Stanley Robert Vinton (born 16 April 1935) is an American singer and actor. He achieved prominence as a teen idol in the early 1960s and became known as “The Polish Prince” due to the influence of his heritage on his music. Among his best-known recordings is "Blue Velvet", a cover of a 1951 song by Tony Bennett, which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, number 1 in Canada, and number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1990 following a reissue. Vinton was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, the only child of bandleader Stan Vinton and Dorothy Studzinski Vinton. He was of Polish and Lithuanian descent, and his family name had originally been Vintula. Encouraged by his parents, he developed an early interest in music and learned to play several instruments. While attending high school, he formed his first band and performed locally. He later attended Duquesne University, graduating in 1956 with a degree in musical composition. During this period, he became proficient in instruments including piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums, and oboe. To avoid confusion with his father, who shared his name, he adopted the professional name Bobby Vinton. Canonsburg is also the birthplace of singer Perry Como. In recognition of Vinton’s career, streets in the town were later named after him. Plans for a statue in his honour were proposed but not carried out. Vinton began his recording career in the late 1950s, initially releasing records on his own label and with smaller companies. His early work featured a “young man with a big band” style. After serving in the United States Army, he signed with Epic Records in 1960. His early releases for the label were commercially unsuccessful, but he achieved his breakthrough in 1962 with "Roses Are Red (My Love)", which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also charted in country and R&B categories. The success of the song established him as a solo vocalist. In 1963, Vinton recorded "Blue Velvet", which became one of his most recognised songs. It topped several US charts and experienced renewed success in 1990 following its use in advertising. In 1964, he had two further number 1 hits in the United States with "There! I've Said It Again" and "Mr. Lonely". The former is noted as the final number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 before the rise of the British Invasion led by "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Vinton continued to achieve commercial success during this period, recording numerous top-ten hits. "Mr. Lonely", written during his military service, was initially released as an album track before being issued as a single in 1964, when it reached number 1. The song has since been used in various films and later musical works. Throughout the mid-1960s, Vinton continued to release successful recordings, including "Coming Home Soldier", "Please Love Me Forever", and "I Love How You Love Me", several of which were remakes of earlier songs. During the 1970s, Vinton continued to chart with songs such as "Ev'ry Day of My Life" and "Sealed With a Kiss". After being dropped by Epic Records, he financed the recording of "My Melody of Love", which incorporated Polish lyrics and became a major hit in 1974, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song led to further recordings and renewed commercial success. In the same decade, he hosted "The Bobby Vinton Show", a television variety programme broadcast from 1975 to 1978. Vinton published his autobiography, "The Polish Prince", in 1978. He also appeared in television specials, including "Bobby Vinton's Rock N' Rollers". In 1990, he performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a National League Championship Series game, which received attention due to errors in the rendition and subsequent commentary by broadcaster Jack Buck. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Vinton Studio albums Dancing at the Hop (1961) Bobby Vinton Plays for His Li'l Darlin's (1961) Roses Are Red (1962) Bobby Vinton Sings the Big Ones (1962) The Greatest Hits of the Golden Groups (1963) Blue on Blue (1963) There! I've Said It Again (1964) Tell Me Why (1964) A Very Merry Christmas (1964) Mr. Lonely (1964) Bobby Vinton Sings for Lonely Nights (1965) Drive-In Movie Time (1965) Bobby Vinton Sings Satin Pillows and Careless (1966) Country Boy (1966) Bobby Vinton Sings the Newest Hits (1967) Please Love Me Forever (1967) Take Good Care of My Baby (1968) I Love How You Love Me (1968) Vinton (1969) My Elusive Dreams (1970) Sounds of Love (1970) Ev'ry Day of My Life (1972) Sealed With a Kiss (1972) Melodies of Love (1974) If That's All I Can (1974) With Love (1974) Heart of Hearts (1975) The Bobby Vinton Show (1975) Serenades of Love (1976) Party Music ~~ 20 Hits (1976) The Name Is Love (1977) 100 Memories (1979) Encore (1980) Santa Must Be Polish (1987) Bobby Vinton (1988) Timeless (1989) Great Songs of Christmas (1990) As Time Goes By (1992, with George Burns) Passion (1998) <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Bobby+Vinton">Read more on Last.fm</a>. 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