A controversial rapper who enjoyed his heyday in the music field in the early 1990s is coming back to Leesburg.
Robert Matthew Van Winkle, better known to music fans as Vanilla Ice, is scheduled to perform at the upcoming Leesburg Bikefest. He will take to the main Town Square stage as the headliner on opening night, Friday, April 26 as part of the highly popular event known as the “World’s Largest 3 Day Motorcycle and Music Event.”
Vanilla Ice is no stranger to Bikefest, having performed in the event in 2014. He was lauded for spending so much time signing autographs and talking with Bikefest participants that organizers were anxious to bring the 51-year-old performer back to the event’s main stage.
Vanilla Ice shot to stardom in 1990 with the release of “Ice Ice Baby,” which originally was the B side of “Play That Funky Music.” The song propelled him to fame and was the first hip hop single to top the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the charts in several foreign countries, including Australia, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
But the song, which features a chorus from the signature chant of the national African American fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha, also landed him in hot water because of similarities in the music of another song titled “Under Pressure,” by Queen and David Bowie. The issue was settled out of court, with Van Winkle being ordered to pay financial compensation to the original artists. And all members of Queen and Bowie were given songwriting credits.
Van Winkle, a three-time motocross champion, was named the Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop New Artist in the 1991 American Music Awards. He won a People’s Choice Award for “Ice Ice Baby” in 1991 and a Golden Raspberry Award as Worst New Star in 1992.
Van Winkle also has appeared in a variety of television shows, including “Brother Vs. Brother” and “Dancing with the Stars.” He currently can be seen on the DIY Network in “The Vanilla Ice Project,” a show that started in 2010 and features Van Winkle and his crew renovating and flipping high-dollar homes in the Palm Beach area. The show has been honored with a Telly Award, the Factual Entertainment Award and Hermes Platinum Press Award. And the first season was selected as a finalist for the Cable Fax Awards.
Vanilla Ice is the second big name announced for the Bikefest event. Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil is scheduled to perform as the headliner on Saturday, April 27 from 10 to 11:30 p.m. He’ll be singing Motley Crue’s biggest hits in a show that’s sure to bring in rock and roll fans from across the Sunshine State.
The headliner for Sunday’s Bikefest show is expected to be announced soon. The three-day event will cover 30 blocks in downtown Leesburg with more than 55 concerts, 200-plus vendors, six hot-body contests, bike and stunt shows and eight venues.
