One of the biggest teenage idols of the early ’60s, rock ‘n’ roll singer Bobby Rydell has died of complications from pneumonia just days before his 80th birthday. That is a statement available on his Facebook page.
Bobby Rydell was born Robert Ridarell in south Philadelphia to a factory foreman. As a child, he attended jazz concerts by Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, holding his father’s hand. At the age of six he finally made the decision that he wanted to play the drums like the master of his craft Gene Krupa. Three years later, he became a TV celebrity: Little Bobby entered a televised talent competition – the “TV Teen Club” – and was soon a permanent fixture on the show. At the age of 14 he played with his childhood friend Frankie Avalon in a band called Rocco and the Saints: Rydell played the drums and Avalon played the trumpet.
The nice boy next door becomes a teenage idol
In 1958 he finally signed a recording contract as a solo artist. After two flop singles, “Kissin’ Time” reached number 11 on the Billboard charts. By the age of 17, Rydell was a star whose photo was printed on the covers of teenage magazines. Despite or because of his resemblance to the nice boy next door, he attracted thousands of screaming girls – his languid voice and handsome face did the rest.
In a 2011 interview, he recalled the hysteria in Australia: “They stormed the stage, thousands and thousands of kids. Australian police had to wedge to get us out of Sydney stadium. It was scary, but all in all it was absolutely amazing.” 1960 was arguably the most successful year of Rydell’s career: he hit No. respectively number 5 in the charts. In the same year, his interpretation of “Volare” reached the top 5 of the US hit parade – one of his best-known pieces to this day.
Without him, “She Loves You” would not have existed
When he was honoring England with concerts in 1963, the Beatles suddenly got on his tour bus. He didn’t know them, but they knew him. In 2000, Paul McCartney wrote in The Beatles Anthology that “She Loves You” was based on a song by Bobby Rydell. Because he didn’t give the exact title, it’s unclear whether it’s “Swingin’ School” (contains a “Yeah, yeah, yeah” chorus) or “Forget Him” (similar lyrics).
Once to Hollywood and back again
In 1961 he was signed to the production company Columbia Pictures. For the musical adaptation “Bye Bye Birdie” even the template was rewritten to give Rydell a leading role. The strip is based on the Broadway musical of the same name, which satirizes the absurdities of show business and the rock ‘n’ roll circus. However, it remained his only major role; he didn’t want to go to Hollywood: “I couldn’t do it. There was something about the lifestyle in California that I wasn’t used to. I was basically a South Philly kid, and I was an East Coast guy, and I really couldn’t stay in California,” he said in a 2013 interview.
Almost drowning in alcohol, he fought his way back to life
But the success drew black shadows: he wrote the autobiography “Bobby Rydell: Teen Idol on the Rocks”, published in 2016, about his years of alcohol abuse. Near death, he underwent a kidney and liver transplant in July 2012. After that, his schedule was full again, including playing on a cruise ship with his childhood friend Frankie Avalon. Until the end of his life he sang his songs that meant the world 60 years ago.
