Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent was born on the 11th of February 1935 in Norfolk, Virginia. His family ran a country store at Munden Point near the North Carolina line. He received his first guitar as a gift from a friend when he turned twelve years old. The young Craddock listened to country music and rhythm and blues while growing up. He also found deep inspiration in Beethoven's Egmont overture. His father served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. The family later moved to Norfolk where they opened a general store and sailors' tailoring shop. Vincent dropped out of school in 1952 at age seventeen. He enlisted in the United States Navy with parental permission despite being underage. He completed boot camp and joined the fleet aboard a fleet oiler. A two-week training period followed on a repair ship before returning to the Chukawan. He never saw combat but completed a Korean War deployment.
Vincent changed his name to Gene Vincent and formed a rockabilly band called Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps. The group included Willie Williams on rhythm guitar and Jack Neal on upright bass. Dickie Harrell played drums until the 31st of May 2023 when he died at age 82. Cliff Gallup handled lead guitar duties for the early days. Local radio DJ Sheriff Tex Davis organized a talent contest that the band won. Davis then became Vincent's manager. In 1956 Vincent wrote the song Be-Bop-a-Lula which drew comparisons to Elvis Presley. Capitol producer Ken Nelson selected it as the B-side of the first single Woman Love. Lowery pressed promotional copies of the track and sent them to radio stations nationwide. By the time Capitol released the official single the public had already taken notice. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard pop chart and spent 20 weeks there. It reached number 5 on the Cash Box chart and stayed for 17 weeks. Vincent received gold records for two million sales of the hit and 1.5 million sales of Lotta Lovin.
A dispute with US tax authorities led Vincent to leave the United States for Europe in late 1959. He appeared on Jack Good's TV show Boy Meets Girl on the 15th of December 1959 in England. On the 16th of April 1960 Vincent Eddie Cochran and Sharon Sheeley were involved in a high-speed traffic accident in Chippenham Wiltshire. They were riding in a private-hire taxi when the crash occurred. Vincent broke his ribs and collarbone while further damaging his weakened leg. Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis during the impact. Cochran was thrown from the vehicle and died the next day from serious brain injuries. Vincent returned to the United States after the accident. Promoter Don Arden brought him back to the UK in 1961 for an extensive tour. The band played venues like the Agincourt Ballroom in Camberley. In 1963 Vincent moved to Britain permanently following the success of that tour. His alcohol problems marred many performances and caused issues with management and bands.
Vincent's attempts to re-establish his American career in folk rock proved unsuccessful. He recorded tracks for EMI's Columbia label in the early 1960s with a backing band called the Shouts. Challenge Records released three singles in the US backed by ex-members of the Champs and Glen Campbell. None sold well despite being well received. In 1968 Vincent tried to shoot Paul Raven in a German hotel. He fired several shots but missed and Raven left the country the next day. During recording sessions for I'm Back and I'm Proud Vincent threatened to get a gun if producers did not leave the studio. Linda Ronstadt provided backing vocals on the album while Johnny Meeks played lead guitar. Pressure from his ex-wife Margaret Russell and the Inland Revenue forced Vincent to return to the US. His final US recordings were four tracks for Rockin' Ronny Weiser's Rolling Rock label. These appeared on a compilation album of tribute songs including Say Mama released by his daughter Melody Jean Vincent.
On the 19th of September 1971 Vincent began his last series of gigs in Britain. He was backed by Richard Cole and Kansas Hook at the BBC studios in Maida Vale London. They recorded four tracks for Johnnie Walker's Radio 1 show including Roll Over Beethoven. The fifth record Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On remained unfinished. He managed one show at the Garrick Night Club in Leigh Lancashire and two shows at the Wookey Hollow Club in Liverpool on October 3 and 4. Vincent then returned to the US and died a few days later. He passed away at age 36 on the 12th of October 1971 from a ruptured ulcer internal hemorrhage and heart failure. He visited his father in Saugus California when he died. Vincent is interred at Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall California. Ian Dury mentioned him in the song Upminster Kid which appeared on the 1975 Kilburn and the High Roads album Handsome. Vincent had died four years before that release.
Vincent became the first inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame upon its formation in 1997. The following year he received induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His band the Blue Caps were retroactively inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by a special committee alongside Vincent in 2012. A star sits on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1749 North Vine Street. On the 23rd of September 2003 Vincent was honored with a Norfolk's Legends of Music Walk of Fame bronze star embedded in Granby Street sidewalk. Ritchie Unterberger wrote for AllMusic calling Vincent an American rockabilly legend who defined the greasy-haired leather-jacketed spark of rock and roll. Village Voice critic Robert Christgau described him as never a titan but included his compilation album The Bop That Just Won't Stop in his basic record library published in 1981. Carl Barât played Vincent in the 2009 film Telstar.
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Common questions
When and where was Gene Vincent born?
Gene Vincent was born on the 11th of February 1935 in Norfolk, Virginia. His family ran a country store at Munden Point near the North Carolina line.
What caused Gene Vincent to leave the United States for Europe?
A dispute with US tax authorities led Gene Vincent to leave the United States for Europe in late 1959. He appeared on Jack Good's TV show Boy Meets Girl on the 15th of December 1959 in England.
How did Gene Vincent die and when did he pass away?
Gene Vincent passed away at age 36 on the 12th of October 1971 from a ruptured ulcer internal hemorrhage and heart failure. He visited his father in Saugus California when he died.
Which song by Gene Vincent peaked at number 7 on the Billboard pop chart?
The song Be-Bop-a-Lula written by Gene Vincent in 1956 peaked at number 7 on the Billboard pop chart. It spent 20 weeks there and reached number 5 on the Cash Box chart.
When was Gene Vincent inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Gene Vincent received induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 following his first inductee status into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1997. His band the Blue Caps were retroactively inducted alongside him in 2012.