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.
I Gotta Know
Bobby Vee Lyrics
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A tossin' and a turnin'. Well, I ain't had no sleep.
Oh, baby, what roads our love takin'?
To romance or heartbreakin'.
Won't you say which way you're gonna go.
I gotta know, gotta know, gotta know.
Nine and nine make fourteen; four and four make nine.
You know it's getting' aggravatin'.
How long can I keep waitin'?
Tell me if you love me, yes or no.
I gotta know, gotta know, gotta know.
Oh, how much I need you!
Have pity on this heart of mine.
Well, if you need and want me too,
I'll be your one and only till the end of time.
Saw the fortune teller; had my fortune read.
She sent me to the doctor, who sent me straight to bed.
He said I'm lonesome and I'm lovesick.
I've got my mind on lipstick.
Will you kiss away my cares and woe?
I gotta know, gotta know, gotta know.
The song "I Gotta Know" by Bobby Vee is about uncertainty and the need for clarity in a romantic relationship. Vee begins the song by describing his feelings of weakness and inability to sleep due to his uncertainty about where his relationship is headed. He pleads with his partner to indicate which direction their love is going, whether it will lead to romance or heartbreak. He stresses the importance of knowing the answer, as he cannot continue to remain in limbo.
Vee then describes his confusion with counting numbers, indicating the extent to which his thoughts are consumed by his relationship uncertainty. He is becoming increasingly frustrated and cannot continue to wait for an answer. He begs his partner to tell him if they love him or not.
The chorus emphasizes the extent to which Vee needs his partner's love and well-being. He feels lovesick, lonely, and is seeking comfort from their love. He has even taken drastic measures such as visiting a fortune-teller and a doctor, but none of these measures have given him the peace of mind he is seeking. The song ends with Vee's hopeful plea for his partner to kiss away his cares and anxiety.
Line by Line Meaning
Get up in the mornin' feelin' mighty weak;
I wake up feeling physically and emotionally drained.
A tossin' and a turnin'. Well, I ain't had no sleep.
I can't stop moving in bed and I haven't slept at all.
Oh, baby, what roads our love takin'?
I'm unsure about the direction our relationship is headed.
To romance or heartbreakin'.
I'm wondering if our relationship will lead to love or heartbreak.
Won't you say which way you're gonna go.
Please tell me if you're going to stay with me or leave me.
I gotta know, gotta know, gotta know.
It's imperative that I find out the answer.
Nine and nine make fourteen; four and four make nine.
I'm so disoriented that I can't even do simple math correctly.
The clock is strikin' thirteen; I think I lost my mind.
I'm losing my grip on reality.
You know it's getting' aggravatin'.
It's becoming increasingly frustrating.
How long can I keep waitin'?
I can't wait much longer for an answer from you.
Tell me if you love me, yes or no.
Please confess your feelings for me, whether they be positive or negative.
I gotta know, gotta know, gotta know.
I can't bear to be left in the dark.
Oh, how much I need you!
I am emotionally dependent on you.
Have pity on this heart of mine.
Please take mercy on my vulnerable emotions.
Well, if you need and want me too,
If you feel the same way about me as I feel about you,
I'll be your one and only till the end of time.
I will be devoted to you forever.
Saw the fortune teller; had my fortune read.
I sought out spiritual guidance in hopes of finding answers.
She sent me to the doctor, who sent me straight to bed.
After speaking with the fortune teller, I was advised to rest.
He said I'm lonesome and I'm lovesick.
The doctor diagnosed me with loneliness and lovesickness.
I've got my mind on lipstick.
I'm preoccupied with thoughts of the person I desire.
Will you kiss away my cares and woe?
Can you please provide me with the comfort and affection I crave?
I gotta know, gotta know, gotta know.
I need to know if my love will be reciprocated.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RON WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind