Bocky

Who was Bocky?

Bocky was the name used by Robert J. DiPasquale, lead singer of Bocky and the Visions, arguably Cleveland, Ohio's most popular pre-British Invasion rock and roll band. Bocky and the Visions had several regional hits in the early 1960s, most notably "I'm Not Worth It", a cover of James Brown's "I Go Crazy" and "Spirit of '64".

Born in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood in 1941, DiPasquale began his musical career in the 1950s with a doo-wop band called simply The Visions. The band's manager, Redda Robbins, recognized DiPasquale's talents and changing tastes in music. She repackaged DiPasquale as the front man for a rock and roll band.

Bocky and the Visions opened concerts for some of the biggest names in music during the early-mid-1960s including Lesley Gore, The Animals, the Rolling Stones and the Dave Clark Five. After Bocky and the Visions' popularity waned DiPasquale fronted a band called Little Caesar and the Empire in Cleveland. His last musical endeavors were as a vocalist with a psychedelic band called Wazoo.

DiPasquale was the victim of an unsolved homicide in February 1988. His body was discovered in East Cleveland, Ohio.