"Take Good Care of My Baby" singer Bobby Vee died 73 last Monday with his advanced Alzheimer's disease. The famous pop star had his break in the music industry in the 1960s.
Born in Robert Velline in Fargo, North Dakota, Vee had a most remembered start of the career. At 15, Vee and his newbie band took the Minnesota stage to fill in rock 'n roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson after a saddening plane crash that killed the three stars.
Vee in 1999 interview with The Associated Press said "I didn't have any fear right then," Vee recalled in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press. "The fear didn't hit me until the spotlight came on, and then I was just shattered by it. I didn't think that I'd be able to sing. If I opened my mouth, I wasn't sure anything would come out."
A month after the debut, Vee and his band who has finally had their official name as "The Shadows" recorded their first song "Suzie Baby" for Soma Records in Minneapolis, that gave the band a big hit.
The band then continued to make more hits from 1959 to 1970, getting to the top of charts in 1961 with the Carole King-Gerry Goffin song, 'Take Good Care of My Baby'.
In 2000's, Vee continued to shine and had a steady fame. But in early 2011, Vee started to have trouble memorizing lyrics on his performances; the star was then diagnosed to have Alzheimer's disease.
Vee's family confessed that the singer's memory was not really affected by the disease, but his speech did. In an interview in 2013 with Associated Press, the singer still can answer questions but have had difficulties in speaking the words. The singer, however, tried unconventional medicines to fight the disease and his passion in painting really helped.
Vee once asked if he would be given a chance to be normal again he said that he is "not going to cry about it."
"God brought me home," he said. "And that's the deal."
