Vincent Eugene Craddock, known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rockabilly and rock and roll.
31 Facts About Gene Vincent
2.
Gene Vincent showed his first real interest in music while his family lived in Munden Point, in Princess Anne County, Virginia, near the North Carolina line, where they ran a country store.
3.
Gene Vincent received his first guitar at the age of twelve as a gift from a friend.
4.
Gene Vincent's parents moved the family to Norfolk, the home of a large naval base, and opened a general store and sailors' tailoring shop.
5.
Gene Vincent never saw combat but completed a Korean War deployment.
6.
Gene Vincent refused to allow the leg to be amputated, and the leg was saved, but the injury left him with a limp and pain.
7.
Gene Vincent wore a steel sheath as a leg brace for the rest of his life.
8.
Gene Vincent spent time in the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and was medically discharged from the navy shortly thereafter.
9.
Gene Vincent collaborated with another rising musician, Jay Chevalier of Rapides Parish, Louisiana.
10.
Gene Vincent signed a publishing contract with Bill Lowery of the Lowery Group of music publishers in Atlanta, Georgia.
11.
Gene Vincent made an appearance in the film The Girl Can't Help It, with Jayne Mansfield, performing "Be-Bop-a-Lula" with the Blue Caps in a rehearsal room.
12.
On December 15,1959, Gene Vincent appeared on Jack Good's TV show, Boy Meets Girl, his first appearance in England.
13.
Gene Vincent wore black leather, gloves, and a medallion, and stood in a hunched posture.
14.
Gene Vincent broke his ribs and collarbone and further damaged his weakened leg.
15.
In 1962 Gene Vincent was on the same bill as the Beatles in Hamburg; Paul McCartney recalled an incident with a pistol at Gene Vincent's girlfriend's hotel.
16.
In 1963 Gene Vincent appeared in court for pointing a gun at his then wife Margaret Russell and threatening to kill her, though his wife said in court that she had forgiven him.
17.
Gene Vincent's accompanying band, Sounds Incorporated, a six-piece outfit with three saxophones, guitar, bass and drums, went on to play with the Beatles at their Shea Stadium concert.
18.
Gene Vincent toured the UK again in 1963 with the Outlaws, featuring future Deep Purple guitar player Ritchie Blackmore, as a backing band.
19.
In 1968 in a hotel in Germany, Gene Vincent tried to shoot Paul Raven, later to find fame as Gary Glitter.
20.
Gene Vincent fired several shots but missed and a frightened Raven left the country the next day.
21.
Gene Vincent recorded two other albums for Kama Sutra Records, reissued on one CD by Rev-Ola in March 2008.
22.
Gene Vincent was backed by Richard Cole and Kansas Hook.
23.
Gene Vincent then returned to the US and died a few days later.
24.
Gene Vincent died at the age of 36 on October 12,1971, from a combination of a ruptured ulcer, internal hemorrhage and heart failure, while visiting his father in Saugus, California.
25.
Gene Vincent is interred at Eternal Valley Memorial Park, in Newhall, California.
26.
Vincent is mentioned in one of Ian Dury's earliest songs, "Upminster Kid", with the words "Well Gene Vincent Craddock remembered the love of an Upminster rock 'n' roll teen".
27.
Gene Vincent wrote the lyrics after spending six weeks of research on Vincent, which included reading two biographies.
28.
Gene Vincent was the first inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame upon its formation in 1997.
29.
Gene Vincent has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1749 North Vine Street.
30.
On Tuesday, September 23,2003, Gene Vincent was honored with a Norfolk's Legends of Music Walk of Fame bronze star embedded in the Granby Street sidewalk.
31.
Gene Vincent was played by Carl Barat in the 2009 film Telstar.