Gene Vincent

Gene Vincent (born February 11, 1935, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.—died October 12, 1971, Newhall, California) American rockabilly singer whose swaggering, black-leather-clad image defined the look of the rock rebel. Discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1955 following a motorcycle accident in which his leg was seriously injured, Vincent tried his hand at country music. In 1956, with record companies frantically seeking their own answers to Elvis Presley, Vincent recorded “Be-Bop-A-Lula.” When the record sold 200,000 copies in June alone, Capitol Records seemed to have found its Presley. “Be-Bop-A-Lula” became a rockabilly classic, driven by Vincent’s assured vocals and a rollicking performance by his backing band, the Blue Caps. Principal members of the Blue Caps included Cliff Gallup (b. June 17, 1930—d. October 9, 1988, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.), whose stellar guitar work gave the band much of its exuberant sound, rhythm guitarist Ervin (“Wee Willie”) Williams (b. December 1935, Millinocket, Maine, U.S.—d. August 28, 1999, Bradenton, Florida, U.S.), drummer Dickie “Be-Bop” Harrell (b. August 27, 1940, Portsmouth, Virginia), and bassist Jack Neal (b. November 7, 1930, Norfolk county, Virginia—d. September 22, 2011, Virginia Beach, Virginia).

Although Vincent would subsequently score minor hits (notably “Race with the Devil” and “Lotta Lovin’ ”), he never equaled the success of his first. He continued to record and tour and remained popular in Britain, where in 1960 he reinjured his leg in the automobile accident in which fellow rockabilly singer Eddie Cochran was killed. Touring and drug and alcohol abuse eventually took their toll; Vincent died at age 36. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998; the Blue Caps were selected for induction in 2012.