Music Makers Encyclopedia: V

Click on a letter to choose an act (“S” for Bruce Springsteen, “B” for Beatles, etc.). Shown with the act are its major awards, short bios for select acts (generally adapted from Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories 1890-1954 and Top Pop Singles: Billboard books), and links to albums and songs reviewed by the DMDB.

Steve Vai

Born 6/6/1960. Died

American rock guitarist with David Lee Roth and Whitesnake (89-90).

Ricky Valance

Song(s):
Tell Laura I Love Her (1960)

Ritchie Valens

Rock singer/songwriter born Richard Steven Valenzeula on 5/13/1941 in Pacoima, CA. Killed in a plane crash near Mason City, IA along with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper on 2/3/1959.

Song(s):
La Bamba (1958)
Donna (1958)

Rudy Vallee

Jazz/big band leader born Hubert Prior Vallée on 7/28/1901 in Island Pond, VT. Died 7/3/1986.

Song(s):
Honey (1929)
Stein Song (University of Maine) (& His Connecticut Yankees, 1930)
As Time Goes By (1931)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (1932)
Honey (& His Connecticut Yankees, 1937)

Frankie Valli

Born Francis Stephen Castelluccio 5/3/1934. Died

Pop singer with the 4 Seasons (“Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Walk Like a Man”). Also a solo artist (“My Eyes Adored You”, “Grease”).

Song(s):
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You (1967)

Ross Valory

Rock bassist with Journey (1973-83, 96, 08-) and the Storm (91-92).

Vampire Weekend

Album(s):
Vampire Weekend (2008)
Modern Vampires of the City (2013)

Van & Schenck

Song(s):
For Me and My Gal (1917)
Mandy (1919)
Ain’t We Got Fun? (1921)
Carolina in the Morning (1923)

Egbert Van Alstyne

Walter Van Brunt

Tenor singer born 4/22/1892 in the United States. Died 411/1971.

Song(s):
And the Green Grass Grew All Around (1913)

The Vandellas

- see Martha Reeves & the Vandellas

Van Der Graaf Generator

Album(s):
Pawn Hearts (1971)

Luther Vandross

R&B singer born Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. on 4/20/1951 in New York City, NY. Died 7/1/2005.

Song(s):
Never Too Much (1981)
Power of Love/Love Power (1991)
Dance with My Father (2003)

Album(s):
Never Too Much (1981)

Dick Van Dyke

Song(s):
Put on a Happy Face (from Bye Bye Birdie, cast: with Chita Rivera, 1960; soundtrack: with Janet Leigh, 1963)
Supercalifragilisticexpalidocious (from Mary Poppins, 1965) – see Julie Andrews
Chim Chim Cher-ee (from Mary Poppins, 1965) – see Julie Andrews

Rudy Van Gelder

Vangelis

Song(s):
Chariots of Fire – Titles (1981)

Van Halen

Hard rock group formed in Pasadena, CA (1974-98, 2004-). Members: David Lee Roth (v: 74-85,96,07-), Eddie Van Halen (g), Michael Anthony (b: 74-04), and Alex Van Halen (d), Sammy Hagar (v: 85-96, 04), Gary Cherone (v: 96-98), Wolfgang Van Halen (b: 07-)

Song(s):
Runnin’ with the Devil (1978)
Jump (1984)
Hot for Teacher (1984)
Right Now (1992)

Album(s):
Van Halen (1978)
Van Halen II (1979)
1984 (1984)
A Different Kind of Truth (2012)

Alex Van Halen

Rock drummer with Van Halen.

Eddie Van Halen

Rock guitarist with Van Halen. Born Edward Lodewijk van Halen on 1/26/1957 in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Jimmy Van Heusen

Amy Van Singel

Blues magazine founder.

Townes Van Zandt

Album(s):
Townes Van Zandt (1969)

Vanilla Ice

Song(s):
Ice Ice Baby (1990)

Album(s):
To the Extreme (1990)

The Vapors

Song(s):
Turning Japanese (1980)

Edgard Varese

Classical composer.

Album(s):
Poeme Electronique (1958)

Sarah Vaughan

Jazz singer born Sarah Lois Vaughan on 3/27/1924 in Newark, NJ. Died 4/3/1990. Considered one of the greatest jazz singers of the post-war era. Nicknamed “The Divine One.” Worked with other greats including Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine before going solo in 1945.

Song(s):
S’ Wonderful (1927)
If You Could See Me Now (1946)
Tenderly (1947)

Album(s):
Sarah Vaughan (1954)
The Complete Sarah Vaughan (1954-67)
Live in Japan (live, 1973)

Stevie Ray Vaughan (& Double Trouble)

Blues-rock guitarist and singer born Stephen Ray Vaughan on 10/3/1954 in Dallas, TX. Died 8/27/1990.

Song(s):
Pride and Joy (1983)

Album(s):
Texas Flood (1983)
Couldn’t Stand the Weather (1984)
In Step (1989)

Weston Vaughan

Song(s):
Charmaine! (1927) – see Guy Lombardo

Billy Vaughn

Pop musician born 4/12/1919 in Glasgow, KY. Died 9/26/1991.

Song(s):
Melody of Love (1954)

Eddie Vedder

Grunge-rock singer born Edward Louis Severson III on 12/23/1964 in Evanston, IL. With Pearl Jam (1991-). Also in one-time project Temple of the Dog (1990-91).

Album(s):
Into the Wild (soundtrack, 2007)
Ukulele Songs (2011)

Bobby Vee

Pop singer born Robert Thomas Velline on 4/30/1943 in Fargo, ND. Died 10/24/2016.

Velvet Revolver

Rock supergroup (2004-08) featuring Scott Weiland (v) with Guns N’ Roses alums Slash (g), Duff McKagan (b), and Matt Sorum (d), as well as Dave Kushner (rhythm g) from punk band Wasted Youth.

Velvet Underground

One of the most influential rock groups of all-time. Considered the predecessor to alternative rock and punk.

Active: 1965-70 Members: Lou Reed (v/g: 65-70; left in August 1970 to pursue a solo career), John Cale (v/b/viola: 65-68; solo), Sterling Morrison (g/, backing vox: 65-70), Maureen Tucker (percussion: 67-69), Nico (v: 67); Doug Yule (b/backing vox – Velvet Underground: 69-70; American Flyer), Billy Yule (d: 70)

Song(s):
Heroin (1967)
White Light/White Heat (1968)
Rock and Roll (1970)

Album(s):
Velvet Underground/Lou Reed: Top 10 Albums
Velvet Underground & Nico (with Nico, 1967)
White Light/White Heat (1967)
The Velvet Underground (1969)
Loaded (1970)

Venom

Album(s):
Black Metal (1982)

The Ventures

Song(s):
Walk Don’t Run (1960)

Billy Vera

Giuseppe Verdi

Classical composer born Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi on 10/10/1813 in Le Roncole, Italy. Died 6/27/1901.

Album(s):
Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar) (opera: 1842)
Rigoletto: La Donna È Mobile (opera: 1851)
La Traviata (The Woman) (opera: 1853)
Il Trovatore (The Troubador) (opera: 1853)
Don Carlos (opera: 1867)
Aida (opera: 1871)
Requiem Mass (Messa Da Requiem) (1874)
Otello (opera: 1887)
Falstaff (opera: 1893)

Ben Vereen

Song(s):
Superstar (from Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971)

Tom Verlaine

Vertical Horizon

Song(s):
Everything You Want (1999)

The Verve

Song(s):
Bittersweet Symphony (1997)
The Drugs Don’t Work (1997)

Album(s):
A Northern Soul (1995)
Urban Hymns (1997)

V.I.C.

Song(s):
Wobble (2012)

Sid Vicious

Bassist with the Sex Pistols.

Victor Light Orchestra Co.

Song(s):
The Yama Yama Man (with Ada Jones, 1909)

Victor Military Band

Song(s):
The Memphis Blues (1914)
Poor Butterfly (1917)

Victor Orchestra

Song(s):
The Glow-Worm (1908)
Cuddle Up a Little Closer, Lovey Mine (1908)

Victor Symphony Orchestra

Song(s):
An American in Paris (1929) – see George Gershwin

Butch Vig

Producer for Garbage and Nirvana born Bryan David Vig on 8/2/1955 in Voroqua, WI.

Heitor Villa

Song(s):
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 – Aria (with Bidu Sayao, 1945)

Village People

Song(s):
Y.M.C.A. (1978)
Macho Man (1978)

Album(s):
Can’t Stop the Music (1980)

Gene Vincent

Early rock and roll singer born Vincent Eugene Craddock on 2/11/1935 in Norfolk, VA. Died 10/12/1971.

Song(s):
Be-Bop-A-Lula (& His Blue Caps, 1956)

The Vines

Album(s):
Highly Evolved (2002)

Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson

Bobby Vinton

Pop singer (“Blue Velvet”) born Stanley Robert Vinton, Jr. on 4/16/1935 in Canonsburg, PA.

Violent Femmes

Song(s):
Blister in the Sun (1983)
Add It Up (1983)

Album(s):
Violent Femmes (1983)

Tony Visconti

Producer born Anthony Edward Visconti on 4/2/1944 in Brooklyn, NY. Worked with David Bowie, Marc Bolan, and Talking Heads.

Antonio Vivaldi

Classical composer born 3/4/1678 in Venice, Italy. Died 7/28/1741.

Album(s):
The Four Seasons (1725)

Carlos Vives

Song(s):
La Bicicleta (with Shakira, 2016)

Herbert Von Karajan

Albert Von Tilzer

Harry Von Tilzer

Songwriter and vaudevillian performer born Aaron Gumbinsky on 7/8/1872 in Detroit, Michigan. Also known as Harry Gumm. Died on 1/10/1946.

Song(s):
Top 30 Songs
A Bird in a Gilded Cage (1900) – see Steve Porter
On a Sunday Afternoon (1902) – see J.W. Myers
Down Where the Wurzburger Flows (1902) – see Arthur Collins
Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1906) – see Byron G. Harlan
I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad (1911) – see Peerless Quartet

Carl Maria von Weber

Album(s):
Der Freishchutz (The Marksman) (opera: 1821)

Voss’ 1st Regiment Band

Song(s):
One Minute Too Late (1891)

Click on a letter to choose a recording act (“S” for Bruce Springsteen, “B” for Beatles, etc.). Shown with the act are its major awards, short bios for select acts (generally adapted from Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories 1890-1954 and Top Pop Singles: Billboard books), and links to albums and songs reviewed by the DMDB.