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.
Little Queenie
Bobby Vee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I saw her comin' down the aisle
I got the wiggles in my knees
When she looked at me and sweetly smiled
There she is again
Standin' over by the record machine
Lookin' like a model
She's too cute
To be a minute over seventeen
Meanwhile I's thinkin'
She's in the mood
No need'n break it
I got a chance
I oughta take it
If she'll dance
We can make it
C'mon Queenie,
Let's shake it
Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Tell me who's the queen
Standin' over by the record machine
Lookin' like a model
On the cover of a magazine
She's too cute
To be a minute over seventeen
Meanwhile, I was still thinkin'
If it's a slow song
We'll omit it
If it's a rocker, that'll get it
And if it's good, she'll admit it
C'mon queenie, let's get with it
Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Let's get it
Get with it
The lyrics to Bobby Vee's song Little Queenie are about a young man who is drawn to a young woman who he describes as too cute to be a minute over seventeen. He gets nervous as she walks down the aisle and wiggles at the knees when she sweetly smiles at him. The young woman catches his attention again by standing next to the record machine, looking like a model on a magazine cover. The young man is determined to get her to dance with him, and make a connection.
The song is a fun, upbeat tune that captures the mood of the 1950s with its references to rock and roll, and teenage romance. The lyrics speak to the excitement and energy of young love while also recognizing the nerves and jitters that come with trying to win someone's heart. The repeated chorus of "Go, go, go, Little Queenie" is a call to action and a tribute to the young woman who has caught the singer's eye.
Overall, the lyrics to Little Queenie convey a sense of youthful exuberance and a desire for connection that many people can relate to. It captures the thrill of young love and the hopefulness that comes with it, making it a timeless classic that has been enjoyed by generations.
Line by Line Meaning
I got lumps in my throat
I felt emotional when I saw her walking towards me
When I saw her comin' down the aisle
When she was walking towards me
I got the wiggles in my knees
I felt nervous and jittery
When she looked at me and sweetly smiled
When she smiled at me affectionately
There she is again
I saw her again
Standin' over by the record machine
She was standing near the music player
Lookin' like a model
She was beautiful and attractive
On the cover of a magazine
She looked like a model from a fashion magazine
She's too cute
She's really adorable
To be a minute over seventeen
She looks very young
Meanwhile I's thinkin'
At that moment, I was thinking to myself
She's in the mood
She's feeling happy and playful
No need'n break it
I don't need to convince her
I got a chance
This is my opportunity
I oughta take it
I should definitely go for it
If she'll dance
If she wants to dance
We can make it
We can have a great time
C'mon Queenie,
Let's go, Queenie
Let's shake it
Let's dance energetically
Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Let's dance, Little Queenie
Tell me who's the queen
I want to know who she is
If it's a slow song
If the music is slow-paced
We'll omit it
We will skip it
If it's a rocker, that'll get it
If it's a fast-paced song, we'll dance to it
And if it's good, she'll admit it
If the music is good, she'll agree with me
Let's get it
Let's start dancing energetically
Get with it
Get into the rhythm of the music
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHUCK BERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carl Rosas
This is a song that i thought i will never listen again. However, thank you so very much to You-Tube to present this wonderful music hit from 1962. In this album is also Lucille, another great hit. Please try to include this soon in You-Tube and you will see a great comments about it, too. Thank you You-Tube for bringing such a wonderful reminisces and great job. Carl from Puerto Rico, living now in California.
Rockin Daddy
True ROCK N ROLL !!! Red hot - i love it !!! 😎 🎸 Fantastic....
Scott Bailey
It's 2020, I remember my parents having this Album maybe around 1966? They had it with other older Rock-n-Roll Albums with a big Motorola Stereo System they kept until the mid 80s. I didn't know what happened to the albums, especially this one, but as many are saying thanks to You Tube, we have them. The oldies stations of the 90s and early 2000s missed playing songs like this. Thought I never would hear it again. I guess take time to search and you might just find what you remembered, especially me! I'm 56 in 2020.😉
shoknifeman2 mikado
JI's drumming is the best part of this cut
ChasNDaveVideos
Or alternatively you could buy the CD from Amazon.