Biography
BILLBOARD MAGAZINE calls Bobby Vinton "the all-time most successful love singer
of the 'Rock-Era'". This is a name that has been synonymous with superstardom,
a true survivor and today he continues to enjoy success as a top-rated
performer. Today, Bobby is one of the few stars who is capable of headlining in
Atlantic City and Las Vegas in addition to playing dates around the world. He
has established himself as one of America's top concert performers and most
versatile entertainers. The hit songs Bobby has given us over the years have
become classics. His impressive list of hits includes renowned love songs such
as: ROSES ARE RED, BLUE VELVET, and MR. LONELY. His songs are recognized as
standards throughout the world and his music has retained its vitality and
relevance through our changing times. Bobby's hit-making capability was again
evidenced with the release of MY MELODY OF LOVE, when it became the #1 song in
the nation and was embraced by Polish Americans around the country as their new
national anthem. Not long after, his best selling autobiography THE POLISH
PRINCE was published. "During the first ten years of the rock era,
Vinton had more #1 hits than any other male vocalist including Elvis Presley
and Frank Sinatra", quotes BILLBOARD MAGAZINE. The phenomenal success Bobby
experienced in the recording industry carried over to other areas of the
entertainment world.
For three years, his recordings aired in over 140 cities throughout the United
States and Canada. He also hosted a highly rated network variety special for
CBS Television (it triumphed over Monday Night Football!!) and starred in two
John Wayne movies: "Big Jake" and "The Train Robbers".
Bobby, never satisfied resting on the laurels of his accomplishment, received
the idea to create his own theater while he was performing in Branson,
Missouri. The culmination of Bobby's idea and efforts was the BOBBY VINTON
BLUE VELVET THEATRE. A 1600 seat European style theatre complete with ceiling
murals, Italian tile and blue velvet accents. His vision also included
arranging his hits to blend with that of the Big Band sound.
A multi-talented musician as well as a singer and actor, Bobby was born in
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (a suburb of Pittsburgh), the son of a locally popular
band leader, Stan Vinton. When he was a young boy, his parents encouraged him
to study music, and at the age of sixteen formed his first band. The band
played clubs around the Pittsburgh area and with the money he earned, Bobby
helped finance his college education at Duquesne University. There 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, drums and the oboe) -- a talent which he displays in his
shows today. He recently received an honorary doctoral degree in music from his
alma mater.
After a short stint in the
army, (which served as the inspiration for one of his biggest hits, MR.
LONELY), Bobby and his band appeared on Guy Lombardo's "TV Talent Scouts". A
subsequent four-week contract on that show landed him a contract with Epic
Records, the label that released Bobby's first single, ROSES ARE RED, which
began his extraordinary career as a vocalist. The record climbed to the #1 spot
on the charts and eventually sold over four million copies. It included such
songs as ROSES ARE RED, THERE I'VE SAID IT AGAIN, PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER, I
LOVE HOW YOU LOVE ME, and of course MY MELODY OF LOVE. As a result of these and
many more hits, Bobby was awarded over a dozen gold records and albums during
his career and has sold over 75 million records. Over the past several years,
Bobby has been honored by over one hundred national organizations and more than
a dozen mayors across the United States for his unique contributions to the
ethnic communities. He was invited to Poland as a guest of the government. As a
tribute to his talents and community services the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
bestowed the ultimate honor upon Vinton--a bronze star on the world famous
Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard.