Bobby Darin

Bobby Darin (born May 14, 1936, died December 20, 1973), born Walden Robert Cassotto, was one of the most popular rock and roll American teen idols of the late 1950s. However, he is widely respected for being a multi-talented, versatile performer.

As Long as I'm Singin (1936-1956): Early Years

Darin was born to a poor, working-class family in The Bronx, New York, and his father disappeared a few months before he was born at the height of the Great Depression. As a result, his mother had to accept social assistance to take care of her infant son. It was not until he was an adult that he learned his sister Nina, 19 years his senior, was in fact his mother. The identity of his true father was never publicly disclosed.

Related Topics:
The Bronx, New York - Great Depression

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Frail as an infant, perhaps from the poverty that resulted in a lack of proper diet and medical attention, at the age of 8 he was stricken with rheumatic fever. The illness left him with a seriously diseased heart, and he would live with the constant knowledge that his life might end at any moment. Driven by his poverty and illness, and with an innate talent for music, by the time he was a teenager he could play several musical instruments.

Related Topics:
Poverty - Diet - Rheumatic fever - Music

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An outstanding student, after graduating from the Bronx High School of Science, Darin attended college on a scholarship. Wanting a career in the New York theater, he left college to play small nightclubs around the city with a musical combo.

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