2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 19
Commemorating the life and legacy of Gene Vincent.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 5, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 9, 2026
WHEREAS, Vincent Eugene Craddock, known internationally by his stage name Gene Vincent, helped reshape the American musical landscape in the 1950s through his contributions to early rock and roll music; and
WHEREAS, Vincent Craddock was born in 1935 to Mary Louise and Ezekiah Jackson Craddock and grew up in Princess Anne County's Munden Point neighborhood, a diverse and culturally mixed community, where his parents ran a general store; and
WHEREAS, at age 12, Vincent Craddock received a guitar from a friend and began to develop his distinctive musical style; he was heavily influenced by country, blues, and gospel music, as well as classical composers such as Beethoven, and he was often mentored by a cherished neighbor, Cleon Hoggard; and
WHEREAS, Vincent Craddock left school at age 17 to enlist in the United States Navy and served as a crew member aboard the USS Chukawan during the Korean War before returning home aboard the USS Wisconsin ; and
WHEREAS, in 1955, after returning to the Commonwealth, Vincent Craddock was critically injured in an automobile crash, which left him with chronic pain and a permanent metal brace in one leg, ultimately leading to his honorable discharge from the United States Navy; and