Gene Vincent singing one of his sexually charged songs -- "Be-Bop-a-Lula." No wonder Gene Vincent's on John Lennon's jukebox -- the unruly rockabilly from Norfolk, Virginia was always better-loved in Britain than in the United States. His sexually charged songs, like "Be Bop a Lula" and "Woman Love," were too hot for many American radio stations, but his incredible backing group, the Blue Caps, rivaled Elvis Presley's band for sheer skill. Hampered by a bad leg -- he'd broken it in an accident, and it had never really healed right -- Vincent couldn't move like Elvis on stage, either. Young Gene Vincent with his band. Disillusioned with America, he moved to England in 1959, where TV producer Jack Good got the brilliant idea of dressing him in black leather, perfecting his menacing rebel image. He hurt his leg again in 1960 in a car crash that killed American star Eddie Cochran; this second injury led to heavy drinking and addiction to painkillers. Vincent's attempted comeback as a country singer failed. He died in Los Angeles in 1971.