Biography Bobby Vee

1 biography

1.1 career
1.2 day music died
1.3 connection bob dylan
1.4 personal life
1.5 last years , death

biography
career

vee born in fargo, north dakota, sydney ronald velline (a chef, pianist , fiddle player) , saima cecilia tapanila, in family of norwegian , finnish heritage. first single, suzie baby, written vee nod buddy holly s peggy sue , recorded soma label, based in minneapolis, in 1959; hit in minnesota , drew enough national attention purchased liberty records, signed him later year. follow-up single, cover of adam faith s uk number-one want? , charted in lower reaches of billboard pop chart in 1960. fourth release, revival of clovers doo-wop ballad devil or angel (u.s. number six), brought him big time u.s. buyers. next single, rubber ball (1961, u.s. number six, australia number one), made him international star. has cited influences, producer snuff garrett , personal manager, arnold mills.

vee s recording of take care of baby in summer of 1961 went number 1 on billboard magazine s u.s. pop chart , number 3 in uk singles chart. known performer of brill building pop material, went on record string of international hits in 1960s, including more can (1961, uk number 4), run him (1961, number 2; uk number 6), night has thousand eyes (1963, number 3; uk number 3) , come when grow (1967, number 3). when vee recorded come when grow joined band called strangers. recorded, in 1961, version of song lollipop , ronald & ruby, became success. vee had total of ten hit singles in uk, ending bobby tomorrow (uk number 21) in 1963.

vee pioneer in music video genre, appearing in several musical films , in scopitone series of film-and-music jukebox recordings.

he received north dakota roughrider award in 1999.

he mentioned in film no direction home regarding brief musical association bob dylan , dylan s suggestion bobby vee after vee s regional hit.

the best of bobby vee, released emi/uk on may 12, 2008, charted in uk top five. on january 17, 2011, emi/uk released rarities, double-cd package 61 tracks, many of unreleased. others included alternate takes , first-time stereo releases tracks album bobby vee live on tour, without canned audience.

on march 28, 2011, became 235th inductee rockabilly hall of fame.

an active live performer 2011, vee diagnosed alzheimer’s disease @ time completed scheduled tour obligations , recorded final cd, released 3 years later. in 2014 inducted scandinavian-american hall of fame.

the day music died

vee in 2001

vee s career began in midst of tragedy. on february 3, 1959, day music died, 3 of 4 headline acts in lineup of traveling winter dance party—buddy holly, ritchie valens, , big bopper—were killed in crash of v-tailed 1947 beechcraft bonanza airplane, along 21-year-old pilot, roger peterson. (dion dimucci, fourth headliner, had opted not travel on plane.) crashed near clear lake, iowa, en route next show on tour itinerary, in moorhead, minnesota. velline, 15 years old, , hastily assembled band of fargo schoolboys (including older brother bill) calling shadows volunteered , given unenviable job of filling in holly , band @ moorhead engagement. performance there success, setting in motion chain of events led vee s career popular singer.

in 1963, vee released tribute album on liberty records called remember buddy holly. in liner notes, recalled holly s influence on him , events surrounding holly s death, describing how had looked forward attending concert, how local radio station put out call local talent fill after disaster, , how vee s recently-organized, group, modeled on holly s style, had make name (the shadows) on spot.

vee went on become bona fide star. regularly performed @ winter dance party memorial concerts in clear lake. 3 sons, musicians, performed him there.

connection bob dylan

early in vee s career, musician calling himself elston gunnn (sic) briefly toured band. robert allen zimmerman, later went on fame bob dylan. dylan s autobiography mentions vee , provides complimentary details friendship, both professional , personal.

in concert @ midway stadium in st. paul, minnesota, on july 10, 2013, dylan said had been on stage many stars, none of them meaningful vee. said vee in audience , played vee s hit suzie baby emotion. dylan said (in video recording of concert):

thank everyone, thank friends. lived here while back, , since time, ve played on world, kinds of people. , mick jagger madonna. , in there in between. ve been on stage of people. beautiful person ve ever been on stage with, man here tonight, used sing song called suzie baby . want bobby vee here tonight. maybe can show appreciation round of applause. so, re gonna try song, ve done him before once or twice.

dylan recalled vee had metallic, edgy tone voice , musical silver bell. vee remembered musician knew gunnn “played pretty in key of c.”

personal life

vee , karen bergen married december 28, 1963. in 1980s vee moved family los angeles st. cloud, minnesota, , karen organized annual fundraising concerts provide music , arts facilities local children. had 4 children, including sons jeffrey, thomas, , robert, performed vee in later career, , daughter jennifer. karen died of kidney failure on august 3, 2015.

last years , death

vee continued performing live until 2011 when diagnosed alzheimer s disease. in 2011, friends , family contributed final new recordings released adobe sessions on february 3, 2014. on april 29, 2012, vee announced publicly had been diagnosed alzheimer s , consequently withdraw music business. year prior death, received hospice care in long-term facility in rogers, minnesota, outside of minneapolis. on october 24, 2016, vee died complications of disease @ age of 73.