Bobby Darin, Singer

Born in the Bronx on May 14 1936, Bobby Darin has an unusual family history.

He was raised by Polly Cassotto, a showgirl, who he believed was his mother. Her husband, Saverio "Big Sam Curly" Cassotto, who he believed was his father, had reputed mob connections and died in prison. It turns out, though, that Polly's daughter Nina (his supposed sister) gave birth to Bobby when she was only 18 and he never knew who his real father was.

His first musical experience was playing drums in a band with friends from high school. They had a weekly gig in a hotel in the Catskills.

He attended college for awhile and started writing songs in 1956 at the age of twenty, one of which was noticed by Connie Francis' manager. He signed Darin to Decca Records.

Darin's first few singles did not do well, but after switching to Atlantic Records, the song "Don't Call My Name" got him on American Bandstand. After a few more flops, he finally hit the big time when "Splish Splash" was released in June of 1958. His brash style of singing and piano playing really made the song. More rock songs, like "Queen of the Hop" and "Dream Lover" pushed him to super stardom.

Once Bobby got on stage, he was home. While not the best looking guy in the room, he knew how to move and his confidence was magnetic.

Darin decided that there were too many rockers out there competing so he would do an album of standards.

The album, "That's All," considered a classic, included the hit song "Mack the Knife." The success of this album, which also included another hit, "Beyond the Sea," led to Vegas gigs and nightclub acts.

According to Darin, "My record, which is completely away from rock 'n roll, came at a time when tastes were shifting. It was perfectly timed and turned out to be one of the luckiest things I ever did."

Soon after, Darin began appearing in movies and writing songs for movie soundtracks. In 1961, at the age of 25, Bobby starred in the movie "Come September," which also starred the popular 16 year old Sandra Dee. He was smitten and soon asked her to marry him. While not impressed initially, she soon succumbed to his persistence.

Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee were married in 1960 and went on to make two more films together.

Their story is immortalized in the 2004 flick, "Beyond the Sea," starring a singing Kevin Spacey. (See trailer further down on the page) Although they divorced in 1967, this film shows that they were the loves of each others lives.

Although his films were not always memorable, Darin was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in Captain Newman, M.D. (1963).

Meanwhile his musical tastes were continuing to take him in different directions. He recorded country tunes, jazz tunes, and even some Ray Charles.

After switching to Capitol Records, Darin had hits with "Treat My Baby Good" and "18 Yellow Roses." His onstage performance electrifed audiences, as his 1960 recording "Darin at the Copa" shows.

In the late 60's, like many others at this time, Darin showed a passionate interest in civil rights and other social causes. He admired Senator Robert F. Kennedy and was devastated by his death. The song "In Memoriam" was written for Kennedy.

Darin articulated this passion in folk and protest songs, his most famous being "If I Were a Carpenter." He also recorded "Simple Song of Freedom" and "Blowin' in the Wind."

The year before his death, Darin starred in an NBC variety series, and some of his last known performances are from this show.

It has been speculated that the cause of his death might have been avoided. Apparently, he stopped taking some of his heart medicine and developed blood clots in his brain.

But Bobby's music lives on, and has been featured in many movies since his death.