Born Stanley Robert Vintula, Jr. in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh), he was the son of a locally popular band leader, Stan Vinton (Stanley Vintula, Sr.). At 16, Bobby formed his first band, which played clubs around the Pittsburgh area. With the money he earned, Bobby helped finance his college education at Duquesne University, where he studied music and graduated with a degree in musical composition. While at Duquesne, he became proficient on all of the instruments in the band: piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums and oboe.

After a brief spell in the US Army, Bobby was signed to Epic records in 1960 as a bandleader: "A Young Man With A Big Band." Two albums and several singles were not successful however, and with Epic ready to pull the plug, Vinton found his first hit single literally sitting in a reject pile. The song was titled "Roses are Red (My Love)." It spent three weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Arguably his most famous song is 1963's "Blue Velvet" that also went to No.1. In 1964, Vinton had two No.1 hits, "There! I've Said It Again" and "Mr. Lonely", the latter now being the basis for Akon's hit "Lonely."

In the 1970s the "Polish Prince" continued to hit the top forty, notably with "Evr'y Day of My Life" and "Sealed With a Kiss" in 1972. That same year Epic Records decided to end its relationship with the man who had built the company with his hits and ended Vinton's recording contract. Undeterred, Vinton spent $50,000 of his own money on a self-written song sung partially in Polish , "My Melody of Love." After Vinton was turned down by 7 major labels, ABC Records bought Vinton's idea, and the result was a multi-million selling single that hit number 1 on the AC charts in 1974. A Gold Album "Melodies of Love" followed as well as a successful half-hour variety show "The Bobby Vinton Show" that aired from 1975 to 1978. He also starred in two John Wayne movies: "Big Jake" and "The Train Robbers."

In the course of his career, Vinton has sold over 75 million records and is still performing on tour and at the Bobby Vinton Blue Velvet Theatre in Branson, Missouri.

Billboard Magazine called Bobby Vinton "the all-time most successful love singer of the 'Rock-Era'". During the first ten years of rock and roll's existence, Vinton had more #1 hits than any other male vocalist, including Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.

In recognition of his recording career, Bobby Vinton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6916 Hollywood Blvd.

Vinton has been married since December 17, 1962 to his wife, Dolly, and they have five children--three daughters and two sons. His son, Robbie Vinton, played Vinton in the movie Goodfellas (1990).