It's the late, great Gene "Be-Bop-A-Lula" Vincent's birthday today! He would've turned 81. The trailblazing rock 'n' roller was an influence on so many—the Beatles, Dylan, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, Bowie, the Doors, Ramones, and the list goes on and on. That singular voice, that rebellious attitude endure...
It's also the book birthday of Race with the Devil: The Gene Vincent Story, the updated, revised ebook edition of my 2000 Vincent biography! Featuring new information, interviews, and photos, it remains the most comprehensive survey ever written of Vincent's groundbreaking career and turbulent personal life. Diehard Vincent fans and newbies to the rock 'n' roll legend alike should definitely check it out, as well as the book's website, which features additional photos, links, and more.
As John Fogerty, inducting Vincent into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said after singing an a cappella verse of "Be-Bop-A-Lula," "It doesn't get much better than that. I do believe that this record is probably one of the greatest records ever made. That voice, man—Gene Vincent. The sound of Cliff Gallup's guitar, the drummer screaming in the background—it's what we call attitude. Gene's image was loud, self-assured, and greasy. And what better way to talk about rock 'n' roll."
What better way, indeed...
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