Thursday, October 18, 2012

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Bobby Rydell

Artist:Bobby Rydell
Song:Wild One
Album:The Best Of Bobby Rydell: Cameo Parkway 1959-1964




Bobby Rydell was one of several teen idols who emerged in the late 50s. Wild One was his biggest hit in 1960. He was born Robert Ridarelli Apr. 26, 1942 in Philadelphia. He admired Gene Krupa and learned to play drums at age 6. At age 8, he won Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club talent contest and remained on the show for three years. As a teen, he was drummer for Rocco & the Saints and took the stage name Bobby Rydell. Frankie Avalon was also in that group. Rydell signed with Cameo Parkway Records and his debut single Kissin' Time reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. We Got Love did even better at #6. And then Wild One reached #2. It would turn out to be Rydell's biggest hit. Wild One was written by Cameo Parkway owners Bernie Lowe and Kal Mann along with house producer Dave Appell. Lowe and Mann wrote the Elvis Presley hit Teddy Bear. Rydell's other top five hits were Swingin' School, Volare and then Forget Him in 1964. Rydell starred in the 1963 film Bye Bye Birdie and acted on TV. He could have been an actor but he preferred singing. Rydell left Cameo Parkway for Reprise in 1964 but nothing ever came of that. The Cameo Parkway recordings are owned by ABKCO and were unavailable for years. So Rydell re-recorded his hits so fans could get them. This ABKCO comp was released in 2005 and contain Rydell's original recordings. Bobby Rydell has performed in clubs for decades. He is currently recovering from a July double organ transplant. Here's Bobby Rydell performing Wild One and Sway 1986.

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