Bobby Vee

by Erika Cox

Bobby Vee was one of the longest lasting of the teen idols of the early 1960’s.

Bobby Vee was born Robert Thomas Velline on April 30, 1943 in Fargo, North Dakota. He came from a musical family, his father played the fiddle and piano, his uncle played piano, and his brothers played guitar and were members of a local band.

In school, Vee’s instrument of choice was the saxophone but his brother, Bill, taught him how to play the guitar and with money saved from a paper route job Vee bought his first guitar.

Most artists back in the 1950’s practiced playing the guitar because the guitar had become a major instrument in bands.

The guitar gained popularity when Rock and Roll music started becoming popular. So, it was only proper that artists learn how to play the guitar in order to become a true Rock and Roll star.

Vee joined a local band that his brother had belonged to and became the group’s lead singer when he was able to sing all the words to the song they had been practicing.

The group had been practicing regularly for a few weeks when on February 3, 1959 Vee’s career started suddenly, unexpectedly and because of tragedy.

After Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper where killed in a plane crash on their way to North Dakota to continue their infamous Winter Dance Party Midwest tour, organizers had made the decision to continue with the tour but desperately needed a local act for the North Dakota show.

Vee and his local band were calling themselves Bobby Vee and The Shadows and Vee volunteered to do the show in place of Buddy Holly. Although, the group had practiced some songs they had only three hours to prepare for the show and in need of some clothes, they stopped at a local store and purchased the outfits they would perform in.

However, the group didn’t open the show they followed after a few other acts and weren’t even paid for the performance. Vee and his band’s career seemed short-lived when they were left in Fargo and other groups were used as fill-ins for the remainder of the tour.

Nevertheless, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Bing Bingttsen, a Fargo drive-in owner, saw the group’s performance in Fargo and signed them to do a Valentines Day show he also booked the band to do local shows.

From there, Vee and his band went on to perform at various shows. They initially signed with Soma Records but after a brief stay they signed with Liberty Records. Vee released “Suzy Baby” and it went to the Top of the Pop charts by the end of the month.

Finally, Vee’s breakthrough record came in 1960 with “Devil or Angel” that made it to the Top Ten. Vee was only seventeen at the time.

He followed up with another successful song “Rubber Ball” reaching number four in the UK gaining him fame in Europe. Vee’s song “Take Good Care of My Baby” was a million dollar hit and he continued to make records throughout the mid-1960’s, but his career slowed down toward the end of the 1960’s.

It further declined in the 1970’s and in the 1980’s with little fan base in America, Vee started touring throughout Europe and Japan where he remained popular.

With the music industry searching for this type of artist and music style, Vee became one of the biggest Rock and Roll stars in the early 1960’s due to his simple, clean-cut style and pop songs. He continues to make performances and tours with a group called the Vees, which includes his three sons.

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Bobby Vee

The Vees