Rydell died of complications from. The singer is still performing today with two other retro stars. Mr. All of You; 29. That was something.. Louie pounded his fist on the table and walked away, leaving me with his twoassociates. I didnt know what to think. With my tail between my legs, I went to theupstairs lounge to say goodbye to JulesPodell. [4] After a couple of flops, "Kissin' Time" made the charts in 1959. 4 A Lot of Livin' To Do - Bobby Rydell. Instead, Bobby made a living by performing at nightclubs and in Las Vegas. I was so nervous and intimidated I declined the offer. See '60s Teen Idol Bobby Rydell Now at 79, See Former Teen Idol Bobby Sherman Now at 78. He praised Red Skelton and other show-business veterans for helping him along, recalled that in 1985 the touring trio didnt think their act would last more than two years, and joked that the G sometimes fell off marquees where they performed, making their name the Olden Boys., He said he felt odd that he was one of the first 10 people inducted into the Philadelphia Music Foundations Hall of Fame. 4.5 (100M+ Downloads . Louie looked me right inthe eyes, firmly shook my hand and said, I dont know what it is about you kid, but I love you.. At first, I thought he meant Frankie Day, until I realized he was referring to Sinatra. Chippie Peters, thebands drummer, was ill, so Cheech asked me to fill in, sing a few tunes and do my usual imitations and comedy. I didnt see the need for it. It was great, he says. Bobby Rydell Tickets Events Reviews (102) No Concerts Near Greater Seattle Area Select Your Dates Sorry. The song, written by Tony Hatch, was his fifth and final gold disc winner. The death of his wife, Camille Quattrone, in 2003, after 35 years of marriage, tipped him into life-threatening alcoholism. The three had toured extensively together since 1985, billed as the Golden Boys, and were still performing together this year. ", While Bobby Rydell has died, his impact will live on forever. 1 record titled Butterfly with Cameos first artist, singer-guitarist Charlie Gracie. Surprisingly, those first three duds I cut for Cameo didnt faze Bernie and Kal in the least. Often, when I was performing at nightclubs and casinos, the guys would be around, just digging the music and socializing with their wives orgoombahs. Instead of the short walk around the corner to see Camille, the new lifeline of our relationship was a 10-milecar ride on the Schuylkill Expressway. What happened?' if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Bobby Rydell started his ultimate singing career in 1958, but before that, he has performed in talent shows and won in 1950 talent show named Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club. The album of the same name, his first, sold a million copies and obtained gold disc status. CDs Vinyl. Underscoring his ties to his family and his city, and going against recommendations that he live on the West Coast, Mr. Rydell bought a house in 1963 in Penn Valley, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, and moved in with his parents and grandparents. He tells a few stories, some jokes. appreciated. "Popular Singer Now Training at Indiantown Gap", Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, History of Italian Americans in Philadelphia, List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand, "Bobby Rydell Wall Mural Wildwood Boardwalk", "Bobby Rydell, 1960s Pop Idol and Star of 'Bye Bye Birdie,' Dies at 79", "Academy Premiering Digital Restoration of Bye Bye Birdie; Ann-Margret and Bobby Rydell to Attend", "Bobby Rydell, Teenage Idol With Enduring Appeal, Dies at 79", "Bobby Rydell Comes Clean in His New Autobiography", "60s singer Rydell gets 2 organ transplants in Pa", "Bobby Rydell, singer and Philly native known for 'Wildwood Days' dies at 79", "Local singer is in national movie 'Green Book', "Bobby Rydell Charts & Awards Billboard Singles", "The Man Who Knew It Wasn't Only Rock 'n' Roll", Bobby Rydell obituary on Best Classic Bands, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_Rydell&oldid=1138024217, "Everything Seemed Better (When I Was Younger)", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 16:37. I love him, too, I replied, not really knowing where he was going with this line of conversation. He was singing in nightclubs a year or two later. Its all Ive ever known. The famous rock musical Grease was set in the fictional Rydell High . [19] Rydell was a longtime resident of Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, and lived in the same house from 1963 to 2013. In the early 1960s he was considered a teen idol. We just go out there and have fun and the audience can see that.. Getty. } else { He married Linda Hoffman in 2009. At the end of the show, Sinatra gets up and leaves, and Im thinking to myself, Idiot! Bobby Rydell, a pompadoured heartthrob of early rock 'n roll who was a star of radio, television, and the movie musical "Bye Bye Birdie," died Tuesday of complications from . Vodka became a very, very dear friend, he said, to the point where, a few years later, it led to a double transplant. [10], That same year, Rydell portrayed Hugo Peabody in the film version of Bye Bye Birdie, also starring Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke. She was only 21 years old, she was hit by a car. Meanwhile, Rydell keeps working. I had met Bernie back in 1952, when he was the keyboardist for Paul Whitemans. Real Name: Robert Louis Ridarelli Profile: American singer and musician Born: 26th April 1942 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Died: 5th April 2022 Abingdon Township, Pennsylvania, USA A popular teen Rock 'n' Roll idol singer in the 1960's. He began his musical career during his childhood. The music was fun, no hating, and the dancing was simply the best! It probably cost more than the combined value of all the other furniture. When I cant do it anymore, you might as well start shoveling the dirt on top of me, Bobby said in 2016. There was a void in my life and alcohol became my dear friend, he said. Bobby Rydell, US pop idol of the early 1960s, dies aged 79 Singer, drummer and actor had five US Top 10 hits, and inspired the Beatles to write She Loves You Bobby Rydell in his heyday.. After his television appearances dwindled, Mr. Rydell continued to perform in nightclubs and nostalgia shows and to tour Australia, until the promoter Dick Fox put the Golden Boys together in 1985, initially for a PBS special. Now, they tour as The Golden Boys. 11 record in the country. His performance in the musical film Bye Bye Birdie, where he played Hugo Peabody, made him afamousshow business performer. But one mid-60s appearance at the Latin Quarter in New York did give me a more personal look into thesocial culture of what many, rightly or wrongly, perceive to be organized crime. 8:06 PM EDT, Tue April 5, 2022. It reached No. Full track listing and details of the 7" vinyl record Bobby Rydell - Good Time Baby / Cherie' - Columbia - Denmark (1961), on 45cat. Bobby Rydell, a pompadoured heartthrob of early rock 'n roll who was a star of radio, television and the movie musical "Bye Bye Birdie," died Tuesday. [19], Rydell was married to his first wife, Camille Quattrone Ridarelli, for 35 years, from 1968 until her death in 2003. He went on to star on television, stage, and film and became the author of a best-selling autobiography, BOBBY RYDELL: TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS - A Tale of Second Chances. The drinking got bad and then my health got even worse and I needed the double transplant, liver and kidney, or I would die, Bobby says. Rydell could still command enough audience loyalty to tour regularly and appear in nightclubs and Las Vegas venues through the 1970s and 80s, performing the great American songbook of material by the likes of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers alongside his repertoire of pop and easy-listening material. 7" Single on 45cat: Bobby Rydell - Good Time Baby / Cherie' - Columbia - Denmark - 45-DD 727 : 45worlds 45cat 45spaces. 6 How Lovely To Love a Woman - Bobby Rydell. Hopefully they'll release it soon, as well as another Brook Benton which contains the missing tracks from the years they've done, the complete Sam Cooke, and Bobby Vinton complete Epic . "Fans say, 'Bobby, you're so good, why don't you go back to recording.' And I'd tell them, 'Today's music is rap. Id been transformed from Bobby Rydell,pompadoured teen idol making thousands of dollars a week, to Pvt. In New York, I had dinner with Louie and two of his associates in Little Italy. I sang the hell out of that tune, but the records success wasnt all because of me. He also said he was relieved that his voice was still fine after the surgery, because he'd had tubes in his throat, but he was able to start performing again after six months. He was married to his first wife, Camille Quattrone Ridarelli, for 35 years from 1968 until her death in 2003. Mr. Rydells recording prime encompassed the era roughly between 1959, when Elvis Presley was in the Army and Buddy Holly died in a plane crash, and 1964, when Beatlemania hit America. Their refusal to reissue Rydells music made his entire catalog unavailable until 2005. It wasnt a down-on-my-knees moment, but I proposed and gave her an engagement ring. His main source of income is from his career as an actor and singer. He continued to tour up until his death in 2022. Rydell referred to the transplant as one of the "second chances" mentioned in his book title. Bobby Rydell - The Singles & Albums . His father, a fan of the big bands, would take him as a child to see Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw at the Earle Theater in Philadelphia. Bobby Rydell (1942-2022) Actor Soundtrack IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Part of the Philadelphia music scene which also spawned Frankie Avalon and Fabian, Rydell was undoubtedly the most talented of the teen idols. In the summer of 1957, the drumming half of my budding career received a huge boost at the expense of one of my dads fingers. [2][6] In February 1961, he appeared at the Festival du Rock at the Palais des Sports de Paris in Paris, France. After an agonizingly uncomfortable minute of silence, Louie returned to the table, smiled, gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek. After that, he changed his name to Bobby Rydell and began playing music with various bands around his hometown of Philadelphia. Robert L. Ridarelli, a low- ranking soldier with a crew cut making $85a month. Published To understand why Bobby turned to alcohol to distract himself, we need to look closely at another tragedy in his life. [2], In 1963, Rydell starred in an unsold television pilot called Swingin' Together produced by Desilu Productions, which featured him as the frontman for a four-piece rock 'n roll band seeking their big break. His name alone could conjure up an entire era: The 1970s rock musical Grease, in both its Broadway and movie versions, was set in 1959 at the fictional Rydell High School. Bobby Rydell in 1960, when he was riding high in the charts. Over the course of his recording career he placed 19 singles in the Billboard Top 40 and 34 in the Hot 100. Sadly, Bobby would never get the chance to celebrate his 80th birthday. Ann-Margret, right, and Bobby Rydell dance during a scene from "Bye Bye Birdie" on the movie set in Hollywood, Ca., Sept. 14, 1962. the release of Kissin Time. In fact, he's already been immortalized in more ways than many may realize. Rydell performs with two of his contemporaries, Frankie Avalon and Fabian. Read on to learn more about Rydell's life and career at 79 years old. After a brief period as the drummer for a local group, Rocco and the Saints, which included Frankie Avalon on trumpet, Mr. Rydell went solo as a singer. Singer, Author, Actor, Teen Idol - Starred in Bye Bye Birdie - Billboard Top 100 - Inspiration for Grease's Rydell High, The Golden Boys member Bobby Rydell | Ambler PA if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { "Wild One" was followed with "Little Bitty Girl" which was his second million-selling single. One of the classic teen idols of the late 1950s and early 60s, Bobby Rydell, who has died from complications of pneumonia aged 79, was only seven when he began performing on stage in his home town of Philadelphia. Join Songkick to track Bobby Rydell and get concert alerts when they play near you. Rydell died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital in a suburb of his hometown of Philadelphia, according to a statement posted by his marketing and event coordinator Maria Novey. It's very truthful, very sincere. Now 73 and a survivor of a 2012 operation that left him with a new kidney and liver, Rydell is happy and committed to being on stage "as long as the chops are still working." Rydell made the charts in 1959 with "Kissin' Time," earning 11 Top 20 hits over the next five years. Rydell died on April 5 in Abington, Pennsylvania, from pneumonia complications, which were unrelated to Covid-19, the statement said. Linda helped him stop drinking and also persuaded Bobby to write a very personal autobiography, which served as a kind of therapy for him. His entourage for the night included Joe DiMaggio, songwriters Sammy Cahn andJimmy Van Heusen, and actor Richard Conti. The Beatles scrambled to meet him when he visited Britain in 1963, and Paul McCartney has said that the Lennon and McCartney song She Loves You was based on a Rydell song, though he did not specify which one (Swingin School is a likely candidate). Bobby married his high school sweetheart, Camille Quattrone Ridarelli, in 1968. Track artist Similar artists with upcoming concerts Marty Wilde Fri 08 Sep 2023 The Stables - Milton Keynes Milton Keynes, UK See more concerts near you His recording career earned him 34 Top 100 hits, placing him in the top five artists of his era (Billboard). Eventually, "I said, 'Well, if I'm gonna sit down and talk with anybody, it's gonna be Allan. Jesus, who could ask for a better start to a relationship than that? Anyone can read what you share. In 1985 he joined Avalon and another former teen pop star, Fabian, to form a touring act, the Golden Boys. Cameo was started in 1956 by songwriters Bernie Lowe andKal Mann in the basement of Bernies West Oak Lane home. When Kissin Time hit the airwaves in June of 1959, it triggered a seismic event that rippled through the company. Detroit, Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, and othercities followed suit. Find out which vitamin deficiency symptoms you should be on the lookout for. Cameo got right down to business, cutting three songs with me in their primitive, monaural studio. One might say that he was the Justin Bieber of the 60s. Leopold Stokowski, Dizzy Gillespie and Bobby Rydell, he mused. Where Is My Love; 27. Just as we started to talk, who should come walking outof the kitchen door but Sinatra and a group of his friends. Would you like to joinus? Then he asked me what I was drinking. After three years on the show, he branched out into performing with local bands, including Rocco and the Saints in which a fellow Philadelphian, Frankie Avalon, played the trumpet and changed his name to Rydell. Robert Louis Ridarelli[1] (April 26, 1942 April 5, 2022), known by the stage name Bobby Rydell /radl/, was an American singer and actor who mainly performed rock and roll and traditional pop music. In 1957, Frank Sinatra had portrayed him in the film The Joker Is Wild, and unbeknownst to me, he was in the housethat night to see his old friend perform. I Cried for You; 26. His 1963 song Wildwood Days paid homage to Wildwood, the New Jersey beach town where his grandmother had a boardinghouse and where he spent his early summers; like Philadelphia, Wildwood later held an honorary street-naming for Mr. Rydell. All Rights Reserved. He continued to perform internationally and returned to tour Australia in 2014. Download Songs for FREE. He's in a group with two of his fellow crooners. Philly was all in. No specific song title is given in The Beatles Anthology, but Bob Spitz writes in The Beatles: The Biography that McCartney originally modeled "She Loves You" on the Rydell "answering song" called "Swingin' School", and not "Forget Him", as is commonly cited. Bobby Rydell - Singles & Alben Sammlung 1959-62 [Neue CD] | Music, CDs | eBay! 11 record in the country. From Bobby Rydell Follow Fans Also Viewed Ed Sheeran See all 31 Events blink-182 See all 88 Events Turnstile See all 48 Events Monster Jam See all 222 Events Shania Twain See all 83 Events Dead & Company And it didnt get any better when the former star ended up in a dispute with ABKCO Records. And I'm very, very pleased with the way the book came out.". Per an announcement made on his official Facebook page, Rydell's death has been attributed to pneumonia. SonicHits. And not only did she save my life, but she saved seven other people, as well. The movie was the 13th highest-grossing film of 1963. Mr. Rydells repertoire included plaintive love ballads; slow, danceable tunes; occasional frenetic rockers like Wild One and Swingin School; and ageless songs like Domenico Modugnos 1958 hit Volare, which became Mr. Rydells signature song in his later touring years. Rydell's book, Bobby Rydell: Teen Idol on the Rocks: A Tale of Second Chances, was published in 2016 and was written with Allan Slutsky. 7 One Last Kiss - Stereo - Bobby Rydell. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more. Mr. Rydell married his high-school sweetheart, Camille Quattrone, in 1968. His international reputation was boosted by tours in Europe and others to Australia where he would tour 20 times Japan and the far east. Bobby Rydell and Ann-Margret in Bye Bye Birdie (1963). The kids who run the record companies are 20 years old. He was 79. As the Facebook statement pointed out, at the time, "he became the youngest singer to perform" at the famed establishment. sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices. He was 79. Hoffman is the president of the fan group, according to reports. Six decades later, teamed with his fellow singers Frankie Avalon and Fabian, he was still drawing crowds. When I say drinking, I used to hide bottles of vodka in my golf bag in the back of the trunk of my car, and God forbid half of a bottle was gone, Id have to go to a liquor store and get a new one. Boosting your levels of vitamin D could prevent your death from coronavirus. Entertainment Bobby Rydell, 60s teen idol and 'Bye Bye Birdie' star, dies The star had nearly three dozen Top 40 singles, starred in various TV shows, and had the high school in "Grease" named . Within three weeks, it was the No. During his legendary music . Thankfully, Bobby managed to come back, and he even started touring as part of The Golden Boys stage production. [19] His autobiography was published in 2016. Still, realizing that being Mrs. Bobby Rydell would thrust Camilleinto the public eye, he sent her to a finishing school for six months. [2] The original stage production of Bye Bye Birdie had no real speaking role for the character of Hugo, but the movie script was rewritten specifically to expand the part for Rydell. Every time I leftespecially when I went outside the U.S.I missed Camille more and more. Dont worry, thats outgoing, not incoming, one Marine told me. Over the following 70 years, he would sing everything from rocknroll and smoochy love songs to disco, Broadway classics and Italian pop tunes. Mr. Rydell was a pop phenomenon but hardly a cutting-edge rock star. His father was the foreman in a machine shop. In 1958, Bobby signed a recording contract with Cameo Records. "We started that show in 1985, and it was a tremendous success," Rydell told From the Mixed Up Files in 2020. Rydell died of complications from pneumonia . "I said, 'Why me?' Since news broke of Rydell's death, countless celebrities have voiced their admiration of him. In the Broadway musical Grease, the high school is called Rydell High an elegant but sometimes forgotten tribute to Bobby Rydell. By the time he was eight, his reputation led to an appearance on a talent show on the national television series,TV Teen Club. They had two children. Both of his parents were of Italian descent. I surmised that he had some serious pull in certain unspecified circles. He appears at the films beginning and is played by actor Von Lewis. After cutting a few unsuccessful singles, Rydell signed to Cameo Records, and made his first appearance on the charts with the exuberant Kissin Time (1959). About Bobby Rydell Tour Albums. Rydell is survived by his wife, Linda J. Hoffman, son Robert Ridarelli, daughter Jennifer Dulin, and his five grandchildren, according to the statement. In 1963, he starred with Ann Margaret in the musical film, Bye Bye Birdie. (NEXSTAR) - Bobby Rydell, a pop singer and star of the 1963 film "Bye Bye Birdie," has died at the age of 79. Would you like to joinus? Then he asked me what I was drinking. Bobby Rydell, a teen idol from the 60s known for songs like Wild One and his role as Hugo Peabody in the 1963 film Bye Bye Birdie, has died, according to a statement released by his representatives. Rydell was a longtime resident of Penn Valley, Pennsylvania . Rydell died of complications from. [2] In May 1960, Rydell toured Australia with The Everly Brothers, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Marv Johnson, The Champs, The Crickets, and Lonnie Lee. We had a 16-piece orchestrathree trumpets,three bones, drums, guitar, bass,full percussion., Rydell still loves to perform. Rydell was also immortalized in the 2018 film"Green Book," which depicted his legendary performance at Copacabana at the age of 19. Newsner Celebrity The story behind 60s teen heart-throb Bobby Rydell. "And I don't know if my wife ever watched the whole movie, but we left it on, and she says, 'Oh my God, look at you. His most well-known songs include 'Wild One' and 'Volare' ; in 1963 he appeared. [20], The street on which he was born in Philadelphia was renamed Bobby Rydell Boulevard, in his honor. A Philly Music Legend has passed on. scientific studies and medical journals. Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh were the films stars, but the parts of Hugo and Kim were considerably beefed up in the transition from stage to screen. He recorded 34 Top-40 hit-records and sold more than 25 million records, including Volare, Wild One, We Got Love, Kissin' Time, Swingin' School, Wildwood Days, and Forget Him. Robert Louis Ridarelli was born into an Italian family in 1942 in South Philadelphia. [13] By that point, the British Invasion had arrived and acts such as Rydell suffered a dramatic decline in popularity. Linda Hoffman is a cardiac sonographer who met Bobby in October 2007. } ); The cause was complications of pneumonia, said Maria Novey, a spokeswoman. Bobby Rydell's death was attributed to pneumonia complications. So we sat downAllan came to my homeand we sat down close to two years and I just poured my heart out. After transplant surgery, he returned to the stage the following year with three sold-out shows in Las Vegas. The follow-up, We Got Love, sold a million copies, igniting a streak of hits including Wild One, Swingin School, Ding-A-Ling and Volare. Christian Atsu Missing: I will not leave site until Atsu is found - Christian Atsu's brother vows . If, as a New York Times critic put it, he was more like a crooner than a rocker, Rydells photogenic looks and endearing personality ensured he would prove far more durable than many flashier, more confrontational artists. His most well-known songs include 'Wild One' and 'Volare' ; in 1963 he appeared. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); [22] In January 2013, six months after the double transplant surgery, Rydell returned to the stage in Las Vegas for a three-night engagement to a sold-out audience. B obby Rydell, a former teenage idol known for hits such as "Volare" and "Wildwood Days," has died at the age of 79. Rydell reveals how life was in the early days of rock n rolland how he once needed some help fromPhiladelphias mob bossat the time, Angelo Bruno, to secure a role in a movie. Through it all, Bobby Rydell, 74, survives. We were having a great time talking about the usual stufffood, music, womenand he also asked me a few questions about my career. In fact, the former teen idol is still singing live to this day and tours with some other big names of the '60s. DJ Jerry Blavat spoke of his friend's talents to The Philadelphia Inquirer, claiming, "He could have been as big as Bobby Darin, but he didn't want to leave Philadelphia." Because of them we have some wonderful memories from growing up. If I played Palumbos in South Philly, Nicky Scarfo, Philip Testa, or several of the other local Philly boys might be hanging at the bar. The cause of. Full track listing and details of the 7" vinyl record Bobby Rydell - The Woodpecker Song / Little Queenie - Cameo Parkway - Netherlands (1963), on 45cat. He didnt name the song, but Mr. Rydells 1960 hit Swingin School includes a Yeah, yeah, yeah refrain. Bobby Rydell Format: Audio CD 345 ratings Amazon's Choice for "bobby rydell cd" $1298 Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns See all 9 formats and editions Streaming Unlimited MP3 $10.49 Listen with our Free App Audio CD $12.98 21 Used from $3.74 4 New from $12.95 Includes FREE MP3 version of this album. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. Unlike some of the other pretty faces of his era, he was a real musician. MUSIC icon Bobby Rydell died at age 79 on Tuesday. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. It's very, veryit's brutally honest. That man you just called aliardo you know who that is?. The three are all from South Philadelphia and knew each other as kids. "Oh, I mean, what an honor!" The Philadelphia born singer, with his amazing voice, took America by storm. In several interviews, he praised the person from whom he got his liver and kidney,a young girl from Reading, Pennsylvania, named Julia. Cowritten with Allan Slutsky, it addresses histempestuous relationship with his motherShe was bipolar, he says nowand the sadlast days of his childhood sweetheart and first wife, Camille, whose 2003 death from cancer sent him into a spiral of alcohol abuse that resulted in transplant surgery. [4], In 1961, he performed at the Copacabana in New York City, where he was the youngest performer to headline at the nightclub. After that, Bobby Rydell published the extremely . Born Robert Ridarelli on April 26, 1942, the star died on April 5, just weeks shy of what would . (Some sources say the song was Forget Him, which is somewhat similar lyrically to She Loves You.). He also starred in a number of films, including"Marco Polo Junior" and, of course, "Bye Bye Birdie." Download the song for offline listening now. My first experience recording for a big labelmight have overwhelmed me, but the three songs we cutPlease Dont Be Mad, All I Want Is You, and a tune penned by Paul Ankawerent particularly exciting. Born Robert Ridarelli on April 26, 1942, the star died on April 5, just weeks shy of what would have been his 80th birthday. Bobby Rydell performing in Wildwood at age 10, A lot of Italian singers from my eraand probably a decade or two beforewere rumored to have mob affiliations or mob backing. [6], Rydell left Cameo-Parkway Records later in 1964 and signed with Capitol Records. It didnt hurt that Dick Clarks American Bandstand was broadcast in those years from Philadelphia, the home of Mr. Rydells label, Cameo Records. Bobby Rydell, a pompadoured heartthrob of early rock 'n roll who was a star of radio, television and the movie musical "Bye Bye Birdie," died Tuesday. It's one of your most important organsso you may want to listen to what it has to say. He won the contest, and the show's presenter, Paul Whiteman, recruited him into the cast, where he remained for several years. Bobby Rydell, 1960s teen idol and star of the 1963 film "Bye Bye Birdie," has died at the age of 79. 1 marketing tool in popularmusic at the time: Dick Clarks American Bandstand. Complete song listing of Bobby Rydell on OLDIES.com. Bobby Rydell - The Singles & Albums Collection 1959-62. Things started to move fast, and his father resigned from his factory job to become Bobbys road manager.