Editing Gene Vincent (section)

===Biggest hits===
[[File:Woman Love - Be-Bop-a-Lula ad - Cash Box 1956.jpg|thumb|Advertisement featured in ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' magazine, June 2, 1956]] 
In 1956 he wrote "[[Be-Bop-a-Lula]]", which drew comparisons to [[Elvis Presley]]<ref name=pc8>{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19756/m1|title=Show 8 – The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the Rock-a-Billies. [Part 2] |show=8}} Track 3.</ref> and which ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine later listed as number 103 on its [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|"500 Greatest Songs of All Time"]].<ref name=rs>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/gene-vincent-and-his-blue-caps-be-bop-a-lula-20110526|title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=2008-04-10|date=December 9, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622142703/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/2|archive-date=June 22, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Local radio DJ "Sheriff Tex" Davis arranged for a demo of the song to be made, and this secured Vincent a contract with [[Capitol Records]].<ref name="Larkin"/> He signed a publishing contract with [[Bill Lowery (record producer)|Bill Lowery]] of the Lowery Group of music publishers in Atlanta, Georgia. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" was not on Vincent's first album and was picked by Capitol producer [[Ken Nelson (United States record producer)|Ken Nelson]] as the B-side of his first single, "Woman Love". Prior to the release of the single, Lowery pressed promotional copies of "Be-Bop-a-Lula" and sent them to radio stations throughout the country. By the time Capitol released the single, "Be-Bop-a-Lula" had already gained attention from the public and radio DJs. The song was picked up and played by other U.S. radio stations (obscuring the original A-side song) and became a hit, peaking at number 7 and spending 20 weeks on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' pop chart{{sfn|Henderson|2005|p=152}} and reaching number 5 and spending 17 weeks on the ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' chart,<ref>{{cite web|date=|title=Cash Box Country Singles 11/03/56|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives-c/50s_files/19561103C.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210311111104/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives-c/50s_files/19561103C.html|archive-date=March 11, 2021|website=CASHBOX Magazine|access-date=March 11, 2021}}</ref> and launching Vincent's career as a rock-and-roll star.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bronson|first=Fred|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/32014167|title=Billboard's hottest hot 100 hits|date=1995|publisher=Billboard Books|isbn=0-8230-7646-6|edition=|location=New York|pages=253|oclc=32014167}}</ref>

After "Be-Bop-a-Lula" became a hit, Vincent and His Blue Caps were unable to follow it up with the same level of commercial success, although they released critically acclaimed songs like "Race with the Devil" (number 96 on the ''Billboard'' chart and number 50 on the ''Cash Box'' chart) and "[[Bluejean Bop]]" (number 49 on the ''Billboard'' chart and another million-selling disc).<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/>

Cliff Gallup left the band in 1956, and Russell Williford joined as the new guitarist for the Blue Caps. Williford played and toured Canada with Vincent in late 1956 but left the group in early 1957. Gallup came back to do the next album and then left again. Williford came back and exited again before Johnny Meeks joined the band.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dregni|first=Michael|date=2019-04-22|title=Cliff Gallup|url=https://www.vintageguitar.com/32416/cliff-gallup/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210303103647/https://www.vintageguitar.com/32416/cliff-gallup/|archive-date=March 3, 2021|website=Vintage Guitar® magazine|access-date=March 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Carey|first=Kevin|date=2009-02-01|title=Russell Williford. The Best Known, Unknown Blue Cap|url=http://tims.blackcat.nl/messages/russell_williford.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210303111507/http://tims.blackcat.nl/messages/russell_williford.htm|archive-date=March 3, 2021|access-date=March 3, 2021}}</ref> The group had another hit in 1957 with "[[Lotta Lovin']]{{-"}} (highest position number 13 and spending 19 weeks on the ''Billboard'' chart and number 17 and 17 weeks on the ''Cashbox'' chart). Vincent was awarded gold records for two million sales of "Be-Bop-a-Lula",<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book
| first= Joseph
| last= Murrells
| year= 1978
| title= The Book of Golden Discs
| edition= 2nd
| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins
| location= London
| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/87 87]
| isbn= 0-214-20512-6
| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/87
}}</ref> and 1.5&nbsp;million sales of "Lotta Lovin{{'"}}.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} The same year he toured the east coast of Australia with [[Little Richard]] and [[Eddie Cochran]], drawing audiences totaling 72,000 to their Sydney Stadium concerts. Vincent also made an appearance in the film ''[[The Girl Can't Help It]]'', with [[Jayne Mansfield]], performing "Be-Bop-a-Lula" with the Blue Caps in a rehearsal room.<ref name="Larkin"/> "Dance to the Bop" was released by Capitol Records on October 28, 1957.<ref name="rcs-discography1">[http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/v/vinc5000.htm "Vincent, Gene"]. ''RCS Discography''. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326065652/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/v/vinc5000.htm|date=March 26, 2010}}</ref> On November 17, 1957, Vincent and His Blue Caps performed the song on the nationally broadcast television program ''The Ed Sullivan Show''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/the-ed-sullivan-show/gene-vincent-andamp-the-blue-caps---georgia-gibbs---carol-burnett/episode/111360/summary.html|title=The Ed Sullivan Show, Season 10, Episode 8, November 17, 1957: Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps, Georgia Gibbs, Carol Burnett, Johnny Carson|website=TV.com|access-date=2014-04-24|archive-date=February 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216074103/http://www.tv.com/the-ed-sullivan-show/gene-vincent-andamp-the-blue-caps---georgia-gibbs---carol-burnett/episode/111360/summary.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The song spent nine weeks on the ''Billboard'' chart and peaked at number 23 on January 23, 1958, and reached number 36 and spent eight weeks on the ''Cashbox'' chart. It was Vincent's last American hit single.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thevideobeat.com/rock-roll-movies/hot-rod-gang-1958.html|title=HOT ROD GANG DVD Movie – 1958 Movie on DVD! – Gene Vincent Movie Hot Rods – Hot Rod Gang|publisher=Thevideobeat.com|access-date=2014-04-24}}</ref> The song was used in the movie ''Hot Rod Gang'' for a dance rehearsal scene featuring dancers doing the [[West Coast Swing]].<ref name="rcs-discography1"/>

Vincent and His Blue Caps also appeared several times on ''[[Town Hall Party]]'', California's largest country music barn dance, held at the Town Hall in Compton, California.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hillbilly-Music.com |url=http://www.hillbilly-music.com/programs/story/index.php?prog=170 |title=Town Hall Party|publisher=hillbilly-music.com |access-date=2012-04-29}}</ref> They appeared on October 25, 1958, and July 25 and November 7, 1959.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808469645/details |title=Gene Vincent – At Town Hall Party Production Details|work=Yahoo! Movies|access-date=2012-04-29}}</ref> However, by the end of 1959 the Blue Caps were no longer part of the billing on Gene Vincent records. The late 1959 single "Wild Cat" was credited solely to Gene Vincent, and this would be the case on all subsequent Gene Vincent releases.