He was born in Virginia and moved to Los Angeles and England. While in the U.S. Navy, he heard his one-hit wonder: Gene Vincent, according to history-of-rock.com.

Vincent Eugene Craddock from Norfolk, Virginia moved to Muden Point with his family. Vincent began playing the guitar when he was young. He listened to the Grand Ole Opry and gospel music locally from black churches. Vincent also played music on the porch with neighborhood musicians.

Vincent's father signed papers for him to join the U.S. Navy at 17 in 1952. While in the service, Vincent was in the hospital after being involved in a motorcycle accident. His leg was in a brace due to the shattered shinbone that did not heal properly and would act up throughout his career. Vincent paid a fellow patient, Don Graves, for his song "Be-Bop-A-Lula" that he heard him sing.

After the service in Norfolk going by Gene Vincent, he tried to become a country singer. First as a group, it was Gene Craddock and the Virginians, but his manager changed it to Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps. Johnny Meeks, Bill Mack, Paup Peek, Tommy Facenda and Dickie Harrell were the Blue Caps. Four songs recorded but only one hit, "Be-Bop-A-Lula."

Vincent's leg acted up while on tour and he went into a veterans hospital where they put it in a metal cast. He went back on tour and was seen on American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show where he befriended Little Richard and Eddie Cochran.

Vincent began drinking and lost his home. He went to England and toured with Cochran. In 1960, they were involved in an accident that killed Cochran and re injured Vincent's leg. A year later, he went back on tour. Along the way, Vincent recorded some albums but they did not do well.

He returned to California in 1971 when his health began to fail. Vincent was admitted into a New Hall hospital for a bleeding stomach ulcer. He died at 36 in October of 1971.

The Blue Caps went on tour in 1992. Gene Vincent was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

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