Bobby Rydell had his last Top-10 hit “Forget Him” in January 1964, just as “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles was creeping up the charts and would within a very short time render almost everyone who came before them “has-beens.” Unlike some of his teen idol contemporaries, Bobby Rydell was a damn good singer, and from what I’ve ever heard about him, a real stand-up guy. There were never any scandals about him, and he was married to the same woman for 36 years until her death. Bobby Rydell’s father was his manager, and at one point a local mobster “suggested” he fire his dad and take on the services of the mobster. Bobby told the guy off and the mob guy was so impressed with his loyalty to his father that, instead of having him taken outside and persuaded to change his mind, dropped it with no repercussions. If that story is true, Bobby Rydell had a lot of integrity and no small amount of guts in addition to his singing talent. He’ll be missed.
He was no saint. His alcohol addiction nearly killed him; it took a liver and kidney transplant to save him. But otherwise, he seemed like a decent enough person. He came from the same neighborhood as Fabian and Frankie Avalon.
As I understand it, his alcohol addiction came about as the result of the depression he experienced following his wife’s death from breast cancer. It certainly spiraled way out of control, resulting in critical health issues, but he was quite upfront about it in his memoir. True, he was no saint, but it’s admirable he was finally able to reign in his demons.
Of the three “Bandstand Boys” from the same neighborhood, he was certainly the most talented singer, though Frankie Avalon had a good run as an actor in those beach movies. (Fabian could neither sing nor act.) At least Bobby Rydell is best remembered for a good movie, “Bye Bye Birdie.”
He was name checked in Grease