AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bobby Vinton

Artist:Bobby Vinton
Song:Mr. Lonely
Album:16 Most Requested Songs





Beatlemania killed a lot of music in 1964. But throwback crooner Bobby Vinton was already a star and went on to a lot of success slugging it out in the charts with The Beatles. Mr. Lonely was a number one hit in 1964. And when his career as a crooner faded in the 70s, he turned to his Polish heritage to remain on the charts. He was born Stanley Robert Vinton Jr. Apr. 16, 1935 in Canonsburg, PA, the same birthplace as Perry Como. His dad's original surname was Vintula and he changed it to Vinton. His parents were Polish immigrants. As a teen, he played in Pittsburgh clubs and earned a degree in musical composition at Duquesne University. His dad was also a musician. So to avoid confusion, it was suggested the younger Vinton use his middle name professionally. After two years in the Army, an appearance on Guy Lombardo's Talent Scouts TV show earned Vinton a contract with Epic Records as a bandleader. His first two albums and several singles didn't sell. Epic was about to release him when he found Roses Are Red in a reject pile. He recorded it and promoted it himself. He made sure radio stations got it and played it. It was his first number one hit in 1962. Three more number one hits followed; Blue Velvet, There! I've Said It Again and Mr. Lonely. Though Vinton wasn't known as a songwriter, he wrote Mr. Lonely based on his Army experiences. And with the US sending young boys to Vietnam, the song struck a chord with people. Vinton recorded Mr. Lonely on his 1962 album Roses Are Red but it wasn't released as a single. Buddy Greco recorded a version that flopped. Epic released Mr. Lonely as a single in 1964 to promote a Greatest Hits comp. Beatlemania didn't seem to affect Vinton and he continued to have hits through the early 70s. This budget comp is a good intro to his music. Epic dropped him in 1972 when he started fading. Vinton spent $50K to record My Melody Of Love with lyrics partially in Polish. After several record companies rejected it, ABC Records released it and it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973. This led to his own TV variety show. Vinton also got a big boost when David Lynch's film Blue Velvet became a big hit. Bobby Vinton had his own theater in Branson, MO for several years. He doesn't own it anymore but still performs there occasionally. He hasn't recorded since 1992 so I would describe him as semi-retired. Here's Bobby Vinton performing Mr. Lonely on Shindig 1964.