How Bobby Rydell went from the Wild One to being Mr Nice who wanted to save lives
Bobby Rydell, born in Philadelphia, became a teenage idol in the 1950s and was still working when he died at the age of 79.
In more ways than one Bobby was a survivor … he survived the musical revolution of 60s and 70s and survived the rigours of the rock’n’roll way of life.
And he went on to help others survive too.
Bobby was best know for songs like the Wild One and Volare, and he first hit the big screen in Bye Bye Birdie in 1963.
But he admitted the casino and club life brought him head-long in to a battle with alcohol.
He said: “I became a total alcoholic. When I say ‘drinking,’ I used to hide bottles of vodka in my golf bag in the back of the trunk of my car, and God forbid half of a bottle was gone, I’d have to go to a liquor store and get a new one. My God, you know, I couldn’t run out of my friend.”
The problem got significantly worse after the death of his wife from breast cancer.
The best that can be said is that Bobby had a pleasant voice. But he also had affability in metophorical buckets and in later years teamed up with Frankie Avalon and Fabian and enjoyed great success on the oldies circuit. They became known as the Golden Boys.
But Bobby never forgot his ‘near death’ years. He had a kidney and liver transplant in July 2012 and five months later, he haad cardiac bypass surgery. Many of his later appearances were charity promotions for organ donation.
The official announcement of his death.
BLUE BELL, PA – On April 5, 2022:
Bobby Rydell, legendary 1960’s era singer, actor, and teen idol died at the age of 79 in Abington Jefferson Hospital from non-Covid-19 related pneumonia complications.
Robert Ridarelli, known in the music industry as Bobby Rydell, was a singer and actor who rose to fame after being discovered in 1950 as a young entertainer on Paul Whiteman’s TV Teen Club. In 1959, his first hit single with Cameo-Parkway, “Kissin’ Time,” landed on Billboard’s Hot 100 Hits, launching him into stardom. His recording career resulted in the sale of over 25 million albums, and awarded him 34 top 100 hits, placing him in the top five artists of his era.
History was made for Rydell when at the age of 19, he became the youngest singer to perform at NYC’s famous Copacabana nightclub – a legendary appearance recently portrayed by Von Lewis in the 91st Academy Award-winning film, “Green Book.”
Rydell made his film debut in the 1963 hit classic, “Bye Bye Birdie,” as Hugo Peabody, the love interest of Ann-Margret’s character, Kim McAfee. He later went on to star in multiple movies, television series, and comedy specials throughout his career.
Rydell was known for multiple appearances on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and for becoming the high school namesake in the iconic 1978 movie “Grease,” a 1950’s-era teen love story starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
In 1985, talent manager Dick Fox, paired Rydell with three other Philadelphia-area entertainers, Frankie Avalon and Fabian, to create The Golden Boys. The entertaining trio continued performing for over decades, packing auditoriums across the country with audience members of all ages.
Rydell released his biography, Teen Idol on the Rocks: A Tale of Second Chances, a story about Rydell’s struggle with alcohol and depression following the death of his first wife. The book follows Rydell through a journey of recovery after receiving a double organ transplant in July 2012.
Loved by his fans, Rydell was known for taking time to meet and greet audiences after shows, during book signings, and at private dinner events. He was an advocate for The Gift of Life, a non-profit organization aimed at helping families whose loved ones experience and recover from organ transplants.
Rydell is survived by his wife, Linda J. Hoffman, son Robert Ridarelli, daughter Jennifer Dulin, and his five grandchildren. Rydell lived to be 79 years old through the gift of organ donation. Please become an organ donor and donate to The Gift of Life by visiting https://www.donors1.org/.
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