Bobby Vinton was born on 16 April 1935 in
Canonsburg, PA, a suburb of
Pittsburgh. He is the son of Stan and Dorothy Vinton, who both
encouraged Bobby to study music from a very young age. Stan was a local band leader, and Dorothy was a
homemaker. Bobby
took his parents' advice to heart, and as a result became
confident (and
proficient) enough to form his own band at the age of 16. He played at
clubs in the Pittsburgh area, and used the
money he earned to help finance his education at
Duquesne University.
During his time at Duquesne, Bobby became skilled in piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums, and the oboe - all instruments common to big band. He graduated from Duquesene with a degree in Musical Composition. Recently, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from that very same university.
After his completion of college, Bobby endured a short stay in the Army. His time in the Army was the inspiration for his hit song "Mr. Lonely." After serving in the military, he appeared on Guy Lombardo's "TV Talent Scouts" and was subsequently approached by Epic Records with the offer of a recording contract. His first single was "Roses Are Red (My Love)," and his sales took off from there to reach dizzying heights of 75 million+ records sold worldwide.
His career would lead him to fame that was, until his time, virtually unheard of by the music industry. Bobby had such great success in his music career that he would even outsell legends like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Some of his more noted love songs are:
Roses Are Red (My Love)
Blue Velvet
Mr. Lonely
He is heralded as "The Polish Prince" by many who adore his music and contributions to ethnic communities worldwide; and even enjoys his own "Blue Velvet Theatre" in Branson, Missouri. Bobby Vinton has a bronze star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, in Hollywood, CA.
Even today, decades past his prime, Bobby Vinton continues to headline in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and other well-known areas. He gives performances all over the country, and is currently (2002) on tour.