Bobby Darin is recognized as one of the best artists of the XNUMXth century. His songs sold in millions of copies, and the singer was a key figure in many performances.
Biography of Bobby Darin
Soloist and actor Bobby Darin (Walder Robert Cassotto) was born on May 14, 1936 in the El Barrio area of New York. The upbringing of the future star was taken over by his grandmother Polly, he considered her his mother. He perceived his real mother Nina (Vanina Juliet Cassotto) as his own sister. When Bobby was still an infant, his family moved to the Bronx.
Even in infancy, Bobby was diagnosed with a heart defect. With this disease, he spent his whole life. Then at the age of 8 he suffered bouts of acute rheumatic fever. All these difficulties did not prevent Robert Cassotto from graduating from the Bronx High School of Natural Sciences. After graduation, he moved to Hunter College. Even as a teenager, he learned to play various instruments (piano, guitar, harmonica, xylophone).
The desire to succeed in acting prompted Bobby to drop out of college. He began to appear in various nightclubs with his performances. Robert Cassotto chose his pseudonym by chance. On one Mandarin restaurant sign, the first three letters were lit, he decided to use the remaining letters Darin in his surname.
The beginning of Bobby Darin's career
Darin's career as a musician began in 1955, after meeting Don Kirshner. He started writing tracks for Aldon Music. The following year, he signed with Decca Records. Then his manager arranged a musical collaboration between Darin and aspiring artist Connie Francis, with whom he created tracks. An affair began between Connie and Bobby, but the relationship did not last long (the girl's father forbade them to meet).
Robert Cassotto left the company and signed with Atlantic Records. Here he was engaged in arranging music and creating songs for other artists. Thanks to the track Splish Splash (1958), Darin gained fame. The track was created in collaboration with DJ Murray Kaufman.
He bet that Cassoto was not capable of creating a track in which the first lines are Splish Splash, I was takin' a bath. Only 20 minutes were spent on the implementation of the "idea". In the summer of 1958, the song was widely popularized among teenagers. And a little later, she took 3rd position in the charts. Subsequent songs have gained no less popularity. In 1959, the track Dream Lover sold millions of copies.
Pinnacle of glory Bobby Darin
The song Mack the Knife allowed Bobby to take a leading position in all US music charts. And later it took a leading position in England, displacing the previous track. In addition, thanks to the composition, the musician received two Grammy awards in the nominations "Best Debut" and "Best Male Vocal". The track stayed at the top of the charts for 9 weeks.
It was followed by the track Beyond the Sea, which is a jazzy English-language version of Trenet's hit La Mer. Thanks to these musical compositions, Darin enjoyed great popularity. He held his performances at the Copacabana club, where he managed to break the attendance record for this institution. Became the most anticipated and sought-after guest in many casinos.
In the 1960s, the artist became a co-owner of a music publishing and production company (TM Music / Trio). After that, he formalized an agreement with Wayne Newton. The track Danke Schoen written for him became Wayne's debut hit.
In 1962, the artist's compositions began to take on the character of country music. This genre includes Things, as well as 18 Yellow Roses and You Are The Reason I am Living. These two tracks were released on the Capitol Records label (in 1962 a cooperation agreement was concluded). Four years later, the performer decided to return to Atlantic again.
Actor career
Darin left his mark in the cinema. In 1959, he portrayed Honeyboy Jones in the original series of the Jackie Cooper sitcom. This year, he has signed contracts with five of Hollywood's biggest studios. He also composed soundtracks for films.
His debut feature film is the romantic comedy Come September. In 1961, the film was released and was aimed at an audience of teenagers. The young actress Sandra Dee took part in the shooting. Soon after they met, they got married. The couple had a son. The couple starred together in several more films, but very mediocre ones. In 1967 there was a divorce.
In 1961, the singer got a role in the movie Too Late Blues. After in 1963, the artist earned the Golden Globe Award for the film Pressure Point. In addition, he was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in the movie Captain Newman, MD.
The final stage of creativity Bobby Darin
Further creativity was concentrated on writing songs in the country style. In 1966 he created a new hit If I Were Carpenter, thereby expanding the style of his creations. The created track allowed him to return to the top 10 best musical compositions of the American charts.
In 1968, he actively participated in the electoral activities of Robert Kennedy. The assassination of the president greatly influenced the singer. After that, Bobby went into the shadows for almost a year.
Upon returning to Los Angeles in 1969, Darin entered into an agreement with Direction Records. The new song Simple Song of Freedom has gained immense popularity. About his new album, Bobby said that it included songs that were able to reflect his judgments about the constant changes in today's society.
During this period, the singer began to be called Bob Darin. He decided to change himself a little, began to grow a mustache, changed his hairstyle. True, two years later, the changes came to naught.
Health problems
In the early 1970s, Darin did not stop working on recording new tracks. After signing an agreement with Motown Records, he released a number of full-length albums. In January 1971, the singer was diagnosed with a severe myocardial infarction. He spent several months in the hospital for therapy.
Bobby had a heart valve implant in Las Vegas. In the winter of 1973, he launched his TV show. In the same year he married Andrea Joy Yeager (legal counsel). He made frequent appearances on television programs and continued to perform. After the next performance, he had to wear an oxygen mask. In the spring of 1973, his last film, Happy Mother's Day, was released.
Death and legacy of Bobby Darin
In 1973, the singer's health deteriorated sharply. Blood poisoning due to unsuccessful treatment weakened the body. Bobby Darin died while under anesthesia on December 11 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
A few days before his death, he separated from his wife. According to relatives, this was done on purpose to protect her from the pain that the death of the singer would cause.
In 1990, Darin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition, the performer was given the status of the most successful artist of the twentieth century.
Several songs have been recorded in honor of Bobby Darin. In 2007, a star with his name took a place on the Walk of Fame. And in 2010, the Recording Academy presented the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.
