I sang the hell out of that tune, but the records success wasnt all because of me., Louie looked me right inthe eyes, firmly shook my hand and said, I dont know what it is about you kid, but I love you.. The famous rock musical Grease was set in the fictional Rydell High . [4], Rydell played in several bands in the Philadelphia area, including Rocco and the Saints, in which he sang and played drums. Rydellsinging to fans, not long after Robert L. Ridarelli, a low- ranking soldier with a crew cut making $85a month. It reached No. 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. (Some sources say the song was Forget Him, which is somewhat similar lyrically to She Loves You.). Leopold Stokowski, Dizzy Gillespie and Bobby Rydell, he mused. ), He also recalled that in 1963, in England, the Beatles climbed onto his tour bus to meet him. He and Kal had gotten off to aflying start penning Teddy Bear for ElvisPresley, and then landing a No. 312 talking about this. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb, "We started that show in 1985, and it was a tremendous success," Rydell told From the Mixed Up Files in 2020. We'd planned an "answering song" where a couple of us would sing "she loves you" and the other ones would answer "yeah yeah". [8], In 1963, Rydell released the song "Wildwood Days," which reached Number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for nine weeks. 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. His most well-known songs include "Wildwood Days," "Wild One" and "Volare" (cover of an Italian song by Domenico Modugno, "Nel blu, dipinto di blu"); in 1963 he appeared in the musical film Bye Bye Birdie.[2]. His first move was to buy me a $525, state-of-the-art, black oyster-pearl Ludwig drum setfrom Eighth Street Music. When he was nine, young Robert won a spot on the television show Paul Whitemans TV Teen Club and became a regular cast member. Books Magazines. I barged in wearing my fatigues andcombatboots. [7], Rydell's success and prospects led his father, Adrio, a foreman at the Electro-Nite Carbon Company in Philadelphia, to resign in 1961 after 22 years to become his son's road manager. Rydell recalled how the films director, George Sidney, saw some kind of magic between Ann-Margret and myself, and every day that I went back to Columbia Studios, my script got bigger, and bigger, and bigger. His name alone could conjure up an entire era: The 1970s rock musical Grease, in both its Broadway and movie versions, was set in 1959 at the fictional Rydell High School. [4], In 1961, he performed at the Copacabana in New York City, where he was the youngest performer to headline at the nightclub. Would you like to joinus? Then he asked me what I was drinking. Detroit, Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, and othercities followed suit. Through it all, Bobby Rydell, 74, survives. Well, that was in 1985, and we're going on 2021, and we're still doing the show. To understand why Bobby turned to alcohol to distract himself, we need to look closely at another tragedy in his life. Join Songkick to track Bobby Rydell and get concert alerts when they play near you. In 2012, his drinking problem really began to take its toll on Bobbys body, and he was left in desperate need of surgery. 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. He was 79. I didnt see the need for it. Bobby Rydell, a 1950s teen idol who starred in the hit musical film "Bye Bye Birdie," has died. 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. The track 'Wild One' immediately became a success and made Bobby Rydell one of the newest emerging acts at that time. But, like many other alcoholics, Bobby was very good at hiding his addiction few people knew how much he could drink and how bad it was. Rydell's book, Bobby Rydell: Teen Idol on the Rocks: A Tale of Second Chances, was published in 2016 and was written with Allan Slutsky. Up walks this very dapper-lookinggentleman oozing power and charisma. Wikipedia Commons / James Kriegsmann, New York. At outposts surrounded by sandbags and soldiers with M60s, I slept on cots with loaded guns and hand grenades less than an arms-lengthaway. [19] Rydell was a longtime resident of Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, and lived in the same house from 1963 to 2013. But he still does shows for fans nostalgic for his music. He raised his children there, and moved in 2013 only because the house had grown too big for him and his wife. 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. A Warner Bros. He also appeared on The Danny Thomas Show, Jack Benny, Joey Bishop, and The George Burns Show. Hoffman is the president of the fan group, according to reports. But, just because he was no longer at the height of his popularity, Rydell didn't stopped performing. Mr. Rydell and two other affable performers who became stars in those years, Frankie Avalon and Fabian, grew up within about two blocks of one another in South Philadelphia. The Philadelphia native saw 34 of his singles land on the Billboard Hot 100, with the most well-known being "Wild One." Bobby's recording career earned him 34 Top 40 hits, placing him in the Top 5 artists of his era (Billboard Magazine). Still, realizing that being Mrs. Bobby Rydell would thrust Camilleinto the public eye, he sent her to a finishing school for six months. There was a void in my life and alcohol became my dear friend, he said. Bobby Rydell, Bye Bye Birdie actor and teen pop star, died at age 79 from pneumonia, according to Variety. , and unbeknownst to me, he was in the housethat night to see his old friend perform. Discovery Company. If you need proof of how popular singer Bobby Rydell was in the late '50s, just look to the musical Greasethe high school in the play and movie was named in his honor. If you grew up during the early 1960s, you probably had a lot of friends who had a crush on Bobby Rydell. He also starred in a number of films, including"Marco Polo Junior" and, of course, "Bye Bye Birdie." [23], Rydell died from complications of pneumonia at Jefferson Abington Hospital on April 5, 2022, at the age of 79. In the early 1960s he was considered a teen idol. It is the first film for actor-singer Bobby, 20, and the . Dont worry, thats outgoing, not incoming, one Marine told me. He lost part ofhis middle finger in a work-related accident while operating some machinery. Throughout the early 60s, I appeared on almost all of them. Those included shows hosted by Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson, Perry Como, Jack Benny, Milton Berle and Red Skelton. He could have paid off some bills, taken a long overdue vacation with my mom, redecorated thehouse, bought a new car but no, not my dad. At the same time, Bobby had also developed a serious drinking problem that would almost cost him his life. } ); Mr. Rydell was born Robert Louis Ridarelli on April 26, 1942, to Adrio and Jennie (Sapienza) Ridarelli. Bobby Rydell, the Philly-born teen idol of the early 1960s whose hits included "Volare" and "Wild One" and who took part in a scene-stealing dance number with Ann-Margret in the 1963 film Bye. Cousin Brucie wasplaying it. Youd have never known I was a star. From then on, everybody just took it for granted: Oh, youre a bigItalian singing star; you must have the Mafia behind you.. [21] On July 9, 2012, he underwent a double organ transplant, to replace his liver and one kidney, at Thomas Jefferson University in his hometown of Philadelphia. 60's Teen Idol Bobby Rydell on Overcoming Alcoholism Steve Adubato 15.4K subscribers Subscribe 230K views 6 years ago #1892 60's teen idol, Bobby Rydell, talks about his iconic role in Bye. 10 Rosie - Bobby Rydell. He was 79. I nursed a Coke for the next hour and took it all in. Even the adults realize this, and it works to his advantage., By his 21st birthday, Mr. Rydell had made three trips to perform in Europe and three others to Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Japan. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more. When Camille became seriously ill with cancer and died, Bobby started drinking heavily. I still get antsy when I havent hit a stage for a while. Bobby first found success as a teen idol, selling over 25 million records. "And I said to Frankie, and I called him Cheech, because in Italian, Frank is Cheech. 11 record in the country. He and Kal had gotten off to aflying start penning Teddy Bear for ElvisPresley, and then landing a No. Rydell's last hit came in the mid-'70s when he released a disco cover of the song "Sway." Bobby Rydell On tour: no Upcoming 2022 concerts: none 12,253 fans get concert alerts for this artist. As the Facebook statement pointed out, at the time, "he became the youngest singer to perform" at the famed establishment. We just go out there and have fun and the audience can see that.. Bobby Rydell at homein Penn Valley, April 2016//Photo by Gene Smirnov. Even signing a deal with Frank Sinatras Reprise label in 1968 could not reverse the slide, with Rydell complaining that Reprise gave him no promotion. We were having a great time talking about the usual stufffood, music, womenand he also asked me a few questions about my career. . It could have been Anka High, Presley High, Everly High and they came up with Rydell High.". See Her Now at 65. 8 The Telephone Hour - Bobby Rydell. 1 record titled Butterfly with Cameos first artist, singer-guitarist Charlie Gracie. The headliner that night wasa prominent local act named Billy Duke and the Dukes, whose bass player was known as Frankie Day. Mr. Rydell married his high-school sweetheart, Camille Quattrone, in 1968. His father, a fan of the big bands, would take him as a child to see Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw at the Earle Theater in Philadelphia. But five months later, he underwent cardiac bypass surgery. In a radio interview in 2013 in Hamilton, Ontario, Mr. Rydell explained why he hadnt stayed in Hollywood to make more movies: I couldnt. Rydell's. He died on April 5 in Abington, Pennsylvania, from pneumonia complications, which were unrelated to Covid-19, aged 79. 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. In New York, I had dinner with Louie and two of his associates in Little Italy. Bobby Rydell's death was attributed to pneumonia complications. Rydell died of complications from. It occupied a place of honor in our living room. According to a statement shared on Rydell's verified Facebook page, the crooner died. Hes an entertainer in the old-fashioned mold. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. 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. Towards the end of that decade and into the '60s, Rydell was a teen idol and one of the most popular musicians around. "Oh, I mean, what an honor!" Vodka became a very, very dear friend, he said, to the point where, a few years later, it led to a double transplant. A turnaround came in 2009 when Bobby fell in love and married his longtime friend Linda Hoffman. Instead of the short walk around the corner to see Camille, the new lifeline of our relationship was a 10-milecar ride on the Schuylkill Expressway. But one mid-60s appearance at the Latin Quarter in New York did give me a more personal look into thesocial culture of what many, rightly or wrongly, perceive to be organized crime. His father was a machine shop foreman. [22] In January 2013, six months after the double transplant surgery, Rydell returned to the stage in Las Vegas for a three-night engagement to a sold-out audience. But FrankieDay and my mother still picked out my clothes, and I was still living with my parents in my grandparents tiny row home. Bobby Rydell, a teen idol from the '60s known for . His alcohol-induced illness forced him to cancel an Australian tour in 2012. According to a statement shared on Rydell's verified Facebook page, the crooner died. Bobby Rydell performing in Wildwood at age 10, A lot of Italian singers from my eraand probably a decade or two beforewere rumored to have mob affiliations or mob backing. (NEXSTAR) - Bobby Rydell, a pop singer and star of the 1963 film "Bye Bye Birdie," has died at the age of 79. Jesus, who could ask for a better start to a relationship than that? Underscoring his ties to his family and his city, and going against recommendations that he live on the West Coast, Mr. Rydell bought a house in 1963 in Penn Valley, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, and moved in with his parents and grandparents. [19][24], In the Broadway musical drama Grease, its film adaptation, and the film's sequel Grease 2, the high school was named "Rydell High" after Rydell.[25]. He sings his own hits and some standards. Per Billboard, the singer had no less than 29 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 over his career. He praised Red Skelton and other show-business veterans for helping him along, recalled that in 1985 the touring trio didnt think their act would last more than two years, and joked that the G sometimes fell off marquees where they performed, making their name the Olden Boys., He said he felt odd that he was one of the first 10 people inducted into the Philadelphia Music Foundations Hall of Fame. Play & Download We Got Love MP3 Song for FREE by Bobby Rydell from the album Superstars Of The Sixties. 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. I was driving to New York, and we pickedit up on WABC-AM. By 2014, his schedule was heavy again, including 11 concerts in Australia that February. His most well-known songs include 'Wild One' and 'Volare' ; in 1963 he appeared. His main source of income is from his career as an actor and singer. The stories ofFrank Sinatras alleged connections to guys like Sam Giancana and Vito Genovese dogged him throughout his career. Published RELATED: For more celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. B obby Rydell, a former teenage idol known for hits such as "Volare" and "Wildwood Days," has died at the age of 79. His last appearance on Billboards Hot 100 was in 1965 with Diana, which reached No 98. I ended up getting lines with De Niro, Rydell says, smiling broadly. Some Christmas traditions have lasted for centuries, but these odd ones have faded with time. I started a stint in the National Guard in 1964 that began with two months of basic training at Fort Dix. . Bobby Rydell was a rock and roll singer and actor who was a "teen idol" in the 1960s. He was born Robert Ridarelli in Philadelphia, the son of Jennie (nee Sapienza) and Adrio Al Ridarelli. He performs Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center - and autographed copies of his book will be available. Rydell has also performed both solo and with other musical acts, like he did in the show Stars of the Sixties. Yes Bobby is gone-I am, Thank you, Bobby for all the fantastic songs. Entertainment Bobby Rydell, 60s teen idol and 'Bye Bye Birdie' star, dies The star had nearly three dozen Top 40 singles, starred in various TV shows, and had the high school in "Grease" named . The very first '60s-era teen idol left behind a "tremendous" legacy now being mourned by heartbroken fans. Anyone can read what you share. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { He's in a group with two of his fellow crooners. [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". This is Linda-Bobbys wife. Mr. Rydell, Mr. Avalon and Fabian would perform their own songs and then sing together; there would also be tributes to Frank Sinatra and to Mr. Rydells favorite singer, Bobby Darin. I had met Bernie back in 1952, when he was the keyboardist for Paul Whitemans TV Teen Club. In fact, the former teen idol is still singing live to this day and tours with some other big names of the '60s. Part of the key to Cameos success was that it was located in Philadelphia, a few miles away from the No. On one of my National Guard weekends in 1967, I was dismissed early from my duties, so I decided to surprise Camille. He walks me right over to where Sinatra and his boys were seated. I had met Bernie back in 1952, when he was the keyboardist for Paul Whitemans. Rydell died Tuesday at Thomas . Mr. Rydell did not just have staying power; he also made a comeback after years of alcohol abuse, which he chronicled in his autobiography, Bobby Rydell: Teen Idol on the Rocks (2016), written with the guitarist and producer Allan Slutsky. Bobby Rydell - The Original American Idol - Complete Singles As & Bs & Bonus Albums 1958-1962 [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED] . He continued to perform internationally and returned to tour Australia in 2014. Download Songs for FREE. scientific studies and medical journals. He was 79. Born Robert Ridarelli, Rydell got his first song on the Billboard 100 in 1959 and went on to have a career that included 34 top 100 hits and more than 25 million album sales, according to the statement. At first, I thought he meant Frankie Day, until I realized he was referring to Sinatra. On October 6, 1964, he made a guest appearance on the episode "Duel" of the television series Combat!. After that, Bobby Rydell published the extremely . So Rare; 30. 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. I was impressed at first sight. Bobby Rydell, seen here performing in 2013, died on April 5 at age 79, according to his representatives. 9 Put On a Happy Face - Bobby Rydell. Some months after my debut at the Copa, my dad, Frankie Day and I drove up to New York City to see singer-comedian Joe E. Lewis, who wasappearing at the club. SonicHits. Some of his later appearances were charity promotions for organ donation. A year, two years tops, its over. Well, that was in 1985, and were going on 2021, and were still doing the show. There is also a mural of Rydell on the boardwalk of Wildwood, New Jersey, the beach resort that inspired his 1963 hit Wildwood Days. Getty. His second success was "We Got Love". Thankfully, Bobby managed to come back, and he even started touring as part of The Golden Boys stage production. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); 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. "I said, 'Why me?' In 1957, Frank Sinatra had portrayed him in the film The Joker Is Wild, and unbeknownst to me, he was in the housethat night to see his old friend perform. 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. Reviewing his performance there, in 1961, Variety complimented him on his sense of career., Right now, hes a teenagers teenager, the magazine said. 11 on the Billboard chart. For his fans, the book is a story about hope, redemption and mortality. So, what happened to this American entertainment legend, and why he disappeared for a few years in the 2000s? Complete song listing of Bobby Rydell on OLDIES.com. His style is packed with rhythm and bounce, and his nice boy next door demeanor is quite winning.