I’m tired of politics today. My good friend Chris and I have been going back and forth all day on his blog http://www.redhogdiary.com/ on the issue of illegal immigration, and I just don’t have it in me to tackle politics today.
Instead, I’m going to talk about an issue that I really feel passionate about. I have a very eclectic taste in music. At any time my “shuffle” on my IPod might go from AC/DC to Frank Sinatra to Buck Owens to Black Sabbath. I love music, all types of music, but what I am really drawn to are entertainers.
Now most people today don’t have the same definition of “entertainer” as I do. My parents were in their late thirties when I was born, and they were both the youngest in their families, which mean I had a lot of older relatives around, and ultimately that lead to my being introduced to their world of entertainment. Sure, I was swept up in Beatlemania and Elvis in my formative years, but I was just as likely to be entertained by Dean Martin or The Marx Brothers. And it wasn’t Saturday night at our house unless it started out with The Lawrence Welk Show.
I love all of the old entertainers. Sammy Davis Jr., Sinatra, and Jimmy Durante, but none more than Bobby Darin. Most everyone is familiar with Bobby’s songs such as Splish Splash or Mack The Knife, but very few know the real Bobby Darin.
The most amazing thing about Bobby Darin is that he had the opportunity to be a star in the first place. Bobby was born sickly in 1936, and at eight years old he was diagnosed with a rheumatic heart, and overheard a doctor tell his mother he wouldn’t live to 16. That would have given most of us a reason to give up. It gave Bobby a reason to live his life to the fullest, since he knew his life would not be as long as yours or mine.
In 1959 Bobby told Life Magazine that he wanted to be a legend by the time he was 25. Many people took this as arrogance, but the truth was Bobby knew that if he was to become a legend, he might only have until age 25. And what a legend Bobby became. In addition to winning new Artist of The Year in 1959, Bobby went on to conquer Vegas (youngest ever to headline at The Sands) as well as Hollywood, where Bobby earned an Academy Award nomination for his roll in Captain Newman, M.D.. Bobby was also staring in his own television series at the time of his death at 37 in December of 1973.
Darin was instrumental in bringing up new talent. Richard Pryor, Flip Wilson, and Wayne Newton opened his night club performances when they were virtually unknown. Early on, at the Copacabana, he insisted that black comic Nipsey Russell abe his opening act, at a time when no black entertainer had been allowed in the Copa.
For those of you unfamiliar with Bobby’s work, I suggest getting any of Bobby’s CDs and checking him out. Then, I suggest getting ALL of Bobby’s CD’s and starting a life long love affair with this amazing American Idol. Also, I suggest renting (or better yet, buying) Beyond The Sea, the 2004 Bobby Darin Biopic staring Kevin Spacey. Sure, Spacey was older than Darin ever lived to be at the time of the film, and it’s a little hard watching him portraying Bobby in his early 20’s, but this truly is a role Spacey was born to play (Spacey also co-wrote and directed the film). And watching Kate Bosworth as Bobby’s wife Sandra Dee ain’t all that bad either.
When Bobby’s weak and weary heart finally stopped ticking, he had more than fulfilled his goal to be a legend. Bobby’s body of work is amazing, and it’s mindboggling to think what he could have accomplished had he not been taking from us at such a young age.
Instead, I’m going to talk about an issue that I really feel passionate about. I have a very eclectic taste in music. At any time my “shuffle” on my IPod might go from AC/DC to Frank Sinatra to Buck Owens to Black Sabbath. I love music, all types of music, but what I am really drawn to are entertainers.
Now most people today don’t have the same definition of “entertainer” as I do. My parents were in their late thirties when I was born, and they were both the youngest in their families, which mean I had a lot of older relatives around, and ultimately that lead to my being introduced to their world of entertainment. Sure, I was swept up in Beatlemania and Elvis in my formative years, but I was just as likely to be entertained by Dean Martin or The Marx Brothers. And it wasn’t Saturday night at our house unless it started out with The Lawrence Welk Show.
I love all of the old entertainers. Sammy Davis Jr., Sinatra, and Jimmy Durante, but none more than Bobby Darin. Most everyone is familiar with Bobby’s songs such as Splish Splash or Mack The Knife, but very few know the real Bobby Darin.
The most amazing thing about Bobby Darin is that he had the opportunity to be a star in the first place. Bobby was born sickly in 1936, and at eight years old he was diagnosed with a rheumatic heart, and overheard a doctor tell his mother he wouldn’t live to 16. That would have given most of us a reason to give up. It gave Bobby a reason to live his life to the fullest, since he knew his life would not be as long as yours or mine.
In 1959 Bobby told Life Magazine that he wanted to be a legend by the time he was 25. Many people took this as arrogance, but the truth was Bobby knew that if he was to become a legend, he might only have until age 25. And what a legend Bobby became. In addition to winning new Artist of The Year in 1959, Bobby went on to conquer Vegas (youngest ever to headline at The Sands) as well as Hollywood, where Bobby earned an Academy Award nomination for his roll in Captain Newman, M.D.. Bobby was also staring in his own television series at the time of his death at 37 in December of 1973.
Darin was instrumental in bringing up new talent. Richard Pryor, Flip Wilson, and Wayne Newton opened his night club performances when they were virtually unknown. Early on, at the Copacabana, he insisted that black comic Nipsey Russell abe his opening act, at a time when no black entertainer had been allowed in the Copa.
For those of you unfamiliar with Bobby’s work, I suggest getting any of Bobby’s CDs and checking him out. Then, I suggest getting ALL of Bobby’s CD’s and starting a life long love affair with this amazing American Idol. Also, I suggest renting (or better yet, buying) Beyond The Sea, the 2004 Bobby Darin Biopic staring Kevin Spacey. Sure, Spacey was older than Darin ever lived to be at the time of the film, and it’s a little hard watching him portraying Bobby in his early 20’s, but this truly is a role Spacey was born to play (Spacey also co-wrote and directed the film). And watching Kate Bosworth as Bobby’s wife Sandra Dee ain’t all that bad either.
When Bobby’s weak and weary heart finally stopped ticking, he had more than fulfilled his goal to be a legend. Bobby’s body of work is amazing, and it’s mindboggling to think what he could have accomplished had he not been taking from us at such a young age.
3 comments:
OH MAN! I remember your album collection in college well! You had a vast collection of supurb music Bob. That is one thing we agree on! Tunage is a wonderful thing. Our combined library rarely left us wanting for what ever the mood was in "the crib." yeah...we were gangsters! You still have the old killer Sansui stereo? I still have my old Technics receiver. I don't use it but I never was able to bring myself to put it on the curb. Those were the glory days man.
Oh Man, I can't tell you how much I miss that Sansui. I had to leave it in Oklahoma when I made the move to California. I had to bring all my worldly possessions in my car, and it was the Sansui or my clothes. I think I made the wrong choice.
I do still look for one on eBay from time to time, and it isn’t the $400 for the amp that bothers me, but the $300 to ship it.
Yeah, we did have some great tunage in those days. I was actually able to track down a Fotomaker CD a few months ago, something I haven’t been able to listen to since the cave days.
Thanks for stopping by, and please leave comments more often. I know you generally don’t because you agree 100% with what I say, but just the same….
OK, so I have nothing to say about this post but I did leave a comment over on your friend's site. Of course he'll rip it apart, but I thought I made some decent points. :)
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