At age 11, Dodd Darin hit four home runs in a single Little League game. “On the fourth one, I’m trotting around the bases in all my glory and I hear, ‘Run those bases, kid, hustle it! Move that you-know what!’” he recalls. The voice belonged to Dodd’s father, singer Bobby Darin, cheering him on from the sidelines. “That was him, always driven and always wanting to make it,” says Dodd.
Few performers shined brighter than Bobby in the late 1950s and early 1960s. “He had incredible gifts. He was a songwriter, actor, singer, musician. He played seven instruments. He was a terrific dancer, comedian and impressionist,” says David Evanier, author of Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin. “He did it all.” The performer’s accomplishments are even more impressive due to the poor health, poverty, emotional betrayal and tumultuous marriage that Bobby overcame on his climb to the top.
He always knew his life would be short, so Bobby never stopped moving. “At age 7, he got rheumatic fever, which damaged the heart valves,” explains Dodd, author of a biography of his famous parents, Dream Lovers: The Magnificent Shattered Lives of Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee. “He overheard a conversation with his mother and the doctor saying even with good care, [he would] not live past 16 years old.”
A bright child, Bobby was a pupil at the prestigious Bronx High School of Science. “He was the smartest man I ever met,” singer Connie Francis, his first love, tells Closer. “He could talk about anything; poetry, philosophy, politics, history — anything, you name it!”
Denne historien er fra July 10, 2023-utgaven av Closer US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 10, 2023-utgaven av Closer US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
MEMORIES OF MY FATHER James Darren
THE ENTERTAINER'S SON SHARES UNTOLD STORIES OF HIS DAD'S AMAZING LIFE & CAREER
NIKKI DELOACH Why I CARE SO MUCH
THE LONGTIME HALLMARK CHANNEL FAVORITE HAS A VERY PERSONAL REASON FOR HER PHILANTHROPIC WORK
DEBORAH NORVILLE My Path to HAPPINESS
THE HOST OF INSIDE EDITION SHARES HER SECRETS FOR A SUCCESSFUL AND WELL-BALANCED LIFE
JOHN C. MCGINLEY HOME for the HOLIDAYS
The Scrubs alum talks about his limited series Holidazed and shares his favorite showbiz memories
HOW TO PREPARE FOR COLD & FLU SEASON
FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE STEPS TO STAY HEALTHY THIS WINTER
Hearty, Big Batch FAMILY EATS
Feeding a small army? These simple and delicious suppers banish any stress
Rita Hayworth Her Long Road to Fame
AFTER YEARS OF DOMINATION BY THE MEN IN HER LIFE, SHE FOUND THE COURAGE TO STAND ON HER OWN FEET
It's Love for Music Man Co-Stars
\"I've watched everything she's done. It's amazing.\"
Simply Delicious ITALIAN DELIGHTS
Easy, homey and flavorpacked, these recipes from celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli feel like a hug from your kitchen
JEFF BRIDGES - MY LIFE IN 10 Pictures
“I’M A product of nepotism, man,” quipped Jeff Leon Bridges, who, along with his older brother Beau, was drawn into acting by their father, Lloyd.