Gene Vincent

Gene Vincent
Vincent in 1957
Born
Vincent Eugene Craddock

(1935-02-11)February 11, 1935
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
DiedOctober 12, 1971(1971-10-12) (aged 36)
Newhall, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • guitarist
Spouses
Ruth Ann Hand
​
​
(m. 1956; div. 1956)​
Darlene Hicks
​
​
(m. 1958; div. 1961)​
Margaret Russell
​
​
(m. 1963; div. 1965)​
Jackie Frisco
​
(m. 1966)​
[1]
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1955–1971
Labels
Military service
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Navy
Years of service1952–1955
Rank Seaman
Battles / warsKorean War

Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American rock and roll musician who pioneered the style of rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-a-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly.[2] His chart career was brief, especially in his home country of the US, where he notched three top 40 hits in 1956 and 1957, and never charted in the top 100 again. In the UK, he was a somewhat bigger star, racking up eight top 40 hits from 1956 to 1961.

Vincent was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He is sometimes referred to by his somewhat unusual nickname/moniker the "Screaming End".[3][4]

  1. ^ "Gene Vincent - Universal Music France". February 7, 2021. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference pc8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Gene Vincent: The hero before The Beatles". faroutmagazine.co.uk. October 12, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Chaddock, Ian. "GENE VINCENT". Vivelerock.net. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.