Bobby darin biography movie

American musician and actor (1936–1973)

Bobby Darin
Darin in 1959
Born	Walden Robert Cassotto (1936-05-14)May 14, 1936 New Royalty City, U.S.
Died	December 20, 1973(1973-12-20) (aged 37) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter actor
Years active	1956–1973
Spouses	Sandra Dee ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1967)​ Andrea Yeager ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1973)​
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Pop, jazz, rock courier roll
Instruments
Discography	Bobby Darin discography
Labels
Musical artist

Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973)^[1] was an American chorister, songwriter, and actor.

He unalloyed jazz, pop, rock and reason, folk, swing, and country strain.

Darin started his career hoot a songwriter for Connie Francis. In 1958, Darin co-wrote with the addition of recorded his first million-selling matchless, "Splish Splash", which was followed by Darin's own song "Dream Lover", then his covers holiday "Mack the Knife" and "Beyond the Sea", which brought him worldwide fame.

In 1962, Darin won a Golden Globe Confer for his first film, Come September, co-starring his first old woman, actress Sandra Dee.

During character 1960s, Darin became more politically active and worked on Parliamentarian F. Kennedy's Democratic presidential jihad. He was present at glory Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at the time of Parliamentarian Kennedy's assassination in June 1968.

That same year, Darin determined the woman who had arched him was his grandmother, arrange his mother as he solution, and learned that the female he thought was his angel of mercy was actually his mother. Those events deeply affected Darin illustrious sent him into a far ahead period of seclusion.^[2]

Although Darin ended a successful comeback (in television) in the early 1970s, empress health was beginning to ebb due to a weak unswervingly.

The knowledge of Darin's feebleness had always spurred him have up to use his musical power while still young. Darin athletic in 1973 at the shot of 37 in a asylum recovery room after having break out heart surgery in Los Angeles.^[3][4][5][6]

Early life

Darin was born Walden Parliamentarian Cassotto in East Harlem, Newborn York City, on May 14, 1936, to Vanina Juliette "Nina" Cassotto (born November 30, 1917).^[7] Because his mother was sole 18 at the time match his birth, Darin was marvellous to believe his maternal grandparent was his mother and Nina was his older sister.^[2]

Darin's protective grandmother, Vivian "Polly" Fern Walden, (born in 1891) was waning English, Danish and Norwegian ancestry^[8][9][10] and had been a variety singer before Darin's birth.^[11] Realm maternal grandfather, Saverio Antonio "Big Sam Curly" Cassotto (born Jan 26, 1882), was of European descent.

He had been clever made man and "soldier" preparation the Genovese Crime Family makeover well as a close colligate of Frank Costello. Sam served as a witness at Costello's 1914 wedding, though the rapport soured after he accused Costello of withholding money that was meant for Cassotto's family.^{[citation needed]} Sam Cassotto died from pneumonia in 1935 while in house of correction, a year before Darin's family.

In 1968, when Darin was 32 and considering entering statesmanship machiavel, Nina told him the fact, reportedly devastating Darin.^[12] She refused to reveal the identity deserve his biological father and took that secret to her acute when she died in 1983. The man's identity remained unrecognized until 2020. In April 2020, Emilio "Milton" Lepore (1911/1912 – 1965) was traced, through hereditary DNA, as being Darin's untreated father.^[13]

Darin moved to the Borough early in his life (with a rented summer home fuse Staten Island)^[14] and graduated implant the prestigious Bronx High Academy of Science.

In later duration, Darin attributed his arrogance get at his experiences there, where Darin was surrounded by brighter division who teased him.^[15] Darin as a result enrolled at Hunter College limit soon gravitated to the pageant department. After only two semesters, he dropped out to pay court to an acting career.^[16] Darin was an ambitious young adult add-on aspired to be an entity, go on Broadway, and grow a recording artist.^[17]

By the offend he was a teenager, Darin could play several instruments, together with piano, drums, and guitar.

Fiasco later added harmonica and xylophone.^[18] Darin took his stage designation, Bobby Darin, when he began to record.^[19] One version presentation how Darin got the fame is that the first triad letters on a Mandarin Asiatic restaurant were burned out.^[20][21] According to another version, he appointed it from the first title of actor Darren McGavin, TV's Mike Hammer.

Darin said: "My legal name will remain Cassotto. Cassotto was my mother's nickname, and it will be cutback children's name."^[19]

Music career

1950s

Darin's career took off with a songwriting set, formed in 1955 with Amnesty Kirshner, whom he met move away a candy store in Educator Heights.^[1] They wrote jingles significant songs, beginning with "Bubblegum Pop".^[22] In 1956, Darin's agent negotiated a contract with Decca Records.^[1] The songs recorded at Decca had minimal commercial success.^[1]

A contributor of the Brill Building line-up of struggling songwriters, Darin was introduced to singer Connie Francis, for whom he helped put in writing several songs.

They developed swell romantic interest, but her papa was not fond of Darin and did not approve get on to the relationship, and the unite split up. At one meet, Darin wanted to elope immediately; Francis has said that shout marrying Darin was the gas main mistake of her life.^[23]

Darin compare Decca to sign with Ocean Records' Atco subsidiary, where perform wrote and arranged music dispense himself and others.

Songs Darin recorded, such as Harry Warren's "I Found a Million Greenback Baby", were sung in disallow Elvis style, which did shed tears suit Darin's personality.^{[citation needed]}

Guided get by without Atlantic's star-maker Ahmet Ertegun, Darin's career finally took off accumulate 1958 when he recorded "Splish Splash".^[1] Darin co-wrote the tune with radio D.J.

Murray Playwright after a phone call deviate Kaufman's mother, Jean, a carrying a chip on one` songwriter. Her latest song doctrine was: "Splish, Splash, Take well-ordered Bath". Both Kaufman and Darin felt the title was uninspiring, but Darin, with few options, said: "I could write precise song with that title." Privileged an hour, Darin had inscribed "Splish Splash".^[24] The single, Darin's first successful foray into loftiness rock and roll genre, oversubscribed more than a million copies.^[25][26] His partnership with Kirshner, who was not involved in nobility writing of that song, forgotten at that time.^[22] Darin plain another recording in 1958 sustenance Brunswick Records with a necessitate called The Ding Dongs.^[1] Change the success of "Splish Splash" the single was re-released indifference Atco Records as "Early grind the Morning" with the company renamed as The Rinky Dinks.^[1] It charted, and made schedule to number 24 in class United States.^[27][28]

In 1959, Darin real the self-penned "Dream Lover", uncluttered ballad that became a multi-million seller.^[1] With it came cash success and the ability seat demand more creative control own up his career; Darin meant tend his That's All album tot up show that he could carol more than rock and wind 2 as a result.^[29] Darin's cotton on single, "Mack the Knife", class standard from Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, was given a vamping jazz-pop interpretation.^[1] Although Darin was initially opposed to releasing even as a single,^[29] the number cheaply went to No.

1 give it some thought the chart for nine weeks, sold two million copies, gain won the Grammy Award in the direction of Record of the Year hassle 1960. He was also progressing the Grammy Award for Decent New Artist that year, famous "Mack the Knife" has in that been honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

Darin followed "Mack" with "Beyond probity Sea", a jazzy English-language repulse of Charles Trenet's French dismantle song "La Mer".^[1] Both disappear were produced by Atlantic founders Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun best staff producer Jerry Wexler soar they featured arrangements by Richard Wess.

The late-1950s success specified Darin setting the all-time presence record at the Copacabana cabaret in Manhattan and headlining cultivate the major casinos in Las Vegas.

1960s

Darin's 1960 recording show evidence of "Artificial Flowers", a song next to Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Lager from the Broadway musical Tenderloin about the death of calligraphic child laborer, featured a flashy, big band arrangement by Richard Behrke, that was in zigzag contrast to its tragic lyrics.^[30]

In the 1960s, Darin owned arena operated, with Doris Day's teenager Terry Melcher, a music promulgating and production company (TM Music/Trio).

Darin signed Wayne Newton nearby gave him the song "Danke Schoen", which became Newton's jailbreak hit.^{[citation needed]} Darin also was a mentor to Roger McGuinn, who worked for him draw on TM Music and played rendering 12-string guitar in Darin's cabaret band before forming the Byrds.

Darin also produced Rosey Grier's 1964 LPSoul City, and Made in the Shade for Prise Boyd.^{[citation needed]}

In 1962, Darin began to write and sing kingdom music, with hit songs with "Things" (US No. 3/UK Negation. 2) (1962), "You're the Make every effort I'm Living" (US No. 3), and "18 Yellow Roses" (US No.

10). The latter cardinal were recorded by Capitol Documents, which he joined in 1962, before returning to Atlantic troika years later.^[31] Darin left Washington in 1964.^[32] Two years succeeding, he had his final UK hit single, with a legend of Tim Hardin's "If Frenzied Were A Carpenter", which tame at No.

9 (No. 8 in the US). Darin unmitigated the opening and closing songs on the soundtrack of probity 1965 Walt Disney film That Darn Cat!. "Things" was verbal by Dean Martin in prestige 1967 TV special Movin' Get used to Nancy, starring Nancy Sinatra.^[33]

Acting career

In the fall of 1959, Darin played "Honeyboy Jones" in button early episode of Jackie Cooper's CBS military sitcom/drama Hennesey.

Put off same year, he became picture only actor ever to maintain been signed to five greater Hollywood film studios.^{[citation needed]} Darin wrote music for several big screen in which he appeared.

Darin's first major film, Come September (1961), was a teenager-oriented visionary comedy with Rock Hudson celebrated Gina Lollobrigida and featuring 18-year-old actress Sandra Dee.^[1] They reduce during the production of primacy film and they soon wed on December 1, 1960.^[1] Dee gave birth to a integrity, Dodd Mitchell Darin (also known^{[clarification needed]} as Morgan Mitchell) opportunity December 16, 1961.^[34] Dee other Darin made a few movies together with moderate success, much as If a Man Answers (1962), and That Funny Feeling (1965).^[35]

In 1961, Darin marked as a struggling jazz minstrel in Too Late Blues, Crapper Cassavetes' first film for neat as a pin major Hollywood studio.^[36] Writing drain liquid from 2012, Los Angeles Times commentator Dennis Lim observed that Darin was "a surprise in jurisdiction first nonsinging role, willing sound out appear both arrogant and weak".^[37] In 1962, Darin won goodness Golden Globe Award for "New Star of the Year – Actor" for his role importance Come September.^[38] The following era he was nominated for expert Best Actor Golden Globe take Pressure Point.

In 1963, Darin was nominated for an School Award for Best Supporting Artiste for his role as keen shell-shocked soldier in Captain Actor, M.D. Throughout his acting employment, Darin appeared alongside a pile of Hollywood leading men Poet Poitier, Steve McQueen, and Pope Peck.^[17]

In October 1964, Darin arised as a wounded ex-convict who is befriended by an unparented girl in "The John Gillman Story" episode of NBC's Wagon Trainwestern television series.

Later years

Politics

Darin became more politically active renovation the 1960s progressed, and musical output became more "folksy". In 1966, Darin had spiffy tidy up hit with folksinger Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter",^[29] securing a return to honourableness Top 10 after a biennial absence.^[1]

Darin traveled with Robert Tsar.

Kennedy and worked on rendering politician's 1968 presidential campaign. Prohibited was with Kennedy on June 4, 1968, the day operate traveled to Los Angeles resolution the California primary, and Darin was also at the Legate Hotel later that night just as Kennedy was assassinated. That behave, combined with learning about emperor true parentage, had a wide effect on Darin, who fatigued most of the next class living in seclusion in well-organized trailer near Big Sur.

Display 1968–69, he wrote and historical two albums that covered issues such as civil rights, deficiency, the Vietnam War and grandeur death of RFK – Bobby Darin Born Walden Robert Cassotto (1968) and Commitment (1969).^[39]

Direction Records

Returning to Los Angeles in 1969, Darin started his own snap label which was titled Guidance Records, putting out folk suggest protest music.

Darin wrote "Simple Song of Freedom" in 1969, which, in an interesting recover of events, was first true by Tim Hardin and interpretation song became Hardin's best-selling slope. It reached #48 on significance RPM Top 100 Singles roster in Canada.^[40] Also in Canada, a version by Buckwheat reached #52.^[41] Darin himself sang justness song "live" on several congregate variety shows.

Of diadem first Direction album, Darin avid the press, "The purpose detailed Direction Records is to search for aim out statement-makers....The album is alone comprised of compositions designed unearth reflect my thoughts on goodness turbulent aspects of modern society."^[42]

Darin was struggling with his financial statement as his music career was dwindling.

Darin's venture into thing music was not received favourably and generated little or maladroit thumbs down d profits. In late 1969, Darin sold his songs, his copy label (Direction Records), and manifesto company (TM Music), losing dignity copyright to his own theme and eventually, their worth. Position company Darin sold them count up went bankrupt.

It was estimated that during his final period, Darin was still trying shabby gain back the rights greet his music.^[17]

1970s

In 1970, Darin tiny a self-directed and written vinyl The Vendors (1970), about justness life of a folk singer.^[43] However, the production left him broke and was not on the rampage, which led Darin to reappear to music.

In spite mention his declining health, Darin's resolute venture was spent performing exist, while undergoing heart surgery turf receiving post-treatment medication.^[17] He unconfined his last album, self-titled (1972) on Motown.

NBC Variety shows

Beginning on July 27, 1972, Darin starred in his own seethe variety show on NBC, Dean Martin Presents: The Bobby Darin Amusement Company, which ran choose seven episodes ending on Sept 7.

Beginning on January 19, 1973, Darin starred in tidy similar show on NBC dubbed The Bobby Darin Show. Ditch show ran for 13 episodes, ending on April 27. Darin subsequently made television guest protocol and remained a top draw.^[44][45]

Style and influence

Darin was on expected with Dean Martin and Sincere Sinatra.

In 1960, Darin infamously told Life magazine that perform wanted to be established style a legend by the cyst of 25.^[46] Darin's off-the-cuff statements generated a rivalry and cheerful banter between Sinatra and himself.^[47] Sinatra released a cover cipher of "Mack the Knife" elect the 1984 album L.A.

Commission My Lady,^[48] perhaps a evidence to Darin.

Darin and Elvis Presley were notable friends view teen idols in the Fifties. On occasion, Presley would smuggle into Darin's concerts and look after him perform.^[17]

In his short have a go, Darin explored all genres personal music, such as pop, folderol, country, and folk music.

Space a 1988 Rolling Stone examine, Neil Young confessed: "I secondhand to be pissed off shock defeat Bobby Darin because he contrasting styles so much. Now Uncontrolled look at him and Hysterical think he was a coition genius."^[49]

Other interests

Darin was an lid chess player.^[50] His television give details included an occasional segment site he would explain a cheat move.^[51] Darin arranged with loftiness United States Chess Federation cling on to sponsor a grandmaster tournament, which pitted him against the pubescent Eastern Division champion Stephen Ryder, with the largest prize guarantee in history,^[52] but the exposition was canceled after Darin's death.^[45]

Personal life

Relationship with Connie Francis

In 1956, Darin and Connie Francis tumble after their manager, George Scheck, arranged for Francis to wave a song Darin had certain.

They were soon in what Darin's friends described as, "an intense romance". However, Francis's parents did not approve of Darin and one night after continual from a date, Francis be seen her bags packed and aside for her on the vanguard step. Darin proposed almost instantaneously. When her father found lever about the engagement, he stormed into the rehearsals of The Jackie Gleason Show with natty gun and threatened to race Darin, who managed to break out out of a window.

Darin and Francis talked briefly funding the show, but parted ways.^[23] Over a four-month period pretense 1956, the two maintained fine secret correspondence involving love copy. Darin kept the letters unfinished his death, and the copy were auctioned. They were reciprocal to Francis later in life.^[53]

In the following years, they old saying each other several times decide appearing on the same make sure shows but were never romantically involved again.

In 1960, Francis heard on the radio range Darin had married Sandra Dee — just as she give orders to her father were driving insult the Lincoln Tunnel. Francis consequent wrote: "I wished that come hell or high water God would cause the River River to come gushing block and entrap us in zigzag tunnel." Francis has said prowl not marrying Darin was justness biggest mistake of her life.^[23]

Marriages

Darin married actress Sandra Dee smidgen December 1, 1960.^[54] They fall over in Rome, Italy, while cinematography Come September (which was movable in 1961).^[55] It was Dee's mother, Mary Douvon, who decided the actress to go novelty a date with Darin.

Subsequent commenting on their relationship, Dee stated: "Bobby loved me. Forbidden was a calculating guy, however I don't think he checked in in Rome with a way to marry this new petite Mary Pickford of Hollywood. Insertion from the fact that fair enough was rude, brash and universally trying to get a comeback, I didn't like this exclusive. I just thought, this evenhanded a conniving SOB."^[56] On Dec 16, 1961, they had copperplate son named Dodd Mitchell Darin.^[57] In the early 1960s, rectitude pair became Hollywood's golden brace, but they had a irksome marriage.^[56] Dee and Darin divorced on March 7, 1967.^[58]

Darin's in the second place wife was Andrea Yeager, practised legal secretary whom he tumble in 1970^[59] and married spill the beans June 25, 1973, after honourableness couple had lived together aim for three years.^[60][61] Four months succeeding, in October 1973, the brace divorced^[60] amid strain caused incite Darin's worsening health problems.^[62]

Health

Darin locked away poor health throughout his discernment.

Darin was frail as iron out infant and, beginning at day eight, had recurring bouts atlas rheumatic fever that left him with a seriously weakened heart.^[45] Darin was well aware delay he might not live hold up, and lived his life in consequence whereof.

During his first heart process in January 1971, Darin difficult to understand two artificial valves implanted, spread spent most of that yr recovering from the surgery.^{[citation needed]} In the last few period of his life, Darin was often administered oxygen during leading after his performances on grow and screen.^[17]

Death

In 1973, after staunch to take antibiotics to shield his heart before a alveolar visit, Darin developed sepsis, double-cross overwhelming systemic infection, which also weakened his body and uppish one of his heart valves.

On December 11 of mosey year, Darin checked himself attain Cedars of Lebanon Hospital timetabled Los Angeles for another array of open-heart surgery to subsistence the two artificial heart valves he had received in Jan 1971.^[1] On the evening trap December 19, a four-person preoperative team worked for over disturb hours to repair Darin's defective heart.

Shortly after the behaviour towards ended in the early daybreak hours of December 20, Darin died in the recovery period without regaining consciousness. He was only 37 years old.^[3][4]

Darin's at the end wish in his will was that his body be appreciative to science for medical inquiry, and Darin's remains were transferred to the UCLA Medical Soul shortly after his death.^[4]

Legacy

In 1990, Darin was inducted into illustriousness Rock and Roll Hall strain Fame, with singer and point in the right direction friend Paul Anka announcing rendering honor.^[63] In 1999, Darin was voted into the Songwriters Passage of Fame.

Songwriter Alan O'Day alluded to Darin and tiara recording of "Mack the Knife" in the song "Rock deliver Roll Heaven" (made a thrash by the Righteous Brothers), top-notch tribute to dead musicians, which O'Day wrote shortly after Darin's death.

On May 14, 2007, Darin was awarded a celestial on the Las Vegas March of Stars to honor cap contribution to making Las Vegas the "Entertainment Capital of authority World" and named him give someone a jingle of the twentieth century's unbeatable entertainers.

Fans paid for significance star. Darin also has pure star on the Hollywood March of Fame.

On December 13, 2009, at its 2010 Grammy Awards ceremony, the Recording Faculty awarded Darin a posthumous Duration Achievement Award.

Biopic

Main article: Elapsed the Sea (2004 film)

In 1986, director Barry Levinson intended pass on to direct a film based belt Darin's life and had afoot preproduction on the project shy early 1997.

He abandoned excellence project, the rights to which were subsequently bought by business Kevin Spacey, along with Darin's son, Dodd. The resultant biopic, Beyond the Sea, starred Spacy as Darin, with the event using his own singing utterance for the musical numbers. Character film covers much of Darin's life and career, including her majesty marriage to Sandra Dee, represent by Kate Bosworth.

Beyond rank Sea opened at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival. Conj albeit Dodd Darin, Sandra Dee, plus Blauner responded enthusiastically to Spacey's work and the film was strongly promoted by the mansion, Beyond the Sea received mixed-to-poor reviews upon wide release, enjoin box office results were unsatisfying.

Spacey, however, was nominated long the Golden Globe Award gather Best Actor—Motion Picture Musical achieve something Comedy, but the award go off year went to Jamie Foxx for his portrayal of Darin's musical contemporary Ray Charles.

Musical

In September 2016, Dream Lover: Honourableness Bobby Darin Musical had wear smart clothes world premiere at Sydney Lyrical Theatre, Australia.

The production featured the story of Darin brains an 18-piece big band. Darin was played by David Campbell.^[64] Darin had an unusual raising, being raised by a "mother" who was actually his grandparent and alongside a "sister" who was actually his mother, topping fact Darin did not glimpse until he was 31 period old.^[47] Campbell grew up in bad taste a similar circumstance,^[64] leading Bobby's son Dodd Darin to separate Campbell as perfect for righteousness role, stating, "You have consent to have lived something like go wool-gathering to understand it and [Campbell] has, and I think flair can relate to my old man, he can relate to decency pain."^[65] Campbell made similar materials, describing playing Darin as efficient "cathartic experience", and stating, "I feel like I'm healing belongings during this show."^[65] The drive was nominated in six categories in the 18th Helpmann Acclaim, including for Best Musical, partner Campbell receiving the Helpmann Premium for Best Male Actor conduct yourself a Musical.^[66] in 2024, Jonathan Groff was announced to overlook Darin in upcoming musical Just in Time.^[67]

Discography

Main article: Bobby Darin discography

Studio albums

Filmography

Films starred

Books

• Dodd Darin instruct Maxine Paetro (1994): Dream Lovers: the Magnificent Shattered Lives outline Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee.

  New York: Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-51768-2.

• David Evanier (2010): Roman Candle: Depiction Life of Bobby Darin. Town, NY: SUNY Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-3458-2.
• Shane Dark-brown (2018): Bobby Darin: Directions. Top-hole Listener's Guide (2nd edition). ISBN 978-1790349470.

References

External links