Vinton had to do his own promotion for the song he bought one thousand copies and hired a young woman to deliver a copy of the record and a dozen red roses to every local DJ. The song was titled " Roses Are Red (My Love)". With Epic ready to drop him from its roster, Vinton found the material for his first hit single literally sitting in a reject pile. Despite the big label backing, the three singles were not successful, and two albums, Bobby Vinton Dancing At The Hop and Bobby Vinton Plays for his Lil Darlin's did not sell well. Titled "Posin'" "Little lonely one" and "Well I ask ya",these records were his vocal recordings, and the flip sides were credited to "Bobby Vinton And His Orchestra". Since March 20, 1961, his released three singles. The break for the Epic Records contract had come after Vinton and his band appeared on Guy Lombardo's TV Talent Scouts program. Both Alpine releases garnered Billboard magazine mentions.ġ960s Billboard advertisement, September 14 1963Īfter two years of service in the United States Army, in which 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 second Alpine release was "A Freshman and a Sophomore", backed with the self-written "The Sheik" this was released in February 1960. He released two self-written singles for Alpine, the first being "You'll Never Forget" backed by "First Impression". In August 1959, Bobby moved to another larger record company, Alpine Records. His 'young man with a big band' style was established here, and "Always In My Heart" would be a song he would return to. His release of "Harlem Nocturne", backed with "Always in My Heart" with a vocal by Bobby, attracted attention in Pennsylvania. In March 1959, Bobby recorded for the Melody label out of Philadelphia, listed as "Bobby Vinton and his Orchestra" for the first time. Bobby sang on the B-side of the 45 rpm release, making this his first commercially released vocal recording. His first release was "Twilight Time", backed with "Hallelujah". He formed his own record label, Bobby Records, in October 1958. Career 1950s Īccording to his autobiography, Bobby was inspired to record his music by the Elvis Presley movie Jailhouse Rock. The Canonsburg town fathers had plans to erect a statue in Vinton's honour, but Vinton himself vetoed the idea, noting that the $100,000 planned cost could go to far more important town needs. Como always claimed Canonsburg as his hometown, so hundreds of people changed their address when the town renamed a street in the east end after Perry Como. The residents had not cared for the singer always claiming Pittsburgh as his home town on TV interviews. These streets were built in the late 1970s prior attempts to name a residential street after him failed. Vinton's birthplace of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, is also the birthplace of Perry Como, Vinton's hometown named two streets, Bobby Vinton Boulevard and the shorter adjoining Bobby Vinton Drive, in his honor. Vinton's father suggested his son use his middle name of Robert professionally to clear up the confusion. When Vinton became an active musician, it was common for people to become confused with the bands of father and son, for both were named Stanley. While at Duquesne, he became proficient on all of the instruments in the band: piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums, and oboe. With the money he earned, he helped finance his college education at Duquesne University, where he graduated with a degree in musical composition. Īt 16, Vinton formed his first band, which played clubs around the Pittsburgh area. Vinton's parents encouraged their son's interest in music by giving him his daily 25-cent allowance after he had practiced the clarinet. The family surname was originally Vintula, and was changed by Vinton's father. Vinton was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, the only child of locally popular bandleader Stan Vinton and Dorothy Studzinski Vinton. 1 in Canada (5 weeks), and number 2 in the UK in 1990. One of his most popular songs is " Blue Velvet" (a cover of the 1951 song recorded by Tony Bennett) which reached No. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid tribute to his Polish heritage. Stanley Robert "Bobby" Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American former singer and occasional actor, who also hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s.
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