Bobby Vee, ’60s Pop Icon, Dead at 73

Early-1960s teen-pop idol Bobby Vee died Monday of complications from advanced Alzheimer’s disease, his son confirmed. He was 73 years old. Vee was perhaps best known for his 1961 hit “Take Good Care of My Baby,” written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, which highlighted a career full of pop hits, including 10 that reached the Top 20 on the Billboard charts. His other classics included “Rubber Ball,” “Run to Him,” and “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.” Born in Fargo, North Dakota, Vee broke out in 1959 as a 15-year-old upstart when he took the stage in Moorhead, Minnesota, as a fill-in act for rock ’n’ roll pioneers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and JP “The Big Bopper” Richardson, who had all just died in their infamous plane crash. Vee was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011 and performed his final concert that same year.