ST. JOSEPH, MN - Bobby Vee's storied music career involved a who's who of rock 'n' roll heroes, including Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan and the Beatles. Even after his own teen-idol fame and Billboard chart success, though, he famously remained a humble, hardworking Midwesterner who settled into a quiet life in St. Joseph, Minn., with his wife of more than 50 years, Karen.

Vee, 73, died Monday of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He had been in hospice care, according to family.

Born Robert Thomas Velline on April 30, 1943, and raised in Fargo, Vee got his big break under tragic circumstances at age 15 in 1959. He and his band, the Shadows, were recruited to fill in for Buddy Holly at the Moorhead stop of the Winter Dance Party tour the night after Holly died in a plane crash outside Clear Lake, Iowa.

Vee's career soon rocketed as he landed 38 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 between 1959-1970, including "Suzie Baby," "Devil or Angel," "Rubber Ball," "Take Good Care of My Baby," "Run To Him" and "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes." (Source: Star-Tribune)

Story Date: October 30, 2016