According to Billboard magazine, he had 38 American Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.
Vee was born in Fargo, North Dakota, to Sydney Ronald Velline and Saima Cecilia Tapanila. His first single, "Suzie Baby," was written by Vee with a nod to Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue" and recorded for the Minneapolis-based Soma Records in 1959; it drew enough attention and chart action to be purchased by Liberty Records, who signed him later that year. His followup single, a cover of Adam Faith's UK number-one "What Do You Want?", charted in the lower reaches of the Billboard pop chart in early 1960. His fourth release, a revival of the Clovers' doo-wop ballad "Devil or Angel", brought him into the big time with U.S. buyers. His next single, "Rubber Ball", made him an international star.
Vee's 1961 summer release "Take Good Care of My Baby" went to number one on the Billboard U.S. listings and number three in the UK Singles Chart. Known primarily as a performer of Brill Building pop material, he went on to record a string of international hits in the 1960s, including "Devil or Angel" (U.S. number six), "Rubber Ball" (1961, U.S. number six, Australia number one), "More Than I Can Say" (1961, U.K. number four), "Run to Him" (1961, U.S. number two), "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (1963, U.S. number three), and "Come Back When You Grow Up" (U.S. number three). When Vee recorded "Come Back When You Grow Up" in 1967, he was joined by a band called the Strangers. He also recorded, in 1961, a version of the song "Lollipop", originally by Ronald & Ruby, which also became a success.
Vee was also a pioneer in the music video genre, appearing in several musical films, as well as in the Scopitone series of early film-and-music jukebox recordings.
He received the North Dakota Roughrider Award in 1999.
He is mentioned in the film No Direction Home regarding his brief musical association with Bob Dylan and Dylan's suggestion that he was "Bobby Vee" after Vee's regional hit.
The Very Best of Bobby Vee, released by EMI/UK on May 12, 2008, charted in the UK top five. On January 17, 2011, EMI/UK released Rarities, a double-CD package with 61 tracks, many of which were previously unreleased. Others included were alternate takes and first-time stereo releases as well as tracks from the album Bobby Vee Live on Tour minus the "canned" audience.
On March 28, 2011, he became the 235th inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In 2014 he was inducted into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame.
Vee's career began amid tragedy. On February 3, 1959, "The Day the Music Died", three of the four headline acts in the lineup of the traveling Winter Dance Party—Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper—were killed, along with the 21-year-old pilot, Roger Peterson, in the crash of a V-tailed 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza airplane (Dion, the second headliner, opted not to travel on the plane). It crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa, en route to the next show on the tour itinerary in Moorhead, Minnesota. Velline, then aged 15, and a hastily assembled band of Fargo schoolboys calling themselves the Shadows volunteered for and were given the unenviable job of filling in for Holly and his band at the Moorhead engagement. Their performance there was a success, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Vee's career as a popular singer.
In 1963, Vee released a tribute album on Liberty Records called I Remember Buddy Holly. In the liner notes, Vee recalled Holly's influence on him and the events surrounding Holly's death:
Like so many other people, I became a Buddy Holly fan the very first time I heard him sing. I've been a fan ever since and I guess I always will be. I remember a few years ago when Buddy was scheduled to appear at a dance in my home town of Fargo, North Dakota. It was going to be a big event for the whole town, but even more so for me. I was anxiously looking forward to seeing Buddy in action.
The day he was to arrive disaster struck, taking Buddy's life, along with the lives of two other fine singers, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. The shocking news spread through Fargo very quickly. The local radio station broadcast a plea for local talent to entertain at the scheduled dance. About a week before this, I had just organized a vocal and instrumental group of five guys. Our style was modelled after Buddy's approach and we had been rehearsing with Buddy's hits in mind. When we heard the radio plea for talent, we went in and volunteered. We hadn't even named the group up to that time, so we gave ourselves a name on the spot, calling ourselves The Shadows. We appeared at the dance and were grateful to be enthusiastically accepted. Soon afterwards, I made my first record. It was called "Suzie Baby" and I was pretty lucky with it; it was a fair-sized hit.
For some time now, I have wanted to make an album in tribute to Buddy, but I wasn't sure it was the proper thing to do. However, during the past year, I have received many requests to do such an album. These requests came not only from my fans and from DJs, but also from Buddy's loyal following---still a large group of devoted fans. It.... gave me the confidence to do the album. From "Suzie Baby" to this present album, I have made many records, but I have never forgotten Buddy Holly and his influence on my singing style and my career.
Vee went on to become a bona fide star and regularly performed at the Winter Dance Party memorial concerts in Clear Lake. His sons are all musicians and have performed with him there.
Early in Vee's career, a musician named Elston Gunnn [sic] briefly toured with the band. "Gunnn", whose birth name was Robert Allen Zimmerman, later went on to fame as Bob Dylan.
Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles, Volume One, mentions Vee and provides complimentary details about their friendship, both professional and personal.
In a concert at Midway Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 10, 2013, Dylan said he had been on the stage with many stars, but that none of them were as meaningful as Vee. He said Vee was in the audience and then played Vee's hit "Suzie Baby" with emotion. Dylan said (in an audio recording of the concert),
Thank you everyone, thank you friends. I left here a while back, and since that time, I've played all over the world, with all kinds of people. And everybody from Mick Jagger to Madonna. And everybody in there in between. I've been on the stage with most of those people. But the most meaningful person I've ever been on the stage with, was a man who is here tonight, who used to sing a song called "Suzie Baby". I want to say that Bobby Vee is actually here tonight. Maybe you can show your appreciation with just a round of applause. So, we're gonna try to do this song, like I've done it with him before once or twice.
Vee and Karen Bergen were engaged July 1, 1963, and married December 28, 1963. They had four children: Jeffery Robert Velline (b. Jan 3, 1965), Thomas Paul Velline (b. October 25, 1966), Robert Bryon Velline (b. August 4, 1967), and Jennifer Joanne Velline (b. May 31, 1972). Karen died of kidney failure on August 3, 2015.
On April 29, 2012, Vee announced on his website that a year prior he had been diagnosed with an early stage of Alzheimer's disease and consequently would withdraw from the music business.
On October 24, 2016, Vee died in Rogers, Minnesota, from complications of early onset Alzheimer's disease.
Be True to Yourself
Bobby Vee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be true to yourself and you'll be the girl that I want you to be
Remember that
If some other guy catches your eye just follow your heart
I know your heart won't lead you wrong
our love is much too strong
I have faith in you, can't you see
Darling be true to yourself and you'll always be true to me
Remember that
If some other guy catches your eye just follow your heart
I know your heart won't lead you wrong
our love is much too strong
I'm not afraid of losing you
I have faith in you, can't you see
My darling be true to yourself and you'll always be true to me
The song "Be True to Yourself" by Bobby Vee is about the importance of staying true to oneself in order to maintain a strong and lasting relationship. The lyrics ask the listener to remember that their own heart is the best guide to follow, even if someone else may try to pull them away. The singer has faith in the listener and their ability to stay true to themselves, and therefore stay true to the relationship.
Throughout the lyrics, the singer emphasizes the idea of being true to oneself in order to be the best partner to their loved one. If the listener follows their own heart, then they will be the "girl that I want you to be" and they will "always be true to me." The singer is not afraid of losing the listener because they have faith in them, showing a deep trust in the relationship.
The lyrics are simple yet powerful, as they suggest that following one's heart is essential for a successful relationship. By being true to oneself, one can be the best version of themselves and cultivate a love that is built on trust and mutual respect. The song provides a positive and affirming message that has resonated with listeners for decades.
Line by Line Meaning
Be true to yourself and you'll always be true to me
If you remain honest and true to who you are, you will also be true to me and our relationship.
Be true to yourself and you'll be the girl that I want you to be
If you stay authentic to yourself, you will naturally be the kind of girl that I love and want to be with.
Remember that
I want you to keep this in mind.
If some other guy catches your eye just follow your heart
If you find yourself attracted to someone else, trust your feelings and do what's right for you.
I know your heart won't lead you wrong
I trust that your intuition and feelings will guide you in the right direction.
Our love is much too strong
Our relationship is built on a strong foundation and can withstand any challenges that come our way.
I'm not afraid of losing you
I trust in our love and in your ability to make the right choices for yourself.
I have faith in you, can't you see
I believe in you and your judgment, and I want you to trust yourself too.
Darling be true to yourself and you'll always be true to me
My love for you will always be there as long as you stay true to who you are.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID MARVIN BLAKE, DEON JERRAI BARNETT, KELTON MCDONALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bill Herald
I certainly agree that this two-sided hit (with "A Letter From Betty" on the flip side) represents some of Bobby Vee's best efforts. Great memories from the summer of 1963.
John Vandehey
As other comments have mentioned, it IS Bacharach-David. Say no more. Greatest pop composer/lyricist combination certainly of our generation. Truly legends. Besides that, Bobby Vee is an exceptional talent. Great voice, style and clean-cut appearance. A throwback to the 60s that so many of us cherish. He had MANY great hits. Many. Oh for that era again.
Aaron Rowles
A golden age of music and artist almost forgotten by the world who once gave us the impression that this sort of music would never stop coming.
Debra Rymer
This is the first song I fell in love with. I was 5 years old.
Rose Karns
Real nice music for me and my favorite songs to listen to.
david crowe
Bobby Vee, great.
lacassula
I cried of happiness the first time I heard this song! W O N D E R F U L
tonyhgv
bobby had the good fortune to be around the same time as songwriters GOFFIN/KING what great songs they wrote
Brian Buttwell
Loved this song living as a kid in South Plainfield New Jersey 60 years ago as a kid!
Steve Carroll
man, this has a real bacharach touch- super nice.