22 Facts About Bobby Rydell

Bobby Rydell continued to tour up until his death in 2022.

Bobby Rydell grew up in the Lower Moyamensing neighborhood of South Philadelphia.

Bobby Rydell won the contest, and the show's presenter, Paul Whiteman, recruited him into the cast, where he remained for several years.

In May 1960, Bobby Rydell toured Australia with The Everly Brothers, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Marv Johnson, The Champs, The Crickets, and Lonnie Lee.

In 1963, Bobby Rydell released the song "Wildwood Days," which reached Number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for nine weeks.

Bobby Rydell's recording career earned him 34 Top 100 hits, placing him in the top five artists of his era.

Bobby Rydell left Cameo-Parkway Records later in 1964 and signed with Capitol Records.

Bands such as The Beatles became more popular, and Bobby Rydell unwittingly contributed to his own downfall by inspiring John Lennon and Paul McCartney to write "She Loves You", a song which catapulted their success way beyond his.

Bobby Rydell appeared on The Danny Thomas Show, Jack Benny, Joey Bishop, and The George Burns Show.

Bobby Rydell was a regular on The Milton Berle Show and was a panelist on To Tell the Truth in 1964.

In 1963, Bobby Rydell starred in an unsold television pilot called Swingin' Together produced by Desilu Productions, which featured him as the frontman for a four-piece rock 'n roll band seeking their big break.

Also during that time, Bobby Rydell served in the 103rd Engineer Battalion of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

In January 1968, it was announced in the UK music magazine NME that Bobby Rydell had signed a long term recording contract with Reprise Records.

Bobby Rydell had one more hit after 1965, a disco re-recording of "Sway", which reached the Billboard Easy Listening chart in 1976.

Bobby Rydell continued to tour for the remainder of his life, often with Frankie Avalon and Fabian Forte, performing under the name "The Golden Boys".

Bobby Rydell was married to his first wife, Camille Quattrone Ridarelli, for 35 years, from 1968 until her death in 2003.

Bobby Rydell was a longtime resident of Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, and lived in the same house from 1963 to 2013.

Bobby Rydell served in the US National Guard, and began his service in 1964 with two months of basic training at Fort Dix.

Bobby Rydell cancelled a 2012 Australia tour because his health had deteriorated significantly and he was in need of urgent major surgery.

In January 2013, six months after the double transplant surgery, Bobby Rydell returned to the stage in Las Vegas for a three-night engagement to a sold-out audience.

Bobby Rydell continued to perform internationally and returned to tour Australia in 2014.

Bobby Rydell died from complications of pneumonia at Jefferson Abington Hospital on April 5,2022, at the age of 79.