Bobby Darin

Bobby Darin
Darin in 1959
Born
Walden Robert Cassotto

(1936-05-14)May 14, 1936
New York City, U.S.
DiedDecember 20, 1973(1973-12-20) (aged 37)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • actor
Years active1956–1973
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1960; div. 1967)​
  • Andrea Yeager
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1973; div. 1973)​
Children1
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
DiscographyBobby Darin discography
Labels

Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973)[1] was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music.

Darin started his career as a songwriter for Connie Francis. In 1958, Darin co-wrote and recorded his first million-selling single, "Splish Splash", which was followed by Darin's own song "Dream Lover", then his covers of "Mack the Knife" and "Beyond the Sea", which brought him worldwide fame. In 1962, Darin won a Golden Globe Award for his first film, Come September, co-starring his first wife, actress Sandra Dee.

During the 1960s, Darin became more politically active and worked on Robert F. Kennedy's Democratic presidential campaign. He was present at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at the time of Robert Kennedy's assassination in June 1968. That same year, Darin discovered the woman who had raised him was his grandmother, not his mother as he thought, and learned that the woman he thought was his sister was actually his mother. Those events deeply affected Darin and sent him into a long period of seclusion.[2]

Although Darin made a successful comeback (in television) in the early 1970s, his health was beginning to fail due to a weak heart. The knowledge of Darin's vulnerability had always spurred him on to use his musical talent while still young. Darin died in 1973 at the age of 37 in a hospital recovery room after having open heart surgery in Los Angeles.[3][4][5][6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference LarkinGE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Starr, Michael Seth (2011). Bobby Darin: A Life. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 167. ISBN 9781589795983.
  3. ^ "Bobby Darin of 'Mack the Knife' fame dies". Eugene register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. December 21, 1973. p. 1A.
  4. ^ "Bobby Darin, Pop Singer, Dies at 37". The New York Times. December 21, 1973. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  5. ^ "Bobby Darin dead at 37". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). wire services. December 20, 1973. p. A2.
  6. ^ "Singer Bobby Darin dies". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 20, 1973. p. 2.