit single in America.

By the end of 1959, the Blue Caps were no longer listed on Gene Vincent's records. Later songs were credited only to Gene Vincent.

Moving to Europe

Gene Vincent left the United States for Europe. He had some problems with money matters and the American Musicians' Union.

On December 15, 1959, Gene appeared on a TV show in England called Boy Meets Girl. He wore black leather clothes and gloves. This TV appearance helped change his public image. After the show, he toured France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK.

On April 16, 1960, Gene Vincent was on tour in the UK. He was in a car accident with Eddie Cochran and songwriter Sharon Sheeley. Gene broke his ribs and collarbone. His injured leg was hurt even more. Eddie Cochran was thrown from the car and died the next day. Gene Vincent went back to the United States after the accident.

Gene Vincent returned to the UK for more tours in the early 1960s. In 1962, he performed in Hamburg, Germany, on the same show as the Beatles. In 1963, Vincent moved to Britain. His backing band, Sounds Incorporated, later played with the Beatles at their Shea Stadium concert. He also toured the UK with The Outlaws, which included Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.

Later Career

Gene Vincent tried to restart his career in America. He experimented with folk rock and country rock music. However, these attempts were not very successful. He is mostly remembered for his recordings from the 1950s and early 1960s.

Gene Vincent in 1967

In 1966 and 1967, he recorded for Challenge Records in the US. He was backed by former members of the Champs and Glen Campbell. These songs were released as singles and an album, but they did not sell well.

In 1969, he recorded the album I'm Back and I'm Proud. It was for John Peel's Dandelion Records. Famous musicians like Linda Ronstadt sang backing vocals on the album. He toured the UK in 1969 with a British band called The Wild Angels. After facing pressure from his ex-wife and others, Vincent returned to the US.

His last recordings in the US were four songs for the Rolling Rock label. These were released a few weeks before he died. In September 1971, he started his last series of concerts in Britain. He performed a few shows before returning to the US.

Death

Gene Vincent died on October 12, 1971, at age 36. He passed away from a ruptured ulcer, internal bleeding, and heart failure. He was visiting his father in Saugus, California, at the time. He is buried in Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall, California.

Many musicians have honored Gene Vincent in their songs. Ian Dury released "Sweet Gene Vincent" in 1976. Robert Gordon paid tribute with "The Catman". French rock and roller Eddy Mitchell sang "Good Bye Gene Vincent." The rockabilly band Stray Cats also honored him in their song "Gene and Eddie."

Legacy

Gene Vincent was the first person added to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame when it started in 1997. The next year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2012, his band, the Blue Caps, were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On September 23, 2003, Gene Vincent was honored with a bronze star in Norfolk's Legends of Music Walk of Fame.

Music writer Ritchie Unterberger called Vincent "an American rockabilly legend." He said Vincent showed the "greasy-haired, leather-jacketed, hot rods 'n' babes spark of rock and roll."

Discography

Studio albums

• Bluejean Bop! (1956)
• Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps (1957)
• Gene Vincent Rocks! And the Blue Caps Roll (1958)
• A Gene Vincent Record Date (1958)
• Sounds Like Gene Vincent (1959)
• Crazy Times (1960)
• The Crazy Beat of Gene Vincent (1963)
• Shakin' Up a Storm (1964)
• Gene Vincent (1967)
• I'm Back and I'm Proud (1969)
• Gene Vincent (1970) (later called If Only You Could See Me Today)
• The Day the World Turned Blue (1970)

Singles

Gene Vincent released many singles throughout his career. Here are some of his most well-known songs and how they performed on the music charts:

Film Appearances

Gene Vincent also appeared in several films:

• The Girl Can't Help It (1956)
• Hot Rod Gang (1958, also known as Fury Unleashed)
• It's Trad, Dad! (1962, also known as Ring a Ding Rhythm)
• Live It Up! (1963, also known as Sing and Swing)
• The Rock And Roll Singer (1970) - a documentary about Vincent's London tour in 1969

The actor Carl Barât played Gene Vincent in the 2009 film Telstar.

See also

In Spanish: Gene Vincent para niños