Bobby Vee

“Devil or Angel,” “Rubber Ball,” “Take Good Care of My Baby,” “Run to Him,” and “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” are just a few of the recordings that made Bobby Vee one of the top recording artists of the 1960s.

Bobby was born in Fargo, North Dakota, into a musical family. At the age of 15, he joined his older brother’s band, The Shadows, which became one of the top new bands in the area.

Bobby’s career began following a tragic turn of events. On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash after leaving Clear Lake, Iowa. They had been scheduled to perform the following night in Moorhead, Minnesota. The decision was made to continue with the show, and promoters asked local musicians to help fill the lineup. That night, Bobby Vee was introduced to the world.

On June 1, 1959, Bobby and The Shadows recorded “Susie Baby” for the Soma label in Minneapolis. By the end of the summer, the song had reached number one on local radio stations throughout the Upper Midwest.

Bobby soon attracted the attention of major record labels, and in the fall of 1959, he and The Shadows signed with Liberty Records. The group continued performing together until 1963. Over the decades that followed, Bobby placed 38 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, earned six gold singles, 14 Top 40 hits and two gold albums.

His career took him throughout the United States and around the world, including tours in Japan, Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom. He later performed with his sons, Jeff and Tom, and continued recording and working with other musicians through his Rockhouse Recording Studio near St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Bobby was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2011 and performed his final show that year. He died in October 2016 surrounded by his family.

Bobby Vee was inducted into the South Dakota Rock & Rollers Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2017, he was also honored with the Spirit of Music Award.