It has long been the norm to dismiss the “teen music” of the early 1960s with a sneer of condescension but having lived through that period, as an adolescent just discovering girls, I’ll always be grateful to Bobby Vee. He brought kindness to his songs of love and loss, and endorsed gentleness in relationships, not just in the words of songs such as Take Good Care of My Baby but in his tone of voice.
It was a huge treat to see Bobby in person in the All American Solid Gold Rock’n’Roll Show in Woking, Surrey, in 2000, when he commanded the stage with warmth and human generosity, just as I hoped he would.
