Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres.

History[link]

Beginnings[link]

Epic Records was launched in 1953 by CBS for the purpose of marketing jazz, pop and classical music that did not fit the theme of the more mainstream Columbia Records. Pop talent on co-owned Okeh Records were transferred to Epic which made Okeh a rhythm and blues label.^[1] Epic's bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. This has included such notables as the Berlin Philharmonic, Charles Rosen, the Juilliard String Quartet, Antal Doráti conducting the Hague Philharmonic and George Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra.

Expansion of genres and mainstream success[link]

By 1960, the label's musical base had been expanded to include all genres. This was done in part to prevent the roster of Columbia Records (which, at the time, had a reputation for releasing material by more established acts) from being overstuffed with newer artists.^{[citation needed]} Subsequently, Epic became better known for its signing of newer, fledgling acts. By the end of the 1960s, Epic earned its first gold records and had evolved into a formidable hit-making force in rock and roll, R&B and country music. Among its many acts, it included Roy Hamilton, Bobby Vinton, The Dave Clark Five, The Hollies, Tammy Wynette, Donovan, The Yardbirds, Lulu, July and Jeff Beck. Several of the British artists on the Epic roster during the 1960s were the result of CBS's Epic/Okeh units' international distribution deal with EMI; Epic recordings were issued by EMI on the Columbia label.

Also during the 1960s, Epic oversaw the smaller subsidiary CBS labels including: Okeh Records and Date Records. In 1968, the Epic imprint was added in the UK and distributed by CBS after the distribution deal with EMI expired that year.^[2]

Epic's commercial success continued to grow in the 1970s with releases from ABBA, Boston, Cheap Trick, The Clash, Charlie Daniels, Heart, The Isley Brothers, The Jacksons, Labelle, Meat Loaf, Johnny Nash, Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon, Minnie Riperton, Pegasus, Charlie Rich, Sly & the Family Stone, Steve Vai and Edgar Winter. Also contributing to the labels success was its distribution of Philadelphia International Records, which produced additional hit records by acts such as The Three Degrees and McFadden and Whitehead.

During the 1980s, Epic was arguably the most successful label of the decade.^{[citation needed]} Its 1980s and 1990s mainstream success were fueled by its signing and releasing of albums by such acts as Michael Jackson, Shakin' Stevens, Culture Club, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, Adam Ant, Living Colour, Prong, Dead or Alive, Europe, Cyndi Lauper, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, Sade, Luther Vandross, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Céline Dion among others. The label's greatest pay-dirt achievement came with the release Thriller, the 1982 album by Michael Jackson, which went on to achieve approximately eighty million in international sales, becoming the biggest selling album in history.

More recently, other successful acts on the label have included Anastacia, Jennifer Lopez, The Fray, Jessica Simpson, Shakira, Korn, Fiona Apple, Ozzy Osbourne, Nate McDonald, Chevelle, JLS, and Rage Against the Machine.

1980s-2000s[link]

Epic Records is today owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Sony bought CBS Records in 1987, and the company was renamed Sony Music in 1991. In 2004, Sony merged with another powerhouse music distributor, BMG, bringing labels such as Epic, Arista, Columbia, RCA, Jive, and many others under one parent company, Sony BMG. In February 2009, singer/songwriter Amanda Ghost was appointed president of Epic Records.^[3] Later in the year, Sony BMG Music (during a reconsolidation of labels) merged Epic and Columbia's operations, and subsequently formed the Columbia/Epic Label Group — but both labels continue to operate as separate brands. Sony BMG's Legacy Recordings reissues the company's classic and catalogue titles.

In addition, in the 1990s, European operations of Sony Music was integrated into two separate labels, Epic and Columbia. It was followed by Australian and New Zealand operation of Sony Music in 1997.

The Japanese operation is called Epic Records Japan Inc..

2010s & L.A. Reid era[link]

In July 2011, L.A. Reid became the head of the Epic Records which also includes various former Jive Records artists.^[4] Reid has already begun a new "era" in signing artists, having signed up YouTube sensation Karmin.^[5] Through Sony Music Entertainment's restructuring, artists such as Outkast, Ciara and Avril Lavigne have joined Epic.^[6][7] Epic will sign the winners of The X Factor.^[8]

It was confirmed in February 2012 that Sylvia Rhone would be launching a new record label through Epic Records.^[9]

Imprint labels[link]

The following is a list of labels Epic Records has distributed:

Current[link]

• Konvict Muzik
• Beluga Heights (2008–present)
• Daylight Records (2000–present)
• DC Flag Records (2004–present)
• E1 Music (2007–present)
• Glowworm Records (?-present)
• Battery Records
• Verity Gospel Music Group
• Volcano Entertainment
• LaFace Records (2011-present)

Former[link]

• 550 Music (1993–2000)
• Beluga Heights Records (2006–2008)
• Believe In A Dream (1981-1984)
• Blue Sky (1974-1982)
• Caribou Records (1976-1981)
• Cold Chillin' Records (1993–1999)
• Date Records (1960s)
• Epic Records Nashville (? - May 2006)
• Epic Street (1993–1998)
• Epic Dance (mid-1990s)
• CBS Associated/Epic Associated (1983–1995)
• Chycago International Records (1982-1984)
• Cleveland International Records (1976-1983)
• CTI^{[disambiguation needed ]} (1980)
• Tuff City Records (1983–1984)
• Hidden Beach Records (1998–2007)
• Gamble (1972-1975)
• Glacial Pace (mid-1990s)
• Immortal Records (1994–2006)
• Invictus Records (1973-1976)
• Jet Records (1978-1983)
• Kirshner Records (1974-1983)
• MJJ Music (1991–1999)
• Modern Art Records (?-?)
• Nemperor Records (1977-1990)
• Ode Records (1967–1969, 1976–1979)
• OKeh Records (1965–1970, 1994–2000)
• Pasha Records (1979-1990)
• Philadelphia International Records (1971–1984)
• Portrait Records (1976–1992)
• Private I Records (1982-1984)
• Rock-N-Roll (1982-1987)
• Ruthless Records (late 1990s)
• Scotti Brothers (1979-1988)
• SOLAR Records (1989–1993)
• T-Neck (1972-1984)
• Tabu Records (1978–1991)
• TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) (1975-1977) (1981-1982]]
• Work/Chaos Records (1994–2000)
• Virgin Records (1976-1978), (1982-1986)

Epic Records artists[link]

Epic Records Executives[link]

• L.A. Reid — Chairman & CEO ^[10]
• Nick Raphael — Epic UK Managing Director (2001-2011)
• Jo Charrington — Epic UK Head of A&R (2007-2011)

Logos in use[link]

• Epicrecords.jpg

  Classic radial sound sunburst logo, used in the 1960s, revived in late 1998; used until 2006. Still used on Japanese operations.

• Epicrecords-logo.png

  Script logo, used from late 1978 to 1991; revived in 2006 and was used until 2011.

• Epic Records logo 1991.gif

  Stacked-record logo used from 1991 to late 1998.

• Epic Records 2011.svg

  Red print logo, used from 2011 to present

See also[link]

• List of record labels
• Epic/Sony Records (Japanese branch of Epic Records)
• RCA Records
• Columbia Records

References[link]

External links[link]

• Epic Records – Official website
• Sony Music, Parent Company of Epic
• Epic Records on Myspace
• Epic US/UK A&R team contact list

v t e Sony Corporation Primary businesses Sony Corporation (electronics & holding of the Sony group) · Sony Music Entertainment (music) · Sony Pictures Entertainment (motion pictures and television) · Sony Computer Entertainment (video games) · Sony Financial Holdings (financial services; 60%) · Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation Technologies and brands α · Betacam · Blu-ray · BRAVIA · CD · Cyber-shot · Dash · Dream Machine · DVD · Handycam · HDCAM/HDCAM-SR · LocationFree · Memory Stick · MiniDisc · MiniDV · mylo · Reader · S/PDIF · SDDS · SXRD · Sony Tablet · UMD · VAIO · Video8/Hi8/Digital8 · Walkman · Walkman Phones · XDCAM · Xplōd · HMZ-T1 Historical products AIBO · CV-2000 · DAT · Betamax · Sony CLIÉ · Discman · JumboTron · Lissa · Mavica · NEWS · Qualia · Rolly · TR-55 · Trinitron · U-matic · Watchman · WEGA Electronics Sony EMCS · Sony Electronics (subsidiary in the US) · Sony Creative Software · Sony Mobile Communications  · S-LCD (50% minus 1 share) · Sony Mobile Display · Sony Optiarc · Sharp Display Products (7%) · Aiwa (former) Sony Music Entertainment Sony/ATV Music Publishing (50%) · Columbia Records · Epic Records · RCA Records · Sony Music Nashville (Arista Nashville, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, RCA Records Nashville) · Provident Label Group · Verity Gospel Music Group · Sony Music Latin · Sony Masterworks  · Legacy Recordings  · RED Distribution  · IODA  · Syco Music  · Syco TV  · Syco Film  · Sony Music Australia · Sony Music Japan  · Gracenote · Aniplex · A-1 Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group (Columbia Pictures · Sony Pictures Classics · Screen Gems · TriStar Pictures · Triumph Films) · Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (Destination Films · Stage 6 Films · Affirm Films) · Sony Pictures Television Group (Adelaide Productions · Culver Entertainment · Embassy Row · 2waytraffic · Lean-M  · Gogglebox Entertainment · Victory Television · Silver River Productions · Starling · Huaso · Floresta · Teleset) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Sony Wonder · Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group · Sony Pictures Digital (Sony Pictures Imageworks · Sony Pictures Animation · Sony Pictures Mobile) · Sony Pictures Studios · Sony Pictures Consumer Marketing (Sony Pictures Consumer Products · Sony Pictures Loot) U.S. networks Sony Movie Channel · GSN (40%), joint venture with DirecTV · FEARnet HD (joint venture with Comcast and Lionsgate) · 3net (joint venture with Discovery Communications and IMAX) International networks Sony Entertainment Television (Asia, South East Asia, India, Latin America, South Africa, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Baltic and United Kingdom) · AXN · AXN HD · AXN HD+1 · AXN Asia · AXN India · AXN Pakistan · AXN White · AXN Crime · AXN Black · AXN Mystery · AXN Sci Fi · AXN Spin · Sony Aath · Multi Screen Media · Animax · Animax Asia · Animax India · Animax Pakistan · Animax Korea · Animax Eastern Europe · BeTV · Sony Spin · SET One · SET Max · Sony SIX · Sony MIX · SET PIX · SAB TV · Men&Movies · Movies4Men Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Online Entertainment · PlayStation · PSP · PlayStation Vita · Cellius (49%) · Square Enix (8.25%) · Sony Imagesoft (defunct) Online distribution platforms Sony Entertainment Network (Music Unlimited · Video Unlimited · PlayStation Network) · FEARnet · The Minisode Network · Crackle Financial services Sony Financial Holdings · Sony Life Insurance · Sony Assurance · Sony Bank · Sony Bank Securities Other businesses So-net Entertainment · Sony Broadcast & Professional Research Laboratories · Sony Sendai Other assets Sony Corporation of America (umbrella company in the US) · Other subsidiaries Joint ventures Sony/ATV · FeliCa Networks · Vevo · Cellius (49%) · Sharp Display Products (7.04%) Key personnel Kazuo Hirai · Masaru Ibuka · Nobuyuki Idei · Yasuo Kuroki · Ken Kutaragi · Michael Lynton · Akio Morita · Norio Ohga · Amy Pascal · Howard Stringer  · Nicole Seligman Category ·  Commons ·  Wikinews

Cash out refinancing (in the case of real property) occurs when a loan is taken out on property already owned, and the loan amount is above and beyond the cost of transaction, payoff of existing liens, and related expenses.

Definition[link]

Strictly speaking all refinancing of debt is "cash-out", when funds retrieved are utilized for anything other than repaying an existing lien.

In the case of common usage of the term, cash out refinancing refers to when equity is liquidated from a property above and beyond sum of the payoff of existing loans held in lien on the property, loan fees, costs associated with the loan, taxes, insurance, tax reserves, insurance reserves, and in the past any other non-lien debt held in the name of the owner being paid by loan proceeds.

Example of Cash Out Refinancing[link]

A homeowner who owes $80,000 on a home valued at $200,000 has $120,000 in equity. That equity can be liquidated with a cash out refinance loan providing the loan is larger than $80,000.

The total amount of equity that can be withdrawn with a cash-out refinance is dependent on the mortgage lender, the cash-out refinance program, and other relative factors, such as the value of the home.

Related topics[link]

The opposite, "Rate-and-term" refinancing occurs when a better note rate, better loan terms, or both become available to an owner which restructures their debt portfolio as it relates to liens held against a subject property. Consolidating multiple loans into one loan without extracting cash is also a rate-and-term.

Loan-to-value limits, and other factors in loan approval determine how much cash can be taken out from the equity of any one property.

See also[link]

• California Proposition 13 (1978), U.S.
• Real estate bubble
• Inflation
• Home equity

External links[link]

• FHA Cash Out Refinance Fact Sheet

This economics-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

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Leonard Grant, better known by his stage name, Uncle Murda, is an American rapper from the Pink Houses section of East New York.

Biography[link]

Musical career[link]

In 2007 his manager and DJ Green Lantern introduced Uncle Murda's music to Jay-Z.^{[citation needed]} The Brooklyn born rapper/CEO signed Uncle Murda to Roc-A-Fella Records soon after.^{[citation needed]} They started to promote him immediately by placing him on a track with popular label-mates Fabolous and Jay-Z for the song "Brooklyn" (Featured on From Nothin' to Somethin' album) and everything seemed to be going well for the rapper.^{[citation needed]} However in late 2008 rumors that Uncle Murda left Def Jam came about.^{[citation needed]} In an interview with DJ Vlad, Uncle Murda confirmed the rumors that he has split from Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records claiming everything went downhill since Jay-Z's departure.^{[citation needed]}

On January 22, 2008, Uncle Murda was shot in the head while in a parked car on Linden Blvd in East New York but was not seriously hurt.^[1]

In February 2011, it was revealed that he would take part in a new Hiphop/Pro Wrestling collaboration, the Urban Wrestling Federation with taping of the first bout "First Blood" taking place in June 2011.^[2]

Controversy[link]

Papoose[link]

After releasing diss songs back and forth the two rappers with their managers decided to end the conflict. On May 9, 2008, Papoose's DJ, DJ Kay Slay, announced that the two rappers had ended the feud on his radio show.^[3] Soon after, the two rappers appeared on the same song together for the remix of "Don't Take It There" also featuring Junior Reid, Tony Yayo, Jim Jones, and Sheek Louch.adam green from croydon london said he's lookin to kill uncle murda and claimed that uncle murda was a phoney uncle murda got the airplane to heathrow and caught a train to east croydon were adam joseph green was waiting for him uncle murda left croydon with one leg

Albums[link]

• 2006: Say Uncle (2 Hard For Hip Hop Volume 01)

Mixtapes[link]

• 2008: Uncle Murda - Hard To Kill

• 2009: Uncle Murda - Summer Time Shootouts

[edit] Singles^[4]

• 2007: "Bullet Bullet"
• 2007: "Run The City"
• 2007: "Children's Story"
• 2007: "Hard to Kill"
• 2008: "Still Run The City"
• 2009: "Murdera" (featuring Akon)
• 2011: "Warning"
• 2011: "Warning (remix)" (featuring French Montana, Jadakiss, Styles P, Jim Jones, Vado & Cam'ron)
• 2011: "Warning (remix)" (featuring 50 Cent, Mariah Carey & Young Jeezy)

Guest Appearances[link]

• 2007: "Ya Heard" (French Montana featuring Uncle Murda)
• 2007: "En Why Cee" (Juganot featuring Tess, Joell Ortiz & Uncle Murda)
• 2007: "Brooklyn" (Fabolous featuring Jay-Z & Uncle Murda)
• 2007: "G Sh*t" (Statik Selektah featuring Jadakiss, Sev-One, Termanology & Uncle Murda)
• 2007: "Let it Off" (Memphis Bleek featuring Uncle Murda)
• 2008: "Shooters for hire" (Tony Yayo featuring Uncle Murda)
• 2008: "Don't Take It There" (Papoose featuring Junior Reid, Tony Yayo, Jim Jones, Sheek Louch & Uncle Murda)
• 2009: "Who Shot Ya 2009" (Maino featuring Red Cafe & Uncle Murda)
• 2009: "MurderGram 2k9" (Busta Rhymes featuring Maino, Red Cafe & Uncle Murda)
• 2009: "Stick Up Muzik" (Raekwon featuring Busta Rhymes & Uncle Murda)
• 2009: "Watch How You Talk" (Busta Rhymes featuring Raekwon, The Game & Uncle Murda)
• 2012: "Ghetto Boy" (Young Buck featuring French Montana & Uncle Murda) off Bond Money

References[link]

John Lewis Schumann^[1] (born May 1953) is an Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist from Adelaide.^[2] He is best known as the lead singer for the folk group Redgum, with their chart-topping hit "I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Light Green)", a song exploring the psychological and medical side-effects of serving in the Australian forces during the Vietnam War. The song's sales assisted Vietnam Veterans during the 1983 Royal Commission into the effects of Agent Orange and other chemical defoliants employed during the war.^[2] Schumann was an Australian Democrats candidate in the 1998 Federal election, narrowly failing to unseat Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for the Division of Mayo.^[3]

Since 2005 he has been performing as part of John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew, including fellow ex-Redgum member Hugh McDonald.^[4]

Biography[link]

1975-1985: Redgum[link]

Schumann was born in May 1953 and attended Flinders University studying Philosophy, English and Drama for his Bachelor of Arts.^[5] In 1975 he contributed to a radical politics in art project, convened by Professor Brian Medlin with fellow students Michael Atkinson and Verity Truman. The three students went on to form political folk band Redgum and began performing in local pubs and campuses. An 'underground recording' of their music was made at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) studios in Adelaide by Darc Cassidy - the tapes went on to become popular on campuses across Australia and on independent radio. Chris Timms (also from Flinders University) joined the group in 1976 and they toured to Melbourne as a part-time group. Schumann was by then teaching English and Drama at Marion High School and performing on weekends and school holidays. By December 1980, they decided to become a full-time band. Schumann wrote their biggest hits including "Long Run", "The last Frontier", "I Was Only Nineteen" (March 1983) and "I've Been to Bali Too" (1984).^[1] In 1985 Redgum toured overseas performing at major festivals across England and Europe including the Edinburgh Festival and in war torn Belfast in Northern Ireland. The band had a strong following in Scandinavia.

1985-1993: Early solo music career[link]

Schumann left Redgum (late 1985) due to continual pressure to tour and to spend more time with his young family in the Adelaide Hills. He embarked upon a solo career with CBS, where he released several records, including Etched in Blue (1987), and a children's record, Looby Loo (1989).^[6] The 1987 single "Borrowed Ground" from Etched in Blue was given the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Most Performed Australasian Country Work Award in 1988.^[7] In 1992 he recorded a single for Sony entitled "Eyes on Fire", this was followed by an album for Columbia Records in 1993, True Believers.^[6]

1998-2001: Political career[link]

Schumann used his public profile and became involved in social justice issues: rallying against Queensland's Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen; the 'Save The Franklin River' campaign including as a member of Gordon Franklin & the Wilderness Ensemble (contained members of Goanna and Redgum) to record a single "Let the Franklin Flow" in 1983^[6] and seeking justice and compensation for Vietnam Veterans in the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1998 Schumann accepted an appointment as the Chief of Staff for the then Leader of the Australian Democrats, Meg Lees. He stood against Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for the Division of Mayo in Adelaide, winning 22.4% of the primary vote to Downer's 45.6%, taking the vote to preferences. After the distribution of preferences, Downer held the seat 51.7% to Schumann's 48.3%. Despite coming close to winning the seat, Schumann decided not to contest the seat in the 2001 election, citing a number of reasons including family commitments and the Democrats' decision to elect Senator Natasha Stott Despoja as leader in April 2001.^[3]

2001-current: later career[link]

Schumann is a co-director of Schumann & Associates - a communications, public relations and consultancy company. He speaks on issues of social justice and Australian identity to universities and companies. In 2008 Flinders University recognised him as a distinguished alumnus for his contribution to Australian music and social justice. He is not affiliated with any political party.

In 2005 Schumann invited a number of musicians (including ex-Redgum members Hugh McDonald and Michael Atkinson) to play and sing on an album, Lawson, which comprises songs Schumann wrote based on poems by Australian poet Henry Lawson. Lawson was credited to John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew and released by ABC Music.

Schumann and Redgum were bought back to public attention in 2006 when Australian Hip-Hop group The Herd covered "I Was Only 19" with Schumann supplying some vocals. On 18 August 2006, John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew performed in Vũng Tàu, Vietnam, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tân.^[2] The concert was broadcast nationally by ABC radio.^[8]

In 2007 John Schumann and The Vagabond Crew provided the music for a stage play, "Lawson", starring Max Cullen as Henry Lawson. After refusing to appear live on the 1980s ABC music-TV show, Countdown, Schumann appeared in the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert series in Australia in August and September 2007. He sang the Redgum hit "I Was Only 19" only. From late 2007, John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew have appeared at major music festivals around Australia. Schumann signed a new multi-album deal with ABC Music and Behind the Lines, an album of songs related to Australians at war, was released in August 2008.

In December 2009 Schumann visited East Timor to play for Australian and New Zealand troops stationed there^[9] and in September-October 2011 he played for Australian troops in Afghanistan.^[10]

In 2011 Schumann worked with the Defense department on "Dents in the Soul", a project designed to help soldiers deal with post traumatic stress disorder.^[11]

Personal life[link]

Schumann met Denise 'Denny' Storen in 1981 and they later married, she is the sister of Vietnam Veteran Mick Storen, whose recollections inspired "I Was Only Nineteen".^[12] The couple have a son and a daughter.

Discography[link]

See Redgum for earlier recordings.

• Etched in Blue (1987)
• Looby Loo (1989)
• True Believers (1993)
• Portrait: The Very Best of John Schumann (2002)
• Lawson - as John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew (2005)
• Gelignite Jack - (2007) (a best of album)
• "Behind the Lines" - as John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew (2008)

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

• John Schumann Official Website
• John Schumann In Vietnam ABC Radio

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2011)

Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton, 1965.
Background information
Birth name	Stanley Robert Vinton, Jr.
Born	(1935-04-16) April 16, 1935 (age 77) Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Clarinet Oboe Saxophone Piano Drums Trumpet
Years active	1959–present
Labels	Epic ABC Ahed Tapestry Curb
Website	Official website

Bobby Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American pop music singer of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".

Early life[link]

Vinton is the only child of a locally popular bandleader, Stan Vinton and Dorothy Studzinski Vinton.^[1] The family surname was originally Vintula, and was changed by the senior Vinton.^[2] Vinton's parents encouraged their son's interest in music by giving him his daily 25 cent allowance after he had practiced the clarinet.^[3] At 16, Vinton formed his first band, which played clubs around the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. With the money he earned, he helped finance his college education at Duquesne University, where he studied music and graduated with a degree in musical composition.^[1] While at Duquesne, he became proficient on all of the instruments in the band: piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums and oboe.^[4] When Vinton became an active musician, it was common for people to become confused with the bands of father and son, as both were named Stanley. Vinton's father suggested his son use his middle name of Robert professionally to clear up the confusion.^[5]

Vinton's birthplace of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania is also the birthplace of Perry Como.^[6] His hometown named two streets, Bobby Vinton Boulevard and the shorter adjoining Bobby Vinton Drive, in his honor. These streets were built in the late 1970s; prior attempts to name a residential street after him failed. The residents did not care for the singer always using Pittsburgh as his home town on TV interviews. Como always claimed Canonsburg as his home town and thus hundreds of people changed their address when the town renamed a street in the east end after Perry Como. Canonsburg town fathers had plans to erect a statue in his honor, but Vinton vetoed the idea noting that the $100,000 planned cost could go to far more important town needs.^[7]

Career[link]

1960s[link]

After two-years service in the U.S. Army, when he served as a chaplain's assistant, Vinton was signed to Epic Records in 1960 as a bandleader: "A Young Man With a Big Band". The break for the Epic Records contract came after Vinton and his band appeared on Guy Lombardo's TV Talent Scouts program.^[1][8] Two albums and several singles were not successful however, and with Epic ready to pull the plug, Vinton found his first hit single literally sitting in a reject pile.^[3] The song was titled "Roses Are Red (My Love)". Vinton had to do his own promotion for the song; he bought 1,000 copies and hired a young woman to deliver a copy of the record and a dozen red roses to every local disc jockey.^[1][9] It spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Arguably, his most famous song is 1963's "Blue Velvet", originally a minor hit for Tony Bennett in 1951, that also went to No.1. Twenty-three years later, David Lynch named his movie Blue Velvet after the song. In 1990, "Blue Velvet" climbed to the top of the music charts in Great Britain, after being featured in a Nivea commercial. In 1964, Vinton had two #1 hits, "There! I've Said It Again" (a #1 hit in 1945 for Vaughn Monroe) and "Mr. Lonely". Vinton wrote "Mr. Lonely" during his service in the U.S. Army in the late 1950s, when he served as a Chaplain's Assistant. The song was recorded during the same 1962 session that produced "Roses Are Red" and launched Vinton's singing career. It was released as an album track on the 1962 Roses Are Red (and other songs for the young & sentimental) LP. Despite pressure from Vinton to release it as a single, Epic instead had Buddy Greco release it and it flopped. Two years and millions of records sold later, Bobby prevailed on Epic to include "Mr. Lonely" on his Bobby Vinton's Greatest Hits LP. Soon DJ's picked up on the song and airplay resulted in demand for a single release. "Mr. Lonely" shot up the charts in the late fall of 1964 and reached #1 on the charts on 12 December 1964. Epic then released the LP Bobby Vinton Mr. Lonely, giving the song a unique claim to fame since it now appeared on three Bobby Vinton albums released within two years. The song has continued to spin gold for its composer in the 45 years since it hit #1. Harmony Korine named his 2007 film Mister Lonely after the latter, and it is now also the basis for Akon's hit, "Lonely".

Vinton performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969.

Vinton's version of "There! I've Said It Again" is noteworthy for being the final U.S. Billboard number one single of the pre-Beatles era, deposed from the Hot 100's summit by "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Also noteworthy is the fact that Vinton continued to have big hit records during the British Invasion, scoring 16 top ten hits, while Connie Francis, Ricky Nelson, the Shirelles and other major artists of the early 1960s struggled to reach even the Top 30.

In 1965, Vinton continued his "Lonely" success streak with the self written "L-O-N-E-L-Y". "Long Lonely Nights" peaked at #12 and spawned an album, Bobby Vinton Sings for Lonely Nights. Vinton's self written 1966 hit, "Coming Home Soldier", was a favorite on request shows on the American Forces Network during the Cold War and Vietnam era, often called in by soldiers about to board the Freedom Bird that would take them back to the "Land of the Round Doorknobs". 1967 saw Vinton's lush remake of "Please Love Me Forever" reach #6 and sell over a million copies. His 1968 hit, "I Love How You Love Me", surged to #9, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record by the RIAA. ^[10]

1970s[link]

In the 1970s, the "Polish Prince" continued to hit the Top 40, notably with "Ev'ry Day of My Life", produced by Jimmy "The Wiz" Wizner and CBS recording engineer Jim Reeves, which peaked at #24 in January, and "Sealed With a Kiss" hitting #19 in June, 1972.^[5] The next year, Epic Records decided to drop Vinton from his contract (despite the notable success of these two hits), claiming that his days of selling records were over. Undeterred, Vinton spent $50,000 of his own money on a self-written song sung partially in Polish: "My Melody of Love". The suggestion for the song came from Vinton's mother.^[2][5] After Vinton was turned down by six major labels, ABC Records bought Vinton's idea, and the result was a multi-million selling single that hit #3 on the Hot 100, #2 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart, and #1 on the AC chart in 1974.^[2][11] A gold album, Melodies of Love, followed as well as more Top 40 pop hits ("Beer Barrel Polka" and "Dick And Jane" in 1975), a successful half-hour variety show The Bobby Vinton Show (which aired from 1975 to 1978), which used "My Melody of Love" as its theme song; ABC Records subsequently released an album of songs performed on the show.^[12] In 1978, CBS TV aired Bobby Vinton's Rock N' Rollers a one hour special that achieved top ratings. Earlier in the decade, he also starred in two John Wayne movies: Big Jake and The Train Robbers.^[1]

Honors and achievements[link]

He owned, and performed at, the Bobby Vinton Blue Velvet Theatre in Branson, Missouri until 2002, when the theater was sold to David King, creator and producer of Spirit of the Dance.^[8][9] Vinton returns to Branson annually for limited engagements at the theater.

Billboard Magazine called Bobby Vinton "the all-time most successful love singer of the 'Rock-Era'". From 1962 through 1972, Vinton had more Billboard #1 hits than any other male vocalist, including Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. In recognition of his recording career, Bobby Vinton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6916 Hollywood Blvd.

Vinton's alma mater, Duquesne University, awarded him an honorary doctorate in music in 1978.^[4][12]

In 2011, Grammy Award winner Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra recorded the “Polish Prince” song 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.”

Personal life[link]

Vinton and his wife, Dolores "Dolly" Dobbins Vinton, have been married since December 17, 1962, and they have five children: Robert, Kristin, Christopher, Jennifer (who later changed her name legally to Hannah after getting married) and Rebecca.^[1][8] His oldest son, Robbie Vinton, played Vinton in the movie Goodfellas (1990).

The Vintons make their home in Englewood, Florida.

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Official website
• Classic bands