music obituaries

R.I.P. Bobby Vee, teen idol of the 1960s

The "Run to Him" singer passed away at 73.

October 24, 2016, 5:56PM By MeTV Staff

There were many teen idols before the Beatles came along, but few were as successful as Bobby Vee. Coming up through the Minneapolis scene, the North Dakota native would end up landing nine songs in the Billboard Top 20.

"Take Good Care Of My Baby" rocketed to the top in September 1961, followed quickly by "Run to Him," which peaked at No. 2 at the close of the year. His other smashes included "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes" (No. 3), "Rubber Ball" (No. 6) and "Devil Or Angel" (No. 6). Vee died early today at the age of 73 after a half-decade bout with Alzheimer's disease.

Vee's career oddly found a break thanks to "the Day the Music Died." Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper were on their way to a gig in Minnesota when their plane went down in 1959. A local act the Shadows, featuring a 15-year-old Vee, was booked to fill the void. The singer took the next step with "Suzie Baby," a sort of response to Holly's "Peggy Sue." Bob Dylan would go on to cover the tune and call Vee "the most meaningful person I've ever been onstage with."

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