60s Heart-Throb Bobby Rydell And His Struggles Over The Years

Dec 12, 2020

People who grew up in the 1960s will surely have heard of teen heartthrob Bobby Rydell. The singer from Philadelphia took the charts by storm, with megahits such as "Wild One" and his famous cover of "Volare." Even the school ‘Rydell High’ in the musical film “Grease,” was named after him.

If we had to compare the following Rydell had in the 60s we could compare it to the level of fans Justin Bieber has today. However, after a decline in popularity and struggles with addiction, Rydell was forced to take some time out from the music industry, but that never stopped him from returning to his one true love: show business.

Bobby Rydell was born Robert Louis Ridarelli on April 26, 1942, in Philadelphia. His family was Italian, but he changed his name to an Americanized version when he began performing.

Rydell has always been proud of living in Philadelphia, feeling at home there because of its strong Italian community, and even to this day he calls himself a true Philly guy.

“I’m just an East Coast guy. When I’m home every Wednesday night, I get together with a bunch of guys. We’re all Italian, [so] we go to an Italian restaurant in south Philadelphia and it’s the camaraderie, just hanging out [talking] about sports, old girlfriends…We bring up all kinds of stuff, and it’s just a lot of laughs. I would miss that if I moved to the West Coast. I don’t think I could find those kinds of people like I [have] here in Philadelphia,” Rydell told REBEAT Magazine.

In 1950 Rydell got his big break when he was only 8 years old and won a talent show at Paul Whiteman’s TV Teen Club. He remained on the show for several years and began playing in bands before being signed as an artist. "Kissin' Time" was the first song of his to get recognition in the charts in 1959.

Huge hits such as “Wild One,” “Volare,” and “We Got Love” in the early 1960s saw Rydell become a teen icon and as he continued to top the charts with his songs, his fanbase continued to grow.

His role as Hugo Peabody in “Bye Bye Birdie” in 1963 only added to his celebrity status and the film was a huge commercial success.

Speaking to Connecticut Magazine, Rydell said:

“I screen-tested with Ann-Margret and it must have looked good because they kept adding more dialogue and more songs for us in the movie. I am not a movie star by any stretch of the imagination, but I was lucky to be in the film. It’s a classic.”

But with fame also comes a hidden cost. The music industry can be harsh, and it takes a lot of strength to survive it and continue to be current and relevant.

When the music industry changed in the late 60s, British rock and pop music dominated in the United States. Bands such as The Beatles replaced the early teen idols of the early 60s such as Rydell. Rydell was a victim of the change and fell in popularity. Rydell was left with no choice but to perform in nightclubs in Las Vegas to make a living.

It was around this time that Rydell fell victim to alcohol addiction.

“I became a total alcoholic. When I say ‘drinking,’ I used to hide bottles of vodka in my golf bag in the back of the trunk of my car, and God forbid half of a bottle was gone, I’d have to go to a liquor store and get a new one. My God, you know, I couldn’t run out of my friend,” he explained in an interview with The Morning Call.

After the loss of a loved one, people often struggle to cope and this can amplify and exacerbate existing pressures. This happened to Rydell when his wife and high school sweetheart, Camille Quattrone Ridarelli, passed away in 2003 from cancer. The couple had been married since 1968. It was after this tragedy that Rydell’s drinking problem got worse. “There was a void in my life and alcohol became my dear friend,” he confessed.

Rydell was able to turn his life around with the help of his long-time friend Linda Hoffman, who he later married in 2009. She was a positive influence on his life and helped him overcome his demons, stop drinking, write his autobiography, and recover from the surgeries he underwent. In 2012 Rydell’s condition had deteriorated to the point where he was at risk of losing his life. He needed a double organ transplant to replace his liver and one kidney.

“The drinking got bad and then my health got even worse and I needed the double transplant, liver, and kidney, or I would die,” said Rydell.

Rydell underwent a double organ transplant on July 9, 2012. He received a liver and one kidney. The organs were donated by a 21-year-old woman named Julia, who sadly died when she was hit by a car. Through her donation, she saved Rydell’s life and he will be forever grateful. He now dedicates a lot of his time to public awareness, making sure that he is vocal in letting people know how the gift or organ donation can truly save and change lives.

Thanks to Julia’s generosity, Bobby was able to be back performing in Las Vegas only 6 months after the huge operation. According to Villages News, in Rydell’s autobiography he writes, “When I first met her family, there were a lot of tears and hugging. We all mourned her loss… My deepest feelings about Julia took a while to sort out.” Now, he refers to her as his “special angel.”

Rydell’s autobiography, “Teen Idol on the Rocks: A Tale of Second Chances,” has been a huge success. It is a candid, honest retelling of his life. Rydell spoke about why he wanted to write an autobiography after so long, and why it needed to be as transparent as it is.

He said, “I figured if I was going to do an autobiography after so many years of living my life, being 74 years old right now, it would have to be very sincere and honest, and I think that’s the way the book comes off.”

“The book says, ‘a tale of second chances,’ and I’ve been given a second chance with the double transplant and heart surgery. I think I’m bionic at this particular time. I’m just very, very thankful with everything that’s happened in my career—the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’ve been very, very fortunate, and I’ve been able to deal with it,” he continued.

The surgeries went well and Rydell recovered fully, allowing him to have a second chance at life, and at his career. According to his official website, he is still part of “The Golden Boys” stage production—something he has been a part of for 30 years, and has been part of over 700 performances.

As well as singing and performing, not everyone will know that Rydell is a keen drummer. His love affair with drumming started as a child under the guidance of his father. Rydell was extremely close to his father, stating in his book, “My father was the most influential figure in my life.”

He told Modern Drummer, “When I was five years old, my Dad took me to the Earl Theater in Philadelphia to see the Benny Goodman band. Every time his drummer took a drum solo, the audience went crazy. I turned to my father and said, “Daddy, I don’t know who that man is, but I want to be like him.”

Rydell first took the stage as a professional drummer at the age of nine. By the time he was 19 years old he was a professional  performer and incredibly he was the youngest person to headline the Copacabana in New York. Across his career, Rydell has had 34 Top 40 hits, which puts him in the Top 5 artists of his era. Rydell also still performs to audiences in the US and abroad. It may come as a surprise to know that Rydell is one of Australia’s favorite performers, and according to his website, he has had 20 tours down under. Another couple of regular performance spots for Rydell are Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

So, with such longevity in the show business industry is Rydell keeping up with modern times? When asked about his presence on social media—which it looks like Rydell does have a few profiles on, he said, “I guess my fan club president [or] my wife [runs it]. I don’t know anything about Twitter or Facebook. They take care of all of that stuff. Whatever they put on there, that’s their problem.”

Now that Rydell has a new lease on life it doesn’t look like he’s going to give up his dream career and he has made it clear that retirement is definitely not on the cards.

In 2016, Bobby said, “I’m the kind of guy who’ll sing and perform until I die. It’s all I’ve ever known. I still get antsy when I haven’t hit a stage for a while. I still love what I do. When I can’t do it anymore, you might as well start shoveling the dirt on top of me.”

It’s fantastic to see Bobby Rydell turn his life around. Share this inspiring tale with anyone who needs some encouragement today.