From: "Dik de Heer" Date: Mon Feb 11, 2002 1:15 am Subject: Born To Be With You : Gene Vincent GENE VINCENT (By Shaun Mather) Born Eugene Vincent Craddock, 11 February 1935, Norfolk, Virginia Died 12 October 1971, Saugus, California One of the great singers and images of the rock 'n' roll era, Gene Vincent is revered by fans across Europe, thirty years after his life ended pitifully in 1971. Born in the Naval town of Norfolk, Virginia, Gene joined the Navy as soon as he left school. Following a terrible motorcycle accident, he spent the rest of his life in a leg cast. The bare-bone facts of his career are that he got discovered by Capitol as their answer to Elvis Presley and had a massive hit with his first single, Be-Bop-A-Lula (# 7), a sensous, breathy rockabilly classic. In 1956 he recorded three-dozen tracks with his band The Blue Caps which featured the fluent picking of guitar genius Cliff Gallup. His replacement was the equally effective Johnny Meeks, and the second version of the Blue Caps played on Gene's second US biggie, the wonderful Lotta Lovin' (# 13 in 1957). Films ("The Girl Can't Help It", "Hot Rod Gang") and albums followed but by the end of the 50's, America had forgotten him. His career took an upturn in 1960 when he toured Britain with Eddie Cochran to wild receptions. The tour ended with a car crash which killed Cochran and further damaged Gene's leg. The psychological scars were even worse and despite touring Europe throughout the next couple of years, Gene started hitting the bottle harder and longer. Eventually the hits dried up in England as well and Gene closed the era playing to empty venues with pick-up bands. It was a sad end to a talent that deserved so much more. Gene Vincent is now legendary, but sadly died before the adulation was rekindled at the age of 36. Recommended listening/viewing/reading: - The Town Hall Party video - Rockstar - The Gene Vincent Box Set : Complete Capittol and Columbia Recordings, 1956-1964 (6 CD's) - Susan VanHecke, Race With the Devil : Genne Vincent's Life in the Fast Lane. New York : St. Martin's Press, 2000 - Britt Hagarty, The Day the World Turned BBlue : A Biography of Gene Vincent. Vancouver : Talon, 1983. - Official website: http://www.rockabillyhaall.com/GeneVincent.html - Discography (by Derek Henderson): http:///www.psc.ac.uk/~dhenders/