before i started this article i really wondered what could be said about “gene vincent” that hadn’t already been said. after some thought it was clear ” gene vincent” wasn’t just a run of the mill performing artist he was different in many ways. gene was from norfolk, va, the biggest navy town in the world, if you think not, take a trip to the seaport town and see for your self, it’s also the most natural sea port in the world. i know i was stationed on the “forrestal” cva-59 which was home ported in norfolk in the 60′s. there were sign’s on the lawns of the norfolk citizen’s ” sailor’s and dog’s stay off the lawn”. norfolk is a long walk from being hollywood or new york. it’s not tupelo or ferriday or belmont, texas, nothing like pensacola, or readers digest n.m. it’s a navy town and about as exciting as getting up on monday morning going to work. i got up in norfolk a few monday mornings just loving the navy and norfolk. all you can see is gray ships and thousands of sailors not a happy sight or a sailors delight. such was the home town of one of rock a billy’s biggest stars, gene vincent. he also was in the navy in norfolk doing his obligation like the rest of us. gene served in the 50′s and i doubt if he liked it any better than those of us who were there in the 60′s. he probably liked it even less than the rest of us considering the fact he had an accident on a motorcycle while delivering navy paper work around the base. the accident ended gene’s navy career and gave him mountains of serious trouble for the rest of his life. he had several operations on his leg which didn’t get rid of the constant pain he lived with his entire adult life. i would have hoped the the navy and the veterans adminstration would have given gene disability payments for the rest of his life, if all the facts are correct he was certainly entitled to that compensation. the last years of his life show no record that he got any help from the va if he in fact was completely broke when he passed away. if so that in itself is sad. gene had many talents and one of those was his ability to perform and he had a beautiful singing voice probably the best of all the 50′s rock or rock a billy performers. gene had a band called the blue caps in the begining they were dickie harrell on drums. dickie is probably the best drummer of all the 50′s rock a billy bands, listen to those ole capital recording’s and you’ll know why. cliff gallop on electric guitar no one was better at his craft than cliff gallop those riffs he played on gene’s recordings are absolute gems of guitar work. cliff gallop’s guitar work cannot be duplicated he set the standard and it stills stands today as the best guitar work of any guitarist playing rock billy in the 50′s. the blue caps were rounded out with wee willie williams on rhythm guitar, and jack neal on stand up bass. it was the best rock a billy band ever assemblied. no one had a better band than gene vincent. the songs gene recorded were and are “classics” gene vincent made the purest rock a billy songs ever recorded. gene was friends with eddie cochran and eddie helped gene with the production of some gene’s hit recordings. eddie cochran was a master record producer at the tender age of 21. eddie had the magic touch and gladly shared it with gene. the blue caps would change personnel many times during gene’s stay with capital records. gene had many hits on capital who never understood gene or his talent and that was very “stupid” of capital who had an artist that was equal to “elvis” they gave gene no support what so ever during his run of hit after hit on capital. gene vincent had the worst mangement known to mankind during his performing years. he was cheated, lied to, and totally mismanaged all his entertainment career. when eddie cochran was killed in a car accident in england in the 60′s gene was never the same. they were on a tour together riding in the same car when the accident occured. eddie was thrown from the car and killed. gene reinjured his already crippled leg and never recovered from it. gene lived in england for several years married a english girl and when the marrage failed he returned to the usa. he tried to get his singing career going again but it wasn’t to be. by the 70′s gene’s hit recording’s of the 50′s were far in his past, gene was tired run down depressed and forgotton (so he thought) playing in small smokey filled bars in los angeles gene had all but given up. ronnie weisner a big fan of gene’s found him and gave gene the needed inspiration to do some recording. ronnie was a big help to gene however time had all but run out due to years of drinking and not taking better care of himself and acute depression and bleeding ulcers gene died on oct 12th 1971 in newhall, ca. gene vincent could have been a bigger country star than conway twitty (we’ll never know). gene died never knowing what a big rock a billy entertainer he was. today he would be booked all over the world. had he lived he would have become a millionare. gene vincent a great talent the best rock a billy artist of the 50′s. one things for sure, gene vincent was the biggest rock star the navy ever had. i have not attempted to cover the life of “gene vincent” in this article, i wanted to share with you some things about gene vincent that possibly kept him from being the greatest rock star ever and things that could have caused him to pass away at such an early age. by all means get the cd’s that the rock a billy hall of fame has to offer on gene vincent and you’ll be listening to the best rock a billy your ears will ever hear. i encourage you check out the rbhof for more on the life of gene vincent especially “ronnie weisners” column. also check with bob timmers the curator of the rbhof for books on gene vincent you’ll never regret it.

~ Widmarc Clark