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.
Devil Or Angel
Bobby Vee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Which one you are I'd like to wake up and find
Devil or angel dear, whichever you are
I miss you, I miss you, I-I miss you
Devil or angel please say you'll be mine
Love me or leave me, I'll go out of my mind
Devil or angel dear, whichever you are
I need you, I need you, I need you
You look like an angel
Your smile is divine
But you keep me guessin'
Will you ever be mine?
Devil or angel please say you'll be mine
Love me or leave, I've made up my mind
Devil or angel dear, whichever you are
I love you, I love you, I-I love you
Devil or angel please say you'll be mine
Love me or leave, I've made up my mind
Devil or angel dear, whichever you are
I love you, I love you, I love you
The lyrics to Bobby Vee's "Devil or Angel" express the singer's indecision about the true nature of his love interest. He is unsure if she is a devil or an angel as she has both qualities that attract and confuse him. He sings about missing her and feeling a strong need for her, but is unsure if she will love him or leave him. The repeated plea for her to say she will be his shows his desperation and uncertainty about their relationship. Despite his confusion, he declares his love for her unequivocally towards the end of the song, regardless of whether she is a devil or an angel.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, with the devil and angel metaphor representing the contrasting qualities in the person the singer is attracted to. It could be seen as a reflection of the human experience of wanting someone who is both alluring and mysterious but also difficult to understand or predict. The song is a classic example of a ballad from the 1960s era of pop music, with a simple and catchy chorus that is easy to sing along to. Bobby Vee's clear and emotive voice delivers the lyrics with a sincerity that adds depth to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Devil or angel, I can't make up my mind
I'm torn between seeing you as a bad influence or a heavenly being
Which one you are I'd like to wake up and find
I wish I knew what kind of person you truly are
Devil or angel dear, whichever you are
Whether you're good or bad, I still have feelings for you
I miss you, I miss you, I-I miss you
I long for your presence and companionship
You look like an angel
You have a pure and innocent appearance
Your smile is divine
Your beautiful smile is heavenly
But you keep me guessing'
Your behavior makes me uncertain about your true intentions
Will you ever be mine?
Do you have any intention of being my partner?
Devil or angel please say you'll be mine
I want to know if you'll accept my feelings and be with me
Love me or leave me, I'll go out of my mind
If you reject me, I'll be heartbroken and feel desperate
I need you, I need you, I need you
I am emotionally reliant on you and cannot imagine my life without you
Love me or leave, I've made up my mind
I have decided that I need to know if our relationship will work out or not
I love you, I love you, I-I love you
I have strong romantic feelings for you
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Blanche Carter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Titan52berg
One of the classics! No singer today can capture the purity and innocence of entertainment that we listened to throughout the '50's and '60's!!!
@isabellelevy-banchereau3271
Merci pour ce partage
Charmante chanson de 1960
RIP Bobby Vee
@CheekSqeeker15
im 12 years old and this has to be the best music ever...i wish i was alive during this time period...
@AceFTW
now you're 22
@valennaufal.b9403
@@AceFTW 10 years ago
@sandranickel5636
I was alive during these amazing times…best music ever. Brings back such memories.
@some1744
Damn you old now
@Bear-Ur2ez
I was raised on this music. And throughout my life . I like you believe to this day it is the best music ever and my favorite music.
@dangallagher364
I was 9 in 1959 when I first heard this. Loved it then still do!!! RIP Bobby
@azbill54
life would not be so good if we could not access these tunes. Thanks to all who post these great oldies..