Interview: A Chat with Legendary Crooner Bobby Vinton, Appearing at Agua Caliente 9/7

Bobby Vinton, the entertainer Billboard Magazine has called "the most successful love singer of the 'Rock-Era'", appears at The Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa for one very special performance on September 7 at 8:00 pm. From 1962 to 1972 Vinton had more #1 records than any other solo male artist in the country and established himself as one of America's top concert performers and most versatile entertainers. His impressive list of hits includes renowned love songs such as Roses Are Red, Blue Velvet and Mr. Lonely, among many others. His songs are recognized as standards throughout the world and his music has retained its vitality and relevance through our changing times. I had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Vinton about his career, his upcoming concert and "all things Bobby Vinton". Here are some of the highlights from that interview.

DG: Billboard magazine has called you "the most successful love singer of the rock era". How do you describe yourself?

BV: Probably the same way. You know, that's according to the numbers. A football player runs so many yards. A record is a record. And in the sixties -- they ranked all my love ballads for positions on the charts and they came up the highest. And I believe between 1962 and 1972 in Billboard I had more number one records than any male singer. So, that's something I feel very proud of.

DG: How did you get started in show business.

BV: Well, my father had a bandstand. I'm from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, right outside of Pittsburgh, home of Perry Como - and my dad and Perry Como were boys together and they trained in the band together - in those days they used to have what they called "bandstands" - people went dancing every night. They didn't have "diets" like they have today, they went dancing to the big band sound. So, when I was fifteen years old my dad put me in his band. I went to Dusquesne University where I studied music and I started my own bandstand and I would play for all the dances in the Pittsburgh area as well as all the shows. In the early sixties when all of the top singers of the day would come to the Pittsburgh area, my band would back them up. Today everything is a group - there's three guitars and a synthesizer - so nobody needs to bring in musicians when they go to a venue. Back then, people like Connie Francis and Brenda Lee and Fabian and Frankie Avalon - all these people needed a band when they came to Pittsburgh to do a show. And that's what I would do. I would back up all the stars so I had the chance to meet everybody and I was a musical arranger so I could write all the background music for all the stars when they would come. Dick Clark met me and saw me and wanted me to be his bandleader. And so, for a lot of his Cavalcade of Stars I would go out with Dick Clark as his bandleader. So, I was really getting in the with the right people, and the next thing I know Epic Records wanted to sign me as a Big Bandleader and I was going to be the next teenage Glenn Miller. However, after two albums the record company was dropping me and they said Big Bands are over with - everybody wants to hear rock and roll and see curly haired boys who are teenage idols. And I said, "Okay, wait a minute. I got two songs -let me make a recording as a singer". I've got a song called "Mr. Lonely". I've got another song called "Roses Are Red". I said "I bet we could sell enough records to make more band albums". I had no idea that all these years later I'd still be talking about these hits.

DG: Who would you consider to be the biggest influence on your life and/or career?

BV: Oh, there's a combination of people. I don't say any one person. My father certainly inspired me with the Big Band music - my mother encouraged me. In fact, my mother bribed me twenty-five cents an hour to practice the clarinet when I was eleven or twelve years old. I wanted to play ball, like any other kid, but she said "look, you're not going to get an allowance around here unless you practice your clarinet". You wanna go to the movies? Practice the clarinet. So, my mother kind of bribed me into the business.

DG: Do you remember the first time you heard yourself on the radio?

BV: What happened was, I wanted to promote my band. And there was a disc jockey - he was the number one disc jockey in Pittsburgh - and I made a theme song for him where I played the saxophone - Harlem Nocturne - (he sings) dah dah dah dee dah dah - and I said if I made this record for him would he use it as his theme and occasionally mention my name - and it was a thrill for me to see the number one disc jockey in Pittsburg playing my "dah dah dah deed ah dah" and he said "that's the Bobby Vinton band in the background". And that was the greatest feeling. To hear your music on the radio. So that lasted for about a year. So then, I saw the Elvis Presley movie "Jailhouse Rock" where he made records and put 'em in stores and he sold them. And that gave me the idea. I said "Hey, that's a great idea" and I went out and made a record and went to the stores and went to the radio stations and got some airplay. I thought, this is unbelievable to hear myself on the radio. I remember one time when "Roses Are Red" was popular and I was touring in the Midwest, where you could pick up stations from all over, and I could go down the knob and hear one of my songs on every station all the time. And that was unbelievable. The number one record - or the pick of the week - or the pick of the past, whatever. Believe me, there was no greater thrill of my life - there's nothing like it.

DG: Tell me something people wouldn't know about you by looking at your resume or career history.

BV: Well, I think I'm a lot better entertainer or performer than you would give me credit for. I mean, my records that I made years ago are great but in today's show I'm able to incorporate the music with a variety of horns and arrangements and attitude - whatever it is - it's surprising to people. I wish that everyone would know what I really do "live" these days.

DG: So then, what can audiences expect at show at The Agua Caliente?

BV: Well, I think I have this great show that I'm bragging about. After all these years I finally put a show together that I'm really proud of. It's a combination of my life - a biography. It could almost be a Broadway musical.

DG: What would you consider to be the highlight - the biggest accomplishment in your career, so far?

BV: That I'm still alive and doing this. (he laughs) That's the accomplishment. I mean, so many of my friends aren't with me anymore. I do a tribute to the people that I knew like Elvis and Roy Orbison - people that were part of my life growing up that aren't here any more - I'm still selling and promoting. And I want to top myself every time I do a show. In fact, from the time of this interview to the show at the Agua Caliente I will probably re-write some of my arrangements to improve them.

DG: Is there something "career-wise" that you have not yet accomplished that you want to accomplish?

BV: Well, I've done it all. I made two movies with John Wayne. He and I became very good friends, which I'm proud to say. I had my own television show - it was a syndicated variety show where I had guests, for three years. I've traveled to foreign countries. I've sung in Europe. I've sung in Asia. I've had a great life. And to still be able to do it and feel good about it and have energy - and I saved my voice. A lot of people abused their health and abused their voice and all that - and I kind of prepared for the future and took it easy. I'm happy. You can hear from this conversation. I hope everybody enjoys the show as much as I do. I mean, if you don't believe in yourself - and you don't believe your one of the best - how can you go out to the people - and why would you want to go out and be second best to yourself?

DG: What advice would you give to young people who have aspirations for careers in music?

BV: You have to have a good positive feeling about yourself. You know you're gonna get kicked down. You know it's not going to come easy. But it's worthwhile if you can make it. Believe me, the payoff just to hear your records or to hear the applause is worth it. You know, I saw this interview with Pavarotti once and they were saying with his great voice, God blessed him. They said, "Do you realize God has blessed you with this great voice"? And he said, "God gives voices to a lot of people, but he blessed me with the determination and with the energy to practice and to work at it and strive." The voice is just part of the gift. The other part is the ability not to give up and, no matter what, you have to believe in yourself. There's no faking it.

DG: How do you want to be remembered on your tombstone?

BV: To be honest with you, I don't want to be remembered. I don't want anybody to talk about me, I don't want flowers, I don't want anything. Anything you want to say about me - say it now. Say it while I'm alive - 'Cause when I'm gone, I don't really care.

Bobby Vinton appears at THE SHOW at The Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa on September 7 at 8:00 pm. For tickets visit www.hotwatercasino.com.

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