You had your chance and you blew it. I was morose. Bobby Rydell and his wife Linda Hoffman married on 17th January 2009, after dating for a year in 2008. The track had a lot going for it: an irresistible hook in its ba-daboom kick drum figure, the roster of city names in the lyric that personalized the song to a lot of fans in a lot of different markets, and thenthere was that flamethrower of a solo from future, In addition, Cameo had a secret weapon in its corner that became the most important factor in breaking not only Kissin Time, but my career, aswell. The drinking got bad and then my health got even worse and I needed the double transplant, liver and kidney, or I would die, Bobby says. [6] It is estimated he sold over 25 million records in total. [18] He had one more hit after 1965, a disco re-recording of "Sway", which reached the Billboard Easy Listening chart in 1976. Also, great news for all rock 'n' roll fans, there's a Malt Shop Memories Cruise originating in Fort Lauderdale from Oct. 27 through Nov. 3, 2012 featuring 19 artists including Dion, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love, The Original Drifters, and The Marvelettes. Bobby Rydell started his ultimate singing career in 1958, but before that, he has performed in talent shows and won in 1950 talent show named Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club. 2. It was great, he says. RELATED: For more celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Philly was all in. "Oh, I mean, what an honor!" A person close to Bobby tells us . Singer, Author, Actor, Teen Idol - Starred in Bye Bye Birdie - Billboard Top 100 - Inspiration for Grease's Rydell High, The Golden Boys member Bobby Rydell | Ambler PA No specific song title is given in The Beatles Anthology, but Bob Spitz writes in The Beatles: The Biography that McCartney originally modeled "She Loves You" on the Rydell "answering song" called "Swingin' School", and not "Forget Him", as is commonly cited. His father was the foreman in a machine shop. Bobby Rydell, a teen idol from the '60s known for songs like "Wild One" and his role as Hugo Peabody in the 1963 film "Bye Bye Birdie," has died, according to a statement released by his. 5 Bye Bye Birdie - We Love You, Conrad (Medley) - Bobby Rydell. It felt safer for everyone and parents didnt worry for their kids. Would you like to joinus? Then he asked me what I was drinking. It's amazing.". [11], Rydell continued to tour for the remainder of his life, often with Frankie Avalon and Fabian Forte, performing under the name "The Golden Boys". It was fitting that his name was chosen for Rydell high school in Grease, the Broadway and later film musical that depicted teenage lives in the early rocknroll days of the late 50s. Did you encounter any technical issues? As the Facebook statement pointed out, at the time, "he became the youngest singer to perform" at the famed establishment. [4], Rydell cancelled a 2012 Australia tour because his health had deteriorated significantly and he was in need of urgent major surgery. The maitre d at the club told me that someone by the name of Louie D wanted to meet me, and that he was someoneI should definitely want to get to know. All I Want Is You, for instance, was basically the same song as Stairway to the Stars, with a different melody. Surprisingly, those first three duds I cut for Cameo didnt faze Bernie and Kal in the least. 7" Single on 45cat: Bobby Rydell - Good Time Baby / Cherie' - Columbia - Denmark - 45-DD 727 : 45worlds 45cat 45spaces. Just as we started to talk, who should come walking outof the kitchen door but Sinatra and a group of his friends. Ive always liked Bobbys music, but I have never been as obsessed with him as many others in my generation were. Books Magazines. My first experience recording for a big labelmight have overwhelmed me, but the three songs we cutPlease Dont Be Mad, All I Want Is You, and a tune penned by Paul Ankawerent particularly exciting. He's in a group with two of his fellow crooners. His successful career earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy car trips. In New York, I had dinner with Louie and two of his associates in Little Italy. Columbia Pictures signed Mr. Rydell to a contract in 1961. I had met Bernie back in 1952, when he was the keyboardist for Paul Whitemans TV Teen Club. I started a stint in the National Guard in 1964 that began with two months of basic training at Fort Dix. He had a nose like a bloodhound when it came to sniffing outa hit, and luckily for me, he caught a strong scent of Kissin Time and gave it his blessing. I have noticed a number of comments about postings on this page. Linda was also there when Bobby needed to recover after all his surgeries. The stories ofFrank Sinatras alleged connections to guys like Sam Giancana and Vito Genovese dogged him throughout his career. From the firstmoment he played the record on his show, the stations switchboard lit up. After cutting a few unsuccessful singles, Rydell signed to Cameo Records, and made his first appearance on the charts with the exuberant Kissin Time (1959). At first, I thought he meant Frankie Day, until I realized he was referring to Sinatra. A Philly Music Legend has passed on. Mr. Rydells romantic voice, cute face and regular-guy personality had girls screaming, but he also had enough adult appeal to be booked at the Copacabana in New York at 19. At age 6, he told his father he wanted to play the drums like Gene Krupa. From then on, everybody just took it for granted: Oh, youre a bigItalian singing star; you must have the Mafia behind you., Hooters Drummer Celebrates Rock and Souls Philly Connection. In his interview with From the Mixed Up Files, he shared a story about his wife discovering some of his old work. [15] Also during that time, Rydell served in the 103rd Engineer Battalion of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Mr. Rydell performing with the City Rhythm Orchestra in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center in Manhattan in 2016. SonicHits. Bobby Rydell was the very definition of talent. Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh were the films stars, but the parts of Hugo and Kim were considerably beefed up in the transition from stage to screen. Bobby Rydell, a teen idol from the '60s known for songs like "Wild One" and his role as Hugo Peabody in the 1963 film "Bye Bye Birdie," has died, according to a statement released by his . [9] A mural on the Wildwood, New Jersey, boardwalk, painted in 2014, honors Rydell, whose song placed the community in the national spotlight. His 1963 song Wildwood Days paid homage to Wildwood, the New Jersey beach town where his grandmother had a boardinghouse and where he spent his early summers; like Philadelphia, Wildwood later held an honorary street-naming for Mr. Rydell. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. Bobby Rydell, a pompadoured heartthrob of early rock 'n roll who was a star of radio, television and the movie musical "Bye Bye Birdie," died Tuesday. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. He continued to tour up until his death in 2022. In 1995, the city of Philadelphia held a ceremony to designate South 11th Street, where he grew up, as Bobby Rydell Boulevard. He also said he was relieved that his voice was still fine after the surgery, because he'd had tubes in his throat, but he was able to start performing again after six months. Its part of the life ofa septuagenarian teen idol who doesnt want the ride to end. Thankfully, Bobby managed to come back, and he even started touring as part of The Golden Boys stage production. Im the kind of guy wholl sing and perform until I die. But FrankieDay and my mother still picked out my clothes, and I was still living with my parents in my grandparents tiny row home. Carmine, the maitre d, came up to me as I was checking my coat and asked if I wanted to sit withFrank. At the same time, Bobby had also developed a serious drinking problem that would almost cost him his life. Six decades later, teamed with his fellow singers Frankie Avalon and Fabian, he was still drawing crowds. It was her birthdayandshe was celebrating at a restaurant on the Delaware River with her sister and some friends. The three are all from South Philadelphia and knew each other as kids. I would have been more than happy with just a quickhand-shake, but Frank smiled at me and said, How ya doin, Robert. Where Is My Love; 27. From left, Fabian, Frankie Avalon and Mr. Rydell in performance in Atlantic City, N.J., in 2006. That was something.. As news of Bobby's death circulated in the press, fans of. He died on April 5 in Abington, Pennsylvania, from pneumonia complications, which were unrelated to Covid-19, aged 79. One of the classic teen idols of the late 1950s and early 60s, Bobby Rydell, who has died from complications of pneumonia aged 79, was only seven when he began performing on stage in his home town of Philadelphia. In the 2000 book The Beatles Anthology, Paul McCartney was quoted as saying that he and John Lennon based She Loves You on a Bobby Rydell song. Bobby Rydell, 1960s teen idol and star of the 1963 film "Bye Bye Birdie," has died at the age of 79. (And why not? The song was released in mid-June. So Rare; 30. After three years on the show, he branched out into performing with local bands, including Rocco and the Saints in which a fellow Philadelphian, Frankie Avalon, played the trumpet and changed his name to Rydell. I had the good fortune to spend my peak years as a recording artist during the golden age of the TV variety show, he wrote in his autobiography, Bobby Rydell: Teen Idol on the Rocks A Tale of Second Chances (2016). Hopefully they'll release it soon, as well as another Brook Benton which contains the missing tracks from the years they've done, the complete Sam Cooke, and Bobby Vinton complete Epic . It was here that his name was Anglicised to Bobby Rydell. There is also a mural of Rydell on the boardwalk of Wildwood, New Jersey, the beach resort that inspired his 1963 hit Wildwood Days. Spend $75 for Free Shipping * Order by Phone 1-800-336-4627 Your . The three are all from South Philadelphia and knew each other as kids. The singer is still performing today with two other retro stars. But if any of us Italiancrooners wanted to distance ourselvesfrom the image of a mob-backed Italian singer, it became almost impossible after my fellow SouthPhiladelphian, Al Martino, played Johnny Fontane in The Godfather.