1960s vocal pop crooner Bobby Vinton didn't mean to become the giant solo act he was. In fact, Vinton would have been pleased to lead a big band group when he started out in the music industry, but his booming voice and sweet ballads quickly changed the forecast for the young star, and he ended up in fair competition with the Beatles while many other pop acts at the time withered slowly away with the emergence of the British heartthrobs.

A Canonsburg, Pennsylvania native and the son of a popular local band leader, Vinton formed his first band when he was 16. After graduating with a degree in Musical Composition from Duquesne University (and gaining proficiency in piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums and oboe) Vinton joined the Army for a short while, thereafter pursuing a singing career. Becoming instantly successful with "Roses are Red (My Love)" in 1962, Vinton went on to have one of his most successful years in 1963 when he released the hit songs "Blue on Blue," "Blue Velvet" and "There! I've Said It Again." Competing with the Beatles, Vinton held his own and produced the number one hit "Mr. Lonely" in 1964. The inspiration for "Mr. Lonely" came out of Vinton's stint in the Army, and although the song was his last number one hit, it didn't stop the soothing balladeer from pumping out more Top 40 songs throughout the rest of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Making a comeback on the pop charts in 1974 with the hit song "Melody of Love," a ballad sung partly in Polish, Vinton continued to rock the entertainment industry with a few more hit songs, a television series and numerous cabaret gigs. The vocal pop survivor still headlines shows in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, making cameos across the globe with live performances.