Bobby Rydell, popularly known for being the "teen idol" of the '60s and for starring in the 1963 movie "Bye Bye Birdie," has passed away at the age of 79.
According to Variety, the singer died a few days before his 80th birthday. His cause of death was pneumonia.
Radio legend Jerry Blavat, Rydell's longtime friend, confirmed the tragic news, saying his good pal was the "greatest entertainer" and told "the best stories."
Rydell was the epitome of an American teen pop star; his popularity led the Broadway musical and subsequent film "Grease" to name its set, "Rydell High School," after him.
Throughout his singing career, he had 34 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His popular songs include "Wild One," "Volare," "The Cha-Cha-Cha," and many more.
His other song, "We Got Love," reached number six on the charts in 1959.
Born Robert Louis Ridarelli on April 26, 1942, the singer was very inclined toward music ever since he was a kid as he started singing and playing the drums at the age of six.
By seven years old, he started performing professionally in nightclubs around Philadelphia and South Jersey with the help of his father.
Rydell won a talent show in 1950 for the TV series Paul Whiteman's "TV Teen Club." He later became a regular cast member of the series.
After working on the program for over three years, he changed his name to "Rydell" and started playing for local bands like Rocco and the Saints.
At first, the singer was unsuccessful with his career as his singles for small and independent labels never took off.
However, he later signed with Cameo Records in Philadephia, making him a chart-topping artist by 1959.
His first few singles, "Kissin' Time," "We Got Love," "Wild One," and "Volare," became successful, earning him the title of "teen idol."
In 1961, Rydell made history when he performed at the Copacabana in New York City as he was the youngest performer to headline at the famous nightclub.
Aside from having a solid fanbase in the United States, he had a great relationship with European and British audiences after playing at the Festival du Rock, Palais des Sports de Paris in France.
The singer did not only focus on his singing career as he also starred in numerous films, his most famous being "Bye Bye Birdie," with Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke.
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