Bobby Vee, R.I.P.

Pop singer Bobby Vee, who enjoyed a string of hits during the early '60's, passed this morning of complications from Alzheimer's Disease. He was 73.


Vee is often lumped in with performers like Fabian, Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell. Their music was considered a safe alternative to the likes of Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry.


But Vee's music was rooted in the voice of Buddy Holly. Indeed, Bobby Vee & The Shadows had the unenviable task of filling in for Holly after his plane went down in Iowa that cold February day in 1959. The music did not die and a star was born.


Vee would have a minor hit with "Suzie Baby" and would gain greater recognition with songs like "Devil or Angel", "Rubber Ball", "Take Good Care of My Baby", "Night of A Thousand Eyes" and "Run to Him" which you can listen to below.

Vee's popularity would fade with the emergence of The Beatles and the advent of The British Invasion. However, Vee's street cred was enhanced considerably in 2013 when Bob Dylan publicly acknowledged him as one of his greatest musical influences. Indeed, Dylan played with Vee under the alias Elston Gunn before making it big himself.


I think it's fair to say that Bobby Vee was the early 1960's teen idol whose music aged the best. R.I.P.