Bobby Vinton

Forever associated with the song "Blue Velvet," Bobby Vinton was the go-to pop balladeer of choice for the otherwise rock 'n' roll mad teenagers of the 1960s, a time when he actually outsold even Elvis and Sinatra. A classic crooner with a much more conservative style than such veterans as Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, or even Vic Damone, Bobby Vinton's voice contained touches of Roy Orbison's country dreaminess and Johnny Mathis' ethereal adolescent yearning. His biggest hits are still widely heard and include "Roses Are Red (My Love)," "Mr. Lonely," "Blue On Blue," "Melody of Love," "There, I've Said It Again," and the aforementioned "Blue Velvet," which experienced a late 1980s resurgence when it was used as the theme to the David Lynch movie of the same name. Vinton's career survived the coming and going of the Beatles, but things started cooling off in the 1970s -- even with a TV series and a few hits to his credit. A proud Polish American, Bobby Vinton remains a concert draw and performs in his own blue velvet ensconced theatre in Branson, Missouri.