Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent, born Vincent Eugene Craddock in Norfolk, Virginia, was a prominent figure in the early rockabilly music scene. He developed a passion for music at a young age, influenced by country, rhythm and blues, and gospel genres. After a brief stint in the U.S. Navy, Vincent rose to fame in the mid-1950s with his iconic hit "Be-Bop-A-Lula," which showcased his strong vocals and innovative rockabilly sound. He formed a band known as the Blue Caps, which contributed significantly to his early success with several hits that resonated with audiences.
Vincent's career was marked by ups and downs, including personal struggles with health and substance issues stemming from a severe motorcycle accident. Although he experienced a decline in popularity in the United States, he found renewed appreciation in England, where his rebellious image captured the attention of rockabilly fans. Despite facing challenges, such as a tragic auto accident that affected his performance, Vincent left a lasting legacy in the music world. He was recognized for his influence on future artists and was posthumously honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His contributions to music continue to be celebrated, signifying his role as a pioneer in the evolution of rock and roll.
Gene Vincent
Singer
- Born: February 11, 1935
- Birthplace: Norfolk, Virginia
- Died: October 12, 1971
- Place of death: Newhall, California
American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist
An early rockabilly-rock performer, Vincent combined a soulful, penetrating vocal style with a dynamic onstage presence.
Member of Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps
The Life
Gene Vincent was born Vincent Eugene Craddock in Norfolk, Virginia. He was one of four children of Ezekiah Jackson Craddock and Mary Louise Craddock, proprietors of a general store. Vincent grew up interested in country, rhythm-and-blues, and gospel music, and he acquired his first guitar at the age of twelve.
In 1952 Vincent dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Navy, and he was stationed in Korea. In 1955 he was severely injured in a motorcycle accident that left him with a permanently damaged leg. The injury—a source of constant pain—eventually led to dependence on painkillers and alcohol abuse. During his long recovery, Vincent wrote a rockabilly tune, “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” that landed him music publishing and recording contracts. In 1956, the year he married for the first of four times, the song propelled Vincent toward fame. With his band, the Blue Caps, Vincent released a string of hits in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, before rockabilly was supplanted by rock and roll, which caused his fade in popularity in the United States. A devastating 1960 auto crash, in which fellow rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran was killed, further damaged Vincent’s bad leg.
Moving to England in the early 1960’s, Vincent experienced a fresh surge in popularity among loyal rockabilly fans abroad, thanks in part to his revamped image as a black-leather-wearing rebel. A dynamic performer at live shows throughout his brief career, Vincent died of bleeding ulcers at the age of thirty-six.
The Music
Vincent’s musical career divides into two phases. The first, which lasted about five years, was marked by up-tempo songs—authored by Vincent or by members of his backup band—reaching the Top 40 on American pop charts. Notable among these were “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” “Race with the Devil,” “Bluejean Bop,” “Lotta Lovin’,” and “Dance to the Bop.” “Be-Bop-A-Lula” and “Bluejean Bop” earned Vincent gold records. The hits were marked by Vincent’s strong, confident vocals, usually aided by heavy echo effects to add depth. The Blue Caps ably supported Vincent (the original band consisted of “Galloping” Cliff Gallup, lead guitar; “Wee” Willie Williams, rhythm guitar; “Jumpin’” Jack Neal, upright string bass; Dickie “Be-Bop” Harrell, drums). Gallup’s virtuoso lead guitar work was often a highlight on recordings. When Vincent entered the musical scene, he parlayed his sudden fame into appearances on television programs (Town Hall Party, The Ed Sullivan Show) and in rock-oriented films (The Girl Can’t Help It in 1956, Hot Rod Gang in 1958, and Live It Up! in 1960) that added to his allure.
The second phase, encompassing the last decade of his life, witnessed Vincent’s descent into obscurity in the United States and his concurrent rise to cult figure in Great Britain and France. While based in England, he scored several minor hits, including “She She Little Sheila” and “I’m Going Home,” but he never regained his earlier career momentum.
“Be-Bop-A-Lula.”The song that launched Vincent’s career in 1956 was, as indicated by its title, a product of bebop, a style of jazz that evolved from swing during the early 1940’s. The extemporaneous quality of bebop and its special language became an integral part of the nonconformist Beat period. Possibly inspired by Helen Humes’s 1945 hit “Be-Baba-Leba,” Vincent’s song, like its predecessor, had an improvisational feel and meaningless syllables to provide a rhythmic hook. Vincent added a steady, driving tempo, supplementing his voice with reverb, and he produced a classic example of rockabilly, an important musical bridge between country, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll. Vincent’s biggest hit, the song rose to number seven and spent twenty weeks on U.S. pop charts.
Bluejean Bop!A first album hastily compiled to capitalize on the popularity of “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” it was recorded two months after the hit single’s release. The title tune provided a second hit single, a million-seller. The album presented an eclectic combination of numbers that effectively showcased Vincent’s singing range and the Blue Caps’ versatility. Some cuts were composed on the spot (such as “Jumps, Giggles, and Shouts” and “Who Slapped John?”). There was new material from a variety of sources (such as Jerry Reed’s “Crazy Legs,” Bobby Carroll’s “Well I Knocked Bim Bam,” and Danny Wolfe’s “Gonna Back Up Baby”). The remainder of the album featured down-tempo covers (“Up a Lazy River,” “Jezebel,” and “Peg o’ My Heart”) augmented by fine instrumental work and by Vincent’s smooth renditions, so unlike his urgent, harder rocking tunes.
Crazy Times.A 1960 release and Vincent’s best-selling album, this reinforces the singer’s reputation for covering a wide range of material and musical styles. The album featured old standards (“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” and “Green Back Dollar”) and original new material (“She She Little Sheila”; a ballad Vincent wrote for his wife, “Darlene”; and two songs that reflected wistfully on the touring life: “Everybody’s Got a Date But Me” and “Mitchiko from Tokyo”).
Musical Legacy
The influence of rockabilly—an evolving blend of country, gospel, rhythm and blues, and fledgling rock and roll—on contemporary music is incalculable. Vincent, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Little Richard, and Eddie Cochran were true pioneers. Vincent, however, was the prototype: first to adapt a swaggering, rebellious stage persona; first to dress the part of a society outcast; first to win wide acceptance while singing suggestive lyrics to frankly sexual driving rock beats. Vincent earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, he became a charter inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1997, and he was enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. The Everly Brothers, the Beatles, Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, the Stray Cats, Dave Edmunds and other artists emulated or paid homage to Vincent.
Principal Recordings
albums (solo): A Gene Vincent Record Date, 1958; Hot Rod Gang, 1958 (with others); Shakin’ Up a Storm, 1964; Gene Vincent, 1967; I’m Back and I’m Proud, 1969; If You Could Only See Me Today, 1970; The Day the World Turned Blue, 1971.
albums (with Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps): Bluejean Bop!, 1956; Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps, 1957; Gene Vincent Rocks! And the Blue Caps Roll, 1958; Sounds Like Gene Vincent, 1959; Crazy Times, 1960; Crazy Beat, 1963.
singles (with Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps): “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” 1956; “Race with the Devil,” 1956; “Woman Love,” 1956; “Lotta Lovin’,” 1957; “Dance to the Bop,” 1958.
Bibliography
Cochran, Bobby, and Susan Van Hecke. Three Steps to Heaven: The Eddie Cochran Story. Milwaukee, Wis.: Hal Leonard, 2003. A biography of the seminal rocker linked with Vincent on their 1960 tour to England, when Vincent was involved the crash that killed Cochran.
Collis, John. Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran: Rock ’n’ Roll Revolutionaries. London: Virgin, 2004. The story of two tragic rock figures, told against the backdrop of their groundbreaking joint 1960 tour to England. Includes photographs.
Morrison, Craig. Go Cat Go! Rockabilly Music and Its Makers. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. An overview of the musical style that was a precursor to rock and roll, this contains biographies of the genre’s biggest stars, including Vincent’s, and discographies.
Naylor, Jerry, and Steve Halliday. The Rockabilly Legends: They Called It Rockabilly Long Before It Was Called Rock ’n’ Roll. Milwaukee, Wis.: Hal Leonard, 2007. Complete coverage of the dynamic rockabilly genre. Includes photographs, brief biographies of rockabilly artists, and a DVD sampler of period music.
Van Hecke, Susan. Race with the Devil: Gene Vincent’s Life in the Fast Lane. New York: St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2000. This is an in-depth biography of the performer, containing many behind-the-scenes details and photographs.