Pop Music
In 1960, Bobby Vinton was signed by CBS Records as a bandleader. He recorded two albums that were unmitigated flops. By 1962, CBS was ready to drop him. Vinton was called to the dreaded meeting with label executives, where he pointed out that his contract allowed him to record and release two more songs. The executives left the meeting room for a quick pow-wow with CBS Legal. While alone in the conference room, Vinton kept busy by listening to rejected demo records that were lying in a heap on the floor. He heard one that made him sit up and pay attention: “Roses Are Red .” When the CBS executives returned to the conference room, Vinton delivered his pitch to convince them that he could sing and make a hit out of “Roses Are Red.” It saved his job and went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Vinton is from Canonsburg, Pennsylvaniaa. His father, Stan Vinton, was a bandleader. Bobby Vinton plays the clarinet, oboe, saxophone, piano, drums, and trumpet. His most popular single was his cover of Tony Bennett’s 1951 song “Blue Velvet,” which went to #1 in 1963.