Bobby Darin

Grammy winning singer, songwriter and Oscar nominated actor, Bobby Darin aimed at the American dream. He married a teen movie queen, but then found out that his sister was really his mother, and died young.

He was born Walden Robert Cassotto May 14, 1936 in The Bronx to a poor, working-class family of mostly Italian descent. The person thought to be his father (who was actually his grandfather) died in jail a few months before he was born. It was the height of the Great Depression, and he once remarked that his crib was a cardboard box, then later a dresser drawer. He was initially raised by his Anglo-American mother Polly and his sister Nina, subsisting on Home Relief until Nina later married and started a family with her new husband Charlie Maffia. It was not until Darin was an adult that he learned that Nina -- 17 years his senior -- was in fact his birth mother, and that Polly, the woman he thought was his mother, was really his grandmother. He was never told the identity of his real father, other than being told that his birth father had no idea Nina was pregnant, and thus never knew that Bobby was even born. Polly mothered him well, despite her own medical history resulting in her addiction to morphine. It was Polly who took the young Bobby to what was left of the old vaudeville circuit in New York -- places like the Bronx Opera House, and the RKO Jefferson in Manhattan, where he received his first showbiz inspiration, and where he saw performers like Sophie Tucker, whom he loved.

But Darin’s strongest ambition was not to succeed in music but rather to become an actor. In pursuit of this goal, he attended drama classes at Hunter College, but he became impatient when instructors gave other students chances to practice in leading roles even though they admitted his talent exceeded theirs. So Darin struck out on his own, getting jobs in Catskill resorts that ranged from bussing tables to filling in for absent singers. As he told Seventeen, he did not stay long in any of these positions: "I would work for a month or two, then quit and make the rounds, trying to get something in the theater. But nothing happened."

Gradually Darin began to concentrate more on his singing than his acting. He was working writing and singing radio commercials when he was signed to a contract with Decca Records in 1956. Accounts vary as to how he selected his stage name; one says he picked it from a phone book, another that he got it from a malfunctioning restaurant sign advertising Mandarin Chinese food. The young crooner cut a few singles and secured an appearance on bandleader Tommy Dor-sey’s television show, but his vocal stylings did not capture the public imagination, and Decca dropped him after a year. Darin was then signed by Atlantic Records, and recorded on their subsidiary label, Atco. Again, his first few records caused no sensations, but in 1958 Darin released one of his own compositions, "Splish, Splash." A whimsical number about characters from other rock and roll songs showing up and starting a party at the singer’s house while he was in the bathtub, it proved a hit, selling 100,000 copies in only three weeks.

Though Darin quickly followed "Splish, Splash" with another rock and roll ditty, "Queen of the Hop," he did not wish to rely on the burgeoning genre for his livelihood. He was unsure that rock and roll would last, and felt that teenagers—its primary consumers—were fickle in their affections for performers. So, hoping to attract more mature fans, Darin took the money he made from his first hit and financed an album of standards, titled That’s All. Included on That’s All was a revision of composer Kurt Weill’s song from playwright Bertolt Brecht’s Threepenny Opera —"Mack the Knife." Released in 1959, "Mack the Knife" did for Darin all that he could have wished, selling over two million copies, and catapulting him to the pinnacle of the nightclub circuit. He became a featured attraction at the most prestigious Las Vegas showcases, such as the Sahara and the Sands, and by 1960 had played the famed Copacabana in New York City.

Meanwhile, Darin was also getting his film career underway. Though he signed a film contract in 1959, he waited through many offers until he found the kind of parts he wanted to play. He made his screen debut playing an American in Italy in the 1961 film Come September. Darin also composed the title song, and met his wife, actress Sandra Dee, on the set. Faring better than most singers who venture into acting, Darin won praise for many of his film performances, including his portrayal of a young American flirting with Nazism during the 1940s in 1962’s Pressure Point, and he received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor for his work in 1963’s Captain Newman, M.D.

Darin had other hit records throughout the early 1960s, including "Beyond the Sea," "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," and the country-flavored "Things." And, unlike many other artists who began their careers with the advent of rock and roll, he managed to maintain his success into the late 1960s, scoring in 1967 with the folk song, "If I Were a Carpenter." Darin also had political concerns at this time, and according to Steve Hochman in the Los Angeles Times, "worked on Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1968." Hochman further noted that the singer was "devastated by Kennedy’s assassination" later that year, and after this event sold many of his possessions, moved to California, and recorded two albums of protest songs on his own label, Direction. Though Darin’s long-time manager Steve Blowner told Hochman: "I was stunned at how good he was, singing [folk songwriters Laura] Nyro and Tim Hardin and [Bob] Dylan," Darin’s career began to languish somewhat. In the early 1970s, he recorded for the Motown label.

Darin had again tasted success, doing a summer replacement variety show for NBC in 1972 which was picked up again in 1973, when the heart problems that resulted from his childhood rheumatic fever caught up with him. Entering the hospital to have previously implanted artificial heart valves repaired, he died on the operating table on December 20, 1973. On the occasion of his posthumous induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 1990, Blowner was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying: "He could sing it all."

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Bobby Darin (May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973), born Walden Robert Perciville Cassotto, was a two-time Grammy award winning American singer, Oscar nominated actor and accomplished musician. In 1990, Bobby Darin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Darin performed widely in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country. Although unknown to his public, his health was dangerously fragile and strongly motivated him to succeed within the limited lifetime he feared he would, and ultimately did, have.

Darin married Sandra Dee; they met while making the film Come September (1961). They made a few more movies together at Universal Studios that were moderately successful. They had one son, Dodd Mitchell Darin (also known as Morgan Mitchell Darin). She and Darin divorced in 1967.

He was also an actor, singer/songwriter and music business entrepreneur. His wish for a legacy was "to be remembered as a human being and as a great performer." Among his many other contributions, he became a goodwill ambassador for the American Heart Association.

Bobby Darin was born to a poor, working-class family of mostly Italian descent in The Bronx. The person thought to be his father (who was actually his grandfather) died in jail a few months before he was born. It was the height of the Great Depression, and he once remarked that his crib was a cardboard box, then later a dresser drawer. He was initially raised by his mother Polly, who was Anglo-American, and his sister Nina, subsisting on Home Relief until Nina later married and started a family with her new husband Charlie Maffia. It was not until Darin was an adult that he learned Nina, who was 17 years his senior, was in fact his birth mother, and that Polly, the woman he thought was his mother, was really his grandmother.[3] He was never told the identity of his real father, other than being told that his birth father had no idea Nina was pregnant, and thus never knew that Bobby was even born. Polly mothered him well, despite her own medical history resulting in her addiction to morphine. It was Polly who took the young Bobby to what was left of the old vaudeville circuit in New York, places like the Bronx Opera House, and the RKO Jefferson in Manhattan, where he received his first showbiz inspiration, and where he saw performers like Sophie Tucker, whom he loved.

Darin was frail and sickly as an infant and, beginning at the age of 8, was stricken with multiple recurring bouts of rheumatic fever. The illness left him with a seriously weakened heart. Overhearing a doctor tell his mother he would be lucky to reach the age of 16, Darin lived with the constant knowledge that his life would be short, which further motivated him to use his talents. He was driven by his poverty and illness to make something of his life and, with his innate talent for music, by the time he was a teenager he could play several instruments, including piano, drums and guitar. He later added harmonica and xylophone.

An outstanding student, Darin graduated from the prestigious Bronx High School of Science and went on to attend Hunter College on a scholarship. Wanting a career in the New York theater, he dropped out of college to play small nightclubs around the city with a musical combo. In the resort area of the Catskill Mountains, he was both a busboy and an entertainer. For the most part teenage Bobby was a comedy drummer and an ambitious but unpolished vocalist.

As was common with first-generation Americans at the time, he changed his Italian surname to one that sounded less ethnic. He chose the name "Bobby" because he had been called that as a child. He allegedly chose Darin because he had seen a malfunctioning electrical sign at a Chinese restaurant reading "DARIN DUCK" rather than "MANDARIN DUCK", and he thought "Darin" looked good. Later, he said that the name was randomly picked out of the telephone book, either by himself or by his publicist. It has also been suggested that he amended the word "daring" to suit his ambitions. None of these stories has been verified.

Music career What really moved things along for Darin was his songwriting partnership, formed in 1955, with fellow Bronx Science student Don Kirshner. In 1956 his agent negotiated a contract for him with Decca Records, where Bill Haley & His Comets had risen to fame. However, this was a time when rock and roll was still in its infancy and the number of capable record producers and arrangers in the field was extremely limited.

A member of the now famous Brill Building gang of once-struggling songwriters who later found success, Darin was introduced to then up-and-coming singer Connie Francis. Bobby's manager arranged for Darin to help write several songs for Connie in order to help jump-start her singing career. Initially the two artists couldn't see eye to eye on potential material, but after several weeks Bobby and Connie developed a romantic interest in one another. Purportedly, Connie had a very strict Italian father who would separate the couple whenever possible. When Connie's father learned that Bobby had suggested the two lovers elope after one of Connie's shows, he ran Darin out of the building while waving a gun telling Bobby to never see his daughter again.

Bobby saw Connie only twice more after this happened, once when the two were scheduled to sing together for a television show and again later when Connie was spotlighted on the TV series This Is Your Life. Connie has said that not marrying Bobby was the biggest mistake of her life. She used the title words of the song "My First Real Love," (a Darin-Kirshner song she'd recorded and on which Darin had played drums), when she said, "Well, he was my first real love and I never stopped loving him all my life." Connie Francis said too that she and Darin would sometimes go to the Apollo Theater to see artists like James Brown and Ray Charles, 'we were the only white people in the audience', and when Darin did record first for Decca early in 1956 it was a piece of black music, pioneered by the Louisiana songster Leadbelly, "Rock Island Line"—though the immediate inspiration was Lonnie Donegan's skiffle version. He sang it that year on the CBS program Stage Show, his TV debut, with the lyrics written on the palms of his hands in case he forgot them, which he did. But the songs recorded at Decca did very little business.[6]

Darin left Decca to sign with Atlantic Records (ATCO), where he wrote and arranged music for himself and others. Songs he recorded , like Harry Warren's I Found a Million Dollar Baby were sung with an Elvis-like attack - but Darin was not fully equipped to be a teen idol. Around this time he worried about his appearance. He was losing his hair and told Steve Blauner that when he looked in the mirror he saw "an ugly small Italian man." Yet many attested that on stage he had 'absolute charisma'. Fitted with a hairpiece Darin faced the world anew ; but now it was his ATCO career that was failing to thrive. There was talk of releasing Darin from his contract until Ahmet Ertegun, the Turkish-American co-founder of Atlantic, stepped in, and his career took off in 1958 when he wrote and recorded "Splish Splash", with Ertegun producing. The song was an instant hit, selling more than a million copies. "Splish Splash" was written with radio DJ Murray "Murray the K" Kaufman, who bet Darin that he could not write a song that started out with the words "Splish Splash, I was takin' a bath", as suggested by Murray's mother. On a snow-bound night in early 1958, Darin went in the studio alone and recorded a demo of "Splish Splash." They eventually shared writing credits with her. This was followed by more hits recorded in the same style.

In 1959, Bobby Darin recorded "Dream Lover", a ballad that became a multi-million seller. Along came financial success and with it came the ability to demand more so-called creative control. Some at the label wanted a Fats Domino-ish album, but Darin's devoted publicist and advisor Harriet 'Hesh' Wasser wanted a 'great, swinging, standard album,' and, as she later told it, they were walking down 57th street when Darin told her "Hesh, don't worry, you'll get your album." His next record, "Mack the Knife", was the classic standard from Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera: Darin gave the tune a vamping jazz-pop interpretation. Although Darin initially opposed releasing it as a single,[8] the song went to No. 1 on the charts for nine weeks, sold two million copies, and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1960. Darin was also voted the Grammy Award for Best New Artist that year. "Mack The Knife" has since been honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. He followed "Mack" with "Beyond the Sea", a jazzy English-language version of Charles Trenet's French hit song "La Mer".

The tracks were produced by Atlantic founders, Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün with staff producer Jerry Wexler and featured brilliant arrangements by Richard Wess. Propelled by the success of "Mack the Knife" and "Beyond the Sea", Darin became a hot commodity. He set all-time attendance records at the famed Copacabana nightclub in New York City, where it was not unusual for fans to line up all the way around the block to get tickets when Darin performed there. The Copacabana sold so many seats for Darin's shows that they had to fill the dance floor, normally part of the performance area, with extra seating. Darin also headlined at the major casinos in Las Vegas.

Sammy Davis Jr., an exceptionally multi-talented and dynamic performer himself, was quoted as saying that Bobby Darin was "the only person I never wanted to follow" after seeing him perform in Las Vegas. However, Davis was among those who appeared on the 1959 telecast of This Is Your Life, along with George Burns and relatives and friends, that surprised and honored Darin at NBC's Burbank, California studios.

Darin had a significant role in fostering new talent. Richard Pryor, Flip Wilson and Wayne Newton opened his nightclub performances when they were virtually unknown. Early on, at the Copacabana, he insisted that black comic George Kirby be his opening act. His request was grudgingly granted by Jules Podell, the manager of the Copacabana.

In the 1960s, Darin also owned and operated a highly successful music publishing and production company (TM Music/Trio) and signed Wayne Newton to TM, giving him a song that was originally sent to Darin to record. That record went on to become Newton's breakout hit, "Danke Schoen". He also was a mentor to Roger McGuinn, who worked for Darin at TM Music and played the 12 string guitar in Darin's nightclub band before going off to form The Byrds. Darin also produced Rosey Grier's 1964 LP, Soul City, and Made in the Shade for Jimmy Boyd.

In 1962, Darin also began to write and sing country music, with hit songs including "Things" (U.S. #3) (1962), "You're the Reason I'm Living" (U.S. #3), and "18 Yellow Roses" (U.S. #10). The latter two were on Capitol Records, which he joined in 1962, before returning to Atlantic four years later. The song "Things" was sung by Dean Martin in the 1967 TV special Movin' With Nancy, starring Nancy Sinatra, which was released to home video in 2000.

Acting career In addition to music, Darin became a motion picture actor. In 1960, he appeared twice as himself in NBC's short-lived crime drama Dan Raven, starring Skip Homeier and set on the Sunset Strip of West Hollywood. In 1960, he was the only actor ever to have been signed contractually to five major Hollywood film studios. He wrote music for several films and acted in them as well. In his first major film, Come September, a romantic comedy designed to capitalize on his popularity with the teenage and young adult audience, he met and co-starred with 18-year-old actress Sandra Dee. They fell in love and were married in 1960. The couple had one son, Dodd Mitchell Darin (born 1961) and later divorced in 1967.

Wanting his acting to be taken seriously, he took on more meaningful movie roles, and in 1962, he won the Golden Globe Award for "Most Promising Male Newcomer" for his role in Pressure Point.

In 1963, Darin was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a shell-shocked soldier in Captain Newman, M.D.. At the Cannes Film Festival, where his records—in particular "Beyond the Sea"—brought him a wide following, he won the French Film Critics Award for best actor.

Later years Darin's musical output became more "folky" as the 1960s progressed and he became more politically aware and active. In 1966, he had another big hit record, but this time it was with folksinger Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter", adding another style to his vast repertoire. The song secured Darin's return to the Top 10 after a two-year absence. Jim (Roger) McGuinn, the future leader of the Byrds, was part of his performing band. Darin traveled with Robert Kennedy and worked on the politician's 1968 presidential campaign. He was with Kennedy the day he traveled to Los Angeles on June 4, 1968 for the California Primary, and was at the Ambassador Hotel later that night when Kennedy was assassinated. Darin was devastated by this news.

Afterwards, Darin sold his house and most of his possessions and lived in seclusion in a trailer near Big Sur for nearly a year. Coming back to Los Angeles in 1969, Darin started another record company, Direction Records, putting out folk and protest music. He wrote the very popular "Simple Song of Freedom" in 1969. He said of his first Direction Records album, "The purpose of Direction Records is to seek out statement-makers. The album is solely [composed] of compositions designed to reflect my thoughts on the turbulent aspects of modern society." During this time, he was billed under the name "Bob Darin," grew a mustache, and stopped wearing a hairpiece. Within two years, however, all of these changes were discontinued.

At the beginning of the 1970s, he continued to act and to record, including several albums with Motown Records and a couple of films. In January 1971, he underwent his first heart surgery in an attempt to correct some of the heart damage he had lived with since childhood. He spent most of the year recovering from the surgery.

In 1972, he starred in his own TV variety show on NBC, The Bobby Darin Amusement Company, which ran until his death in 1973. Darin married Andrea Yeager in June 1973. He made TV guest appearances and also remained a top draw at Las Vegas, where, owing to his poor health, he was often administered oxygen after his performances.

Death In 1973, Darin's ill health took a turn for the worse. After failing to take medication (prescribed to protect his heart) before a dental visit, he developed blood poisoning. This weakened his body and badly affected one of his heart valves. On December 11, Darin entered Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for surgery to repair the two artificial heart valves he received in the previous 1971 operation. On December 19, the surgery began. A five-man surgical team worked for over six hours to repair his damaged heart. However, although the surgery was initially successful, Darin died minutes afterward in the recovery room without regaining consciousness on December 20, 1973, at age 37.

Legacy In 1990, singer Paul Anka made the speech for Darin's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Righteous Brothers refer to Darin in their song Rock and Roll Heaven, a tribute to late musicians, which was released months after Darin's death. The duo also make a reference to hill road. In 2000, actor Kevin Spacey, a lifelong fan of Darin, acquired the film rights to his story. Spacey directed and produced the film, and played Bobby Darin; as well as co-writing the script. The film is named after one of Darin's top hits, Beyond the Sea. With the consent of the Darin estate, Steve Blauner, and archivist Jimmy Scalia, the movie's opening was at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival. Despite strong studio promotion, critical reaction was poor, and box office results were disappointing. However, the movie spurred a renewed interest in Darin, which has resulted in the release of "never heard before" material. His pianist, Roger Kellaway, has recorded two albums of Darin's music as well. Spacey was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor for the movie. He also occasionally did concert tours, performing many of Darin's hits as a tribute to the singer.

In a 2003 episode of the NBC television series American Dreams, Duncan Sheik portrays Darin and performs Beyond the Sea on American Bandstand. Brittany Snow's character, Meg Pryor, is assigned as Darin's liaison during the show.

On Monday, May 14, 2007, Darin was awarded a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. This tribute honors Darin for his contribution to making Las Vegas the "Entertainment Capital of the World" and acknowledges his reputation as one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century. The sponsorship fee for this star was raised entirely by fan donations.

In December 2007, Darin was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Darin had a custom car built called the "Dream Car," designed by Andy DiDia; it is on display at the St. Louis Museum of Transportation.

On December 13, 2009, the Recording Academy announced that Darin would receive a Lifetime Achievement Award (post-mortem) at the 2010 Grammy Awards ceremony.

Biopic Main article: Beyond the Sea (film) Beyond the Sea is a 2004 biographical film based on the life of Darin, which takes its title from the Darin song of the same name. Kevin Spacey, who stars in the lead role and used his own singing voice for the musical numbers, co-wrote, directed, and co-produced the film which depicts Darin's rise to teen idol success in both the music and film industry during the 1950s and 60s, as well as his marriage to Sandra Dee, portrayed by Kate Bosworth.

As early as 1986, Barry Levinson intended to direct a film based on the life of Darin, and he began preproduction on the project in early 1997. When he eventually vacated the director's position, Spacey, along with Darin's son, Dodd, acquired the film rights. Beyond the Sea was released in December 2004 to mixed reviews from critics and bombed at the box office. However, Dodd Darin, Sandra Dee, and former Darin manager Steve Blauner responded with enthusiastic feedback to Spacey's work on the film. Despite the mixed reviews, some critics praised Spacey's performance, largely owing to his decision to use his own singing voice. He also received a Golden Globe nomination.

Discography Singles Release date Title Flip side Record label Chart Positions US Charts Cashbox UK R&B 1956 Rock Island Line / Timber Decca 29883 Silly Willy / Blue Eyed Mermaid Decca 29922 The Greatest Builder Of Them All / Hear Them Bells Decca 30031 1957 Dealer In Dreams / Help Me Decca 30225 Million Dollar Baby / Talk To Me Atco 6092 Don't Call My Name / Pretty Betty Atco 6103 1958 Silly Willy / Dealer In Dreams Decca 30737 Just In Case You Change Your Mind / So Mean Atco 6109 Splish Splash/[14] Judy Don't Be Moody US Atco 6117/ UK London 8666 3 2 18 1 Early in the Morning / Now We're One Brunswick 55073 (See below) Early in the Morning / [15] Now We're One Atco 6121 24 25 8 Queen of the Hop Lost Love US Atco 6127/UK London 8737 9 12 24 6 Mighty Mighty Man / You're Gone Atco 6128 1959 Plain Jane While I'm Gone Atco 6133 38 30 Dream Lover [16] Bullmoose US Atco 6140/UK London 8867 2 3 1 4 Mack the Knife [17] Was There A Call For Me US Atco 6147/UK London 8939 1 1 1 6 1960 Beyond the Sea (the French hit song "La Mer") That's The Way Love Is US Atco 6158/UK London 9034 6 7 8 15 Clementine Tall Story US Atco 6161/UK London 9086 21 13 8 Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey?/ US Atco 6167/UK London 9142 19 16 34

I'll Be There  79     Beachcomber Autumn Blues Atco 6173 100 50    Artificial Flowers/  Atco 6179 20 19    ::above Shown as "Bobby Darin at the Piano"       

Somebody To Love  45 58    Christmas Auld Lang Syne/  Atco 6183 51 50   

Child Of God  95 95    She's Tanfastic! Moments Of Love Atco/Ferrion Inc. -- --    ::above Special premium record        1961 Lazy River Oo-Ee Train US Atco 6188/UK London 9303 14 18 2   Nature Boy Look For My True Love US Atco 6196/UK London 9375 40 31 24   Theme From "Come September" Walk Back To Me US Atco 6200/UK London 9407 113 55 50  

  ::Shown as "Bobby Darin & His Orchestra"      You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby Sorrow Tomorrow US Atco 6206/UK London 9429 5 7 10   Irresistible You/  US Atco 6214/UK London 9474 15 16   

Multiplication  30 26 5   1962 What'd I Say (Part 1)/ What'd I Say (Part 2) Atco 6221 24 6    Things Jailer Bring Me Water US Atco 6229/UK London 9575 3 10 2   If A Man Answers/All By Myself  US Capitol 4837/UK Capitol 15272 32 28 24  

True, True Love  105     Baby Face You Know How US Atco 6236/UK London 9624 42 38 40   I Found a New Baby Keep-A-Walkin' Atco 6244 90     1963 You're the Reason I'm Living Now You're Gone Capitol 4897 3 5    18 Yellow Roses Not For Me US Capitol 4970/UK Capitol 15306 10 12 37 28  Treat My Baby Good Down So Long Capitol 5019 43 38    Be Mad Little Girl Since You've Been Gone Capitol 5079 64 74    1964 I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now As Long As I'm Singing Capitol 5126 93 83    Milord Golden Earrings Atco 6297 45 39    Swing Low Sweet Chariot / Similau Atco 6316 -- --    The Things In This House Wait By The Water Capitol 5257 86 89    1965 Minnie The Moocher / Hard Headed Hannah Atco 6334 -- --    Hello, Dolly! Golden Earrings Capitol 5359 79 --    Venice Blue (Que C'est Triste Venise) A World Without You Capitol 5399 133 94    When I Get Home / Lonely Road Capitol 5443 -- --    Gyp The Cat / That Funny Feeling Capitol 5481 -- --    1966 We Didn't Ask To Be Brought Here Funny What Love Can Do Atlantic 2305 117 --    Silver Dollar / The Breaking Point Atlantic 2317 -- --    Mame Walking In The Shadow Of Love Atlantic 2329 53 63    Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? / Merci, Cheri Atlantic 2341 -- --    If I Were a Carpenter Rainin' US Atlantic 2350/UK Atlantic 584051 8 9 9   The Girl That Stood Beside Me Reason To Believe Atlantic 2367 66 65    Lovin' You / Amy Atlantic 2376 32 43    The Lady Came From Baltimore / I Am  62 73    1967 Darling Be Home Soon/ Hello, Sunshine Atlantic 2420 93 --    Talk To The Animals / After Today Atlantic 2433 -- --    Talk To The Animals / She Knows Atlantic 2433 105 --    1968 Long Line Rider/ Change Direction 350 79 66    1969 Me & Mr. Hohner / Song for A Dollar Direction 351 123 --    Distractions (Part 1) / Jive Direction 352 111 --   

  ::Shown as "Bob Darin"      1970 Sugar Man (9 To 5) / Jive's Alive Direction 4000 -- --    Baby May / Sweet Reason Direction 4001 -- --    Maybe We Can Get It Together / Rx Pyro (Prescription: Fire) Direction 4002 -- --    1971 Melody / Someday We'll Be Together Motown 1183 -- --    Simple Song Of Freedom / I'll Be Your Baby Tonight Motown 1193 -- --    1972 Sail Away / Something In Her Love Motown 1203 -- --    1973 Average People / Something In Her Love Motown 1217 -- --    Happy Something In Her Love Motown 1217 67 59    1979 Dream Lover/  UK Lightning 9017 -- -- 64  

Mack The Knife  -- -- 64   1987 Beyond The Sea Mack The Knife Atlantic 89166 -- --   

Early In The Morning Darin approached Brunswick Records with "Early In the Morning." Brunswick was impressed, but as Darin was still under contract to Atlantic Records' subsidiary, Atco, the song was released by "The Ding Dongs". New York deejays liked the record and Atco soon discovered the deception. Brunswick was forced to turn over the masters to Atco which released the record under the name, "The Rinky Dinks". In the UK where it had to compete with a version by Buddy Holly, rush released by Brunswick, the single was released under Darin's own name.

Albums Key:

US Billboard = BB US Cashbox = CB UK chart = UK Bobby Darin -- Atco 33-102—1958 Issued only in mono That's All (BB #7)-- Atco 33-104 (Mono) (CB #9)/SD 33-104 (Stereo) (CB #16) -- 1959 Note: There were separate Cashbox charts for mono and stereo albums until 1965 This is Darin (BB #6) -- Atco 33-115 (CB #5)/SD 33-115 (CB #7) -- 1960 Darin At The Copa (BB #9) -- Atco 33-122 (CB #6)/SD 33-122 (CB #12) -- 1960 For Teenagers Only (CB #38) -- Atco 1001—1960 Issued only in mono It's You Or No One -- Atco 33-124/SD 33-124—1960 The 25th Day of December -- Atco 33-125/SD 33-125—1960 Two Of A Kind (Bobby Darin & Johnny Mercer) -- Atco 33-126 (CB #38)/SD 33-126—1961 The Bobby Darin Story (BB #18) -- Atco 33-131 (CB #11)/SD 33-131—1961 Originally issued with white album cover, reissued in 1962 with black album cover. These issues were pressed with Bobby Darin's autograph in the run-out groove plate on Side 2; later reissues do not include the autograph Love Swings (BB #92) -- Atco 33-134 (CB #49)/SD 33-134—1961 Twist with Bobby Darin (BB #48) -- Atco 33-138 (CB #45)/SD 33-138—1961 Original copies of the above Atco albums were originally pressed with yellow "harp" labels. In 1962, these were re-released with gold/dark blue labels (mono copies) and purple/brown labels (stereo copies), which were also used for the forecoming Atco releases Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles (BB #96) -- Atco 33-140 (CB #41)/SD 33-140—1962 Things and Other Things (BB #45) -- Atco 33-146 (CB #43)/SD 33-146—1962 Oh! Look at Me Now (BB #100) -- Capitol T(Mono)/ST(Stereo) 1791—1962 Earthy -- Capitol T/ST-1826—1963 You're the Reason I'm Living (BB #43) -- Capitol T 1866 (CB #19)/ST 1866—1963 18 Yellow Roses" (BB #98) -- Capitol T 1942 (CB #69)/ST 1942—1963 Golden Folk Hits -- Capitol T/ST 2007—1963 Winners -- Atco 33-167/SD 33-167—1964 As Long As I'm Singing -- Capitol T/ST 2084—1964 Unreleased, but rare stereo acetates are known to exist From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie (BB #107) -- Capitol T/ST -2194—1964 Venice Blue (BB #132) -- Capitol T/ST 2322—1965 The Best Of Bobby Darin -- Capitol T/ST 2571—1966 The Shadow of Your Smile -- Atlantic 8121(Mono)/SD 8121(Stereo) - 1966 In A Broadway Bag -- Atlantic 8126/SD 8126—1966 If I Were a Carpenter (BB #142, CB #97) -- Atlantic 8135/SD 8135—1966 There were more mono copies than stereo copies of this album pressed Inside Out -- Atlantic 8142/SD 8142—1967 Bobby Darin Sings Doctor Dolittle -— Atlantic 8154/SD 8154—1967 Bobby Darin Born Walden Robert Cassotto -- Direction 1936 -— 1968 Commitment -— Direction 1937—1969 Finally -- Motown 739—1972 Commercially unreleased, but rare test pressings from RCA exist Bobby Darin -- Motown 753—1972 Darin: 1936-1973 (CB #136) -- Motown 813—1974 [edit] Filmography Come September (1961) Too Late Blues (1962) State Fair (1962) Hell Is for Heroes (1962) If a Man Answers (1962) Pressure Point (1962) Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) That Funny Feeling (1965) Gunfight in Abilene (1967) Stranger in the House (1967) The Happy Ending (1969) Happy Mother's Day, Love George (1973) [edit] Literature Dodd Darin & Maxine Paetro: Dream Lovers: the Magnificent Shattered Lives of Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee. New York: Warner Books 1994. ISBN 0-446-51768-2 [edit] Quotation “ If I'm this good now, what will I be like when I'm Sinatra's age? ”

NME - January 1960

Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto, May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, actor and musician.

Darin performed widely in a range of music genres, including pop, jazz, folk and country. Although unknown to his public, his health was dangerously fragile and strongly motivated him to succeed within the limited lifetime he feared he would, and ultimately did, have.

He was also an actor, singer/songwriter and music business entrepreneur. His wish for a legacy was "to be remembered as a human being and as a great performer." Among his many other contributions, he became a goodwill ambassador for the American Heart Association.

More:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Darin