Stanley Robert "Bobby" Vinton, Jr. (16 April 1935-) was an American singer and songwriter who became known as "the Polish Prince of Pop" during the 1960s.
Biography[]
Stanley Robert Vinton, Jr. was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on 16 April 1935, and he formed his first band at the age of 16, performing at clubs in the Pittsburgh area. He graduated from Duquesne University after becoming proficient with the piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums, and oboe, and he served as a chaplain's assistant in the US Army for two years before being signed to Epic Records in 1960 as a bandleader. In April 1962, he recorded his first single, "Roses Are Red (My Love)", and he recorded his most famous song, "Blue Velvet", in 1963. The "Polish Prince" continued to hit the Top 40 during the 1970s, and he released another famous song, "Sealed With a Kiss", in 1972. However, Epic dropped him from his contract the next year, claiming that he would not be able to continue selling records. Vinton was also involved with politics; he was friends with Democratic congressman Roman Pucinski and supported the pro-democracy movement in Poland during the 1980s.