Gene Vincent

With Be‐Bop‐A‐Lula, recorded on May 4, 1956, the artist ‐ born in Virginia in 1935 ‐ became an immortal rockabilly idol on both sides of the Atlantic.

Gene Vincent belongs to the elite circle of the greatest and most influential musicians of his era. His appearance in the film 'The Girl Can't Help It' made him known beyond the hard core of rockabilly fans to a wider audience. When, after several successes, his star began to wane in the U.S., he toured Europe several times starting in 1959, delighting audiences in Great Britain in particular. He became a revered idol for the Teddy Boy movement that emerged in the early 1950s in the UK! Gene Vincent died on October 12, 1971 at the young age of 36, apparently as a result of years of alcohol consumption and drug abuse. Posthumously, he was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. With his death, the music world lost one of the great stars of his era. Half a century has passed since his death, but his fans still worship him like an ambassador from the Olympus of Rock & Roll. Bear Family would like to commemorate a pioneering rockabilly musician with this LP/CD combination. Stefan Kohne and Nico Feuerbach have selected eleven of his best rockers plus the sensitive ballad I Sure Miss You ‐ which was also the foundation for the album title ‐ for the vinyl album. The jam‐packed CD contains 22 more highlights, including rare live recordings from the fifties and songs by Blue Caps members Cliff Gallup, Dickie Harrell and Johnny Meeks, among others. The large‐format and illustrated booklet contains extensive liner notes by Marc Mittelacher. Bear Family Records presents an LP/CD combination in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the passing of the great Gene Vincent, 'The Cat Man'! In his time, he influenced the international, and especially the British, music scene like no other. Between 1956 and 1961, eight of his songs entered the British Top 40! For the Teddy Boy movement he was and remains an idol! For this 10inch LP, Bear Family has compiled eleven of his timeless rockers plus the ballad I Sure Miss You. The bonus CD delivers 22 more highlights from 1956 ‐ 1958, including rare recordings