Bobby Rydell, star of ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ and lead singer of ‘Wild One’, has died aged 79.
The 1960s teen idol died on Tuesday (05.04.22) at Jefferson Abington Hospital in Abington, Pennsylvania from “complications of pneumonia unrelated to COVID,” according to a statement posted on his official Facebook page.
Born Robert Ridarelli, the rock ‘n’ roll singer and actor started out as a performer on Paul Whiteman’s musical variety show ‘TV Teen Club’ in 1950.
He rose to fame in 1959, when his first hit ‘Kissin’ Time’ made Billboard’s Hot 100 Hits in the United States.
Rydell has sold over 25 albums during his career and his biggest hits include ‘Wild One’, ‘Volare’, ‘Wildwood Days’ and ‘The Cha-Cha-Cha’.
Its 1963 track ‘Forget Him’ inspired Sir Paul McCartney, also 79, to write the 1964 Beatles classic ‘She Loves You’.
Rydell was also part of the doo-wop group Golden Boys along with Fabian and Frankie Avalon.
He was so popular in his heyday that 1978’s ‘Grease’ high school, Rydell High, was named after him.
As well as starring alongside Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh in the musical film ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ as Hugo Peabody in 1963, Rydell also appeared on the small screen in shows such as ‘Vacation Playhouse’, ‘The Red Skelton Hour’ and ‘The Facts of Life’.
