Bobby Vee and sons are mighty popular Down Under
FROM a young age, 60s legend Bobby Vee knew he had rock 'n' roll in his blood.
A member of his school band, Vee was tired of performing old standards and long wished for the band to cover the songs which he had grown to love.
'I played saxophone in the high school band but I wanted to rock out,' Vee said.
'We were playing all the standard band pieces and I wanted to do Yakety Yak.'
After his older brother Bill purchased his first guitar, Vee knew he wanted to do the same and saved up money from a paper route to buy his own.
No sooner had Vee picked up the guitar that he found himself attending local music shows and learning the skills that would eventually see him become a superstar.
'We used to go to all the country music shows that came through the area and then would come home after and do our own version of the show in the living room of our small home in Fargo.'
So began the career of Vee, who continued to hone his skills with his brother in a band known as The Shadows. In 1959, Vee's fate was sealed when Buddy Holly was tragically killed in a plane crash during a major tour of the US.
But rather than cancelling the tour, promoters decided the show must go on and the search began to uncover the next big thing to replace Holly.
Although only 15 years old, Vee stepped on stage and began an illustrious career that would see 38 of his tracks chart in the Billboard Top 100.
Now 43 years later and Vee is still the star that he was all those years ago and he continues to travel the world performing for his faithful legion of fans.
Performing what can only be described as a piece of musical history, Vee will perform at Wests Leagues Club on May 31.
Vee is remembered for his many hits including his first major breakthrough song Devil or Angel which became a top 10 hit in 1960.
But it was the Gene Pitney produced classic Rubber Ball that has left the name Bobby Vee etched in the mind of millions.
Other hits for Vee included More Than I Can Say and the Carole King track song Take Good Care of My Baby, which sat at number one on the US charts for three weeks.
Vee's return to Australia is sure to be as big as his last in 1998 which was a sell out.
During the current tour, Bobby Vee will be joined on stage by The Vees. The Vees consist of three of Vees' sons Jeff, Tom and Robb and pianist Jeff Olsen. The group has been together for nearly two decades and has performed throughout the US and Europe alongside Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Bo Diddley. Tickets to Bobby Vee and The Vees are available from Wests on 4935-1200.
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