Bobby Rydell

Bobby Rydell (born Robert Louis Ridarelli, April 26, 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American teen idol from the early 1960s era of Rock and Roll.

Career

During his pre-teen years, he was on the Paul Whiteman show, singing and doing imitations.Fact|date=June 2007 As a teenager, he played with Frankie Avalon in a band known as Rocco and the Saints. [See: "Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990", Record Research, Inc., Menomonee Falls WI, 1991] He was later signed by Cameo Records and became an international star. In 1963, he portrayed Hugo Peabody in the movie version of "Bye Bye Birdie" with Ann Margret and Dick Van Dyke.

During the 1960s, Rydell had nineteen hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. These included his most popular hit, 1960's "Wild One" (his highest charting single, it reached #2). Other songs included, "Volare" (#4), "Swingin' School" (#5), "Kissin' Time" (#11), "Sway" (#14), "I've Got Bonnie" (#18), "The Cha-Cha-Cha" (#10), and "Forget Him" (which reached #4 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 Singles chart).

Rydell's 18 charted hits — six of which hit the Top 10 and 12 of which hit the Top 20 — was quite a feat in the age when Elvis Presley was still king and the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Motown sound hadn't hit the American musical scene yet. Rydell's hits came in the four years after the death of Buddy Holly, the Army induction of Presley, the jailing of Chuck Berry, the scandal that hit Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard's retirement into ministry.

Although those major rockers, for the most part, weren't charting hits anymore, Rydell did share the airwaves with numerous hit artists, including Elvis Presley, who was still scoring hits during and after his tenure in the army.

Rydell is also considered one of the "Teen Idols" — such as Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Johnny Tillotson, Jimmy Clanton and Bobby Vee — who all ruled the pop charts during this time.Fact|date=June 2007

Ironically, Rydell's last chart smash was a song called Forget Him, which hit in the waning months of 1963, just before the British Invasion hit the American music business.

During this time, Rydell also appeared on many television shows, including the "Red Skelton Show" and the "Danny Thomas Show". On October 6, 1964, he guest starred on a highly acclaimed episode (Duel) of the TV series "Combat", playing opposite Vic Morrow. This was Rydell's first dramatic role.

Rydell continued to perform in nightclubs, supper clubs and Las Vegas venues throughout the 1970s and 1980s (although his career was hindered by the fact that ABKCO Records didn't released any of the Cameo-Parkway hits until 2005, forcing him to re-record his old hits which were issued by K-Tel Records). He still performs as a solo act, and part of "The Golden Boys" (with childhood pals and fellow Philadelphians Frankie Avalon and Fabian).Fact|date=June 2007

Media

In both the Broadway musical and film "Grease", the high school was named "Rydell High" after Bobby Rydell.Fact|date=June 2007

Chart singles

Cameo Records

External links

* [http://www.bobbyrydell.com/ Bobby Rydell Fan Club Site]
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* [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=21952&cr=artist&or=ASCENDING&sf=length&kw=bobby%20rydell/ Bobby Rydell at Billboard.com]
* http://www.geocities.com/shakin_stacks/bobbyrydell.txt
* http://www.history-of-rock.com/bobby_rydell.htm

ee also