 | Bobby Vinton |
Stanley Robert Vinton (born April 16, 1935), better known by his stage name Bobby Vinton, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. As a teen idol, he became known as 'The Polish Prince', as his music paid tribute to his Polish heritage. One of his most popular songs is "Blue Velvet" (a cover of the 1951 song recorded by Tony Bennett) which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963 and No. 2 in the UK in 1990.
Billboard Magazine called Bobby Vinton "the all-time most successful love singer of the 'Rock-Era.'" From 1962 to 1972, Vinton had had more Billboard number 1 hits than any other male vocalist, including Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. In recognition of his recording career, Vinton was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6916 Hollywood Blvd.
Vinton's alma mater, Duquesne University, awarded him an honorary doctorate in music in 1978.[4][14]
In 2011, Grammy Award winner Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra recorded the "Polish Prince" song, a tip of the hat to Vinton, and included it on their Grammy-nominated Not Just Another Polka CD. The song was written by Johnny Prill and was based on the 1978 autobiography The Polish Prince – Bobby Vinton.