Volare singer Bobby Rydell, the teen idol who also starred in Bye Bye Birdie, is dead at 79

dailymail.co.uk:

Bobby Rydell, the popular teen heartthrob singer who rose to fame in the 1950s and '60s, has died at 79.The singer died Tuesday of pneumonia, Variety reports.Rydell's biggest musical success came in 1960 with the release of his singles Volare and Wild One, though he would also branch out into acting as his career progressed.

Last bow:Bobby Rydell, the popular teen heartthrob singer who rose to fame in the 1950s and '60s, has died at 79; seen in 2013 in Coconut Grove, FloridaThe singer, who was bornRobert Louis Ridarelli in Philadelphia in 1942, got his big break when he was still a child in 1950 after he won a contest put on by jazz bandleader Paul Whiteman.He appeared on Whiteman's TV Teen Club talent show for multiple years and eventually changed his name to Bobby Rydell.

He attempted to officially launch his singing career in the late 1950s but failed to gain traction until his 1959 single Kissin' Time reached number 83 on the pop charts.Rydell followed it up with several hit songs, including We Got Love and Swingin' School, and the success made him a sensation back in Philadelphia.In total, he amassed 34 hit singles throughout his career.

Rydell was born in Philadelphia in 1942 and became a regular on Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club talent show starting in 1950, before having a string of hit rock and roll singles starting in 1959; pictured in 1965 Expanding his range: In addition to being a popular singer known for hits like Volare and Wild One, Rydell branched out into acting.