Bobby Rydell: Teen Idol On The Rocks: A Tale of Second Chances

by Bobby Rydell, Allan Slutsky

At seventeen, Bobby Rydell was the face of American Bandstand — the kid from Italian South Philly with the smoothest voice, the highest pompadour, and the sweetest smile. And there were those “Wild One,” “Volare,” and “Forget Him,” to name a few. He was far more than just a teen idol. Bobby’s voice and boy next door charm earned him a spot singing, acting, and dancing with Ann-Margret in the film adaptation of the hit musical comedy, Bye Bye Birdie. His comedic talents made him a nighttime fixture during the golden age of TV variety shows, and his phrasing and musicianship led to dozens of headlining gigs in the casino showrooms of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Frank Sinatra anointed him as his favorite pop singer of the early ‘60s. But early success took a toll on his life. Bobby Rydell’s brutally honest street corner narrative evolved during an eighteen-month collaboration with Allan Slutsky, the award-winning author and producer of the widely acclaimed book and documentary film, Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Inspiring, gut-busting, and, at times, heartbreaking, Teen Idol On The Rocks gives you a front row seat to the turbulent, six decade journey of one of rock and roll’s earliest, and most celebrated teen idols.

Genres: Biography, Music, Memoir, History, Autobiography

266 pages, Paperback

Published April 29, 2016

Reviews

[Koren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didnt know much about Bobby Rydell. He is a little before my time, but I enjoy reading about life in the 60's. Remember Rydell High in the movie Grease? He mentions it in the book but doesn't say if they took the name from him. Bobby Rydell was huge in the early 60's. I thought he was in the beach movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello so I was hoping to read more about that but he was not in any of those movies and actually only had a couple of big hit songs and movies so it surprised me that he is considered an idol. I think if you are a big Bobby Rydell fan you would enjoy this book but otherwise I would skip it.

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very basic overview of Rydell's career and life that lacks depth and glosses over some major problems in his life.

Those include his gambling issues, smoking and alcohol addictions, living with his parents his entire life, and dealing with the Mafia, who "help him" with a few of his bills. He attempts to act saintly, barely alluding to any sexual indiscretions, and trying to milk his later-in-life tragedies (his wife dies of breast cancer, he had his kidney and liver replaced after decades of drinking, his mother berates him as he gets old). No one ever really stands up to him or forces him to grow up, until he marries his second wife who soon organizes an intervention. But Rydell glosses over that in one paragraph.

There are some questionable timelines in the book as well. For example, he claims that at age seven, in 1949, he was performing locally doing an imitation of Crazy Guggenheim from the Jackie Gleason Show. Of course, that TV variety show was still years in the future, with that character not joining it for almost a decade. So his memory is fuzzy.

Instead we get a lot about his drumming, favorite drummers, Philadelphia pals he loves, how great Frank Sinatra was, how testy Frankie Avalon could be, and even a bit about the fist fights he got into. But it's never enough to create a full picture because Bobby Rydell wants to remain a Teen Idol the rest of his life.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing better than finding a book you've wanted to read, opening it, and discovering that it has been signed by the author. And then, when the book turns out to be an enjoyable read, everything's even better. For some reason lately, I've been on kick of reading books by people I admired in my youth. Although not from Philadelphia, I do remember watching Dick Clark's Bandstand in the Phillie days. I was only about 5 or 6, but my sister and I would daily watch Bandstand and the Mickey Mouse Club. We loved them both--and Bobby Rydell was always my favorite of the teen idols at that time. He as cute; he was polite; he was energetic and funny; and he really could sing. The nice thing about this book is that I like him even better after reading the book. Unlike some other rock biographies, he doesn't paint himself as a god. He admits his mistakes yet still acknowledges his strengths and his talents. He's a person more than a star, and I liked the person that comes through in the book. (I just noticed that I claimed to have read the Kindle edition. I didn't. It was a paperback edition, which is how it could be signed.) I enjoyed this walk down memory lane. I even YouTubed some clips of Bobby Rydell songs. There are a lot of good ones. If you decide to pick just one, I'd go for "Sway". I am happy I found this book, and after reading it, even happier that it was a signed copy. It all makes me smile.

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always had a thing for Bobby Rydell ever since I saw Bye Bye Birdie (I think I was 3 and it was on HBO) and thanks to social media I follow him on Facebook. When I learned of his autobiography, I was eager to get my hands on it. Robert Ridarelli's rise to fame was impressive but not without bumps along the road. This quick read gives a succinct and satisfying story of his life, his successes, setbacks, dark moments and troubled relationships. He doesn't sugar coat. This book tugged at my heartstrings and made me laugh, smile, and share with anyone who would listen "Did you know that Bobby Rydell...?" I highly recommend to anyone who's a fan of hims, of Bye Bye Birdie, or of the golden era of rock 'n' roll. ❤

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always loved Bobby Rydell since I was a teen. Saw Golden Boys of Bandstand when they came to Milwaukee and he was the best! In my opinion, he should have had a larger and longer recording career. He has an excellent voice and is a wonderful entertainer. Wish he had a Michael Buble type of career in recordings today! Loved the book and would recommend it especially if you are a fan!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was just a child when Rydell was at his peak, but I always loved his voice. This frank autobiography pulls no punches evaluating his behavior through the years, and I felt like I was sitting with him having a conversation and reliving the high (and low) points of his life. His ride at the top of the charts was cut short due to the British Invasion and poor management at his record company, but he continued to perform and entertain thousands of fans for decades. His recent death reminded me how much I enjoyed watching him perform. A good walk down memory lane.

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bobby Rydell, born Robert Louis Ridarelli in 1942 in Philadelphia. One of his first performances was in 1952 in Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club, he started playing drums at the age of 9, and later performed in 1959 on American Bandstand. He recorded Kissin Time when he was 17. Since then his career took off with numerous records such as the popular Volare, Wild One and Swinging School. He performed on many shows such as American Bandstand, The Perry Como Show, The Ed Sullivan Show etc, and also appeared in Make Room for Daddy and in Bye Bye Birdie with Ann Margaret. The impressive singer appeared on American Bandstand for 33 and 1/3 years.

I was born in 1953 so when I was able to recall Mr.Rydell, his career had already taken off. I do remember hearing all of the teen heartthrobs during that time period as my parents were huge fans. So I definitely grew up listening to this music. I absolutely loved Bye Bye Birdie, of which Mr. Rydell appeared. A time when rock and roll was definitely taking off with Bobby Darren, James Darren, Fabian and Frankie Avalon for starters then moving on to Elvis and the Beatles. Amidst health concerns, family dysfunctions Mr. Rydell's career flourished and he is still performing today at the age of 74. Very impressive indeed. I generally don't read a lot of biographies as they can get bogged down in details, but this one was easy to read and interesting and I enjoyed it.

I received a copy of this book for review purposes.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s no secret that the entertainment industry can be cruel to teenage stars. Overwhelmed by fame and money, teenagers can be blindsided when the attention ends in their twenties. Bobby Rydell, despite the book’s title, seems to have fared better than most. Though he quit charting when the British Invasion hit America in the early sixties, he parlayed his song catalog and looks into a successful career, especially in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. This autobiography (co-written with Allan Slutsky) is standard fare with copious photos that fans will especially enjoy. I wasn’t aware that his success was tied to his initial exposure on the Philadelphia based “American Bandstand.” Rydell (Ridarilli) saves the “on the rocks” part of his story for the end as he turns to alcohol in his fifties to deal with his wife’s terminal cancer and his beloved father’s death. His alcoholism led to encephalopathy and cirrhosis with a double organ transplant; the emotional support of his second wife provided him with borrowed time and a new perspective on life. His mom, who lived into her nineties, proved to be the source of some of his career and personal missteps; she was a real-life mix of “Gypsy”s clingy Mama Rose and “Eastenders” unloving Pauline Fowler. Fans of music of the fifties and early sixties will appreciate Rydell’s openness and candor in this cautionary tale.

[Bobbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw that Bobby Rydell was speaking at my local library. South Philly guy, teen idol during my childhood; why not go. He walked in with a cane, flashed a charming smile as he explained it was a recent healing injury, and entertained us Q&A style with stories of his career. His book was very much in that same vein, charming guy from the neighborhood, early and continued fame, never forgot his roots. His story grew on me in the days and weeks after I finished reading his story. I wished he had spoken to the changing times, integrated the world around him more in his tales, but that wasn’t the story he had to tell. And that’s okay.

[Estahli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw Bobby in Atlantic City, he didn't sing his old Rock and Roll songs...he sang incredible standards, told his story about rising and falling, bought his book. I wasn't a fan, I was a little young. His story was fascinating.

[jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Bobby!

I love Bobby! Everyone my age should read this great autobiography. I could hear the music playing, the kids screaming, and feel the pain that Bobby went through with his illnesses while reading this extraordinary life story. Bless you, Bobby!

[Doc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bobby Rydell's memoir is an enjoyable and informative read!

I had only cursory knowledge of Bobby Rydell's career, knowing his big hits from oldies radio and having seen Bye Bye Birdie. His memoir is well-worth reading if you're a fan of his and in general, 60s pop music. Of the so-called late-50s/early-60s teen idols, which included Frankie Avalon, Fabian, James Darren, and Ricky Nelson, Rydell was arguably the most musically prolific. Besides being a competent vocalist, he was also a musician equally competent as a drummer.

Rydell had what it took for longevity in entertainment. Indeed, he lasted longer than most of his peers. However, he explains the happenstances that pulled the rug from under his singing career, including Cameo-Parkway's demise, the "British Invasion" overwhelming the American pop music market, and label executives not investing in promoting his music. Rydell's experience with the music industry isn't necessarily unique. Just about everyone from that era has a horror story about how they were treated by the music industry. But for Rydell, we get the sense that all his experiences - good and bad- along with challenges in his family life, were also a part of his maturing from teenager to an adult man understanding the world around him.

Bobby Rydell always had a clean-cut public image. From reading this memoir, however, we see that he had his life challenges like all of us do. Yet, through it all, he appears to have remained principled and lived by a core set of values he set for himself. Fame and fortune didn't diminish who Robert Ridarelli was at heart.

There's only one thing I found disappointing in his discussion of Cameo-Parkway was his neglect in saying something about his recordings with Chubby Checker. Given the details he provides about his early career and travels with package tours, it's surprising that the duet album he did with Chubby Checker isn't mentioned. It was a Top 10 album in late 1961/early 1962. Despite this, it's' a fun and poignant read.

[Hal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bobby Rydell was a bit before my time, but I do remember his face showing up all the time on my older sisters fan mags on the rock stars of that era. I could not recall any of his hits and it turned out to be somewhat limited. It seems four lads from London, er... Liverpool cut into his ascending stardom like so many of his kind in this time.

I happened to listen to a few of his bigger hits, being "Wild One" and his version of "Volare". This guy could sing all right and was a great entertainer on stage. He just didn't make the super stardom echelon and was relegated to touring the local scenes and performing, as well as the Vegas gig.

The book is his story told to a ghost writer and it is quite a good read taking him from the streets of South Philly up to his later years before his recent passing. He was blessed with a fantastic life long wife and a wretched shrew of a mother who he blasts justifiably. His dad was a saint though and did much to promote his career.

He basically just toured and toured hooking up in the later years with Frankie Avalon, and Dion. They got a lot of mileage from their past and clashed with each other in the process but performed as professionals do.

Drinking was his big downfall later on and it was not a pretty picture. He didn't seem to take control of it and it let to serious health problems that resulted in liver and kidney transplants. And he still after all that did not admit to kicking the habit.

Despite his downfalls however Bobby was a performer, it was his talent, he knew it, and delivered. In sum a great talent from a great era before the invasion of the Brits that changed it all overnight.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the Philadelphia fifties teen idols—James Darren, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, and Bobby Rydell—I was least familiar with Rydell. Growing up at the height of their popularity, I somehow migrated to the former three and was aware of, but not enamored of, Bobby Rydell. But coming across his autobiography, something compelled me to read it. It is a readable, fairly standard autobio, telling of the high and low points of his career, his relationships with his wives, his children, his managers, his dad, and most specifically his abusive mother. Rydell is honest and brutal about his battle with alcoholism as well. His personal relationships are the high points in this book. His showbiz connections, with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ann Margret, George Burns, and others, his deep friendship with Avalon, with its ups and downs, his love for his father, and his deep love for both wives all make this a very personal, very likeable tale. Rydell’s book doesn’t break any new ground, but for his fans, it is a treasure; for those of us, like me, who love to delve into show business, it is a wonderful addition to the genre.

[J.J. Lair · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are parts of this book that were interesting. He tells stories of how he made it and contacts over the years. I could tell pretty quick that this was self-published. The writing style just felt it. There are stories about growing up that I didn’t care. I don’t care about his school. When the fame comes, it gets interesting.
The book is conversational and easy going to read, but too conversational. It could’ve used a clean up editing job.
The book doesn’t give up gossip on other performers. He met a fair number of rockers over the years. To Bobby Rydell's credit, he does get into his faults, alcohol, absentee parenting, and first sexual encounters. This wasn't just a memoir where the author tells everyone how great he was. He does own up to shortcomings in an honest way.
When I went to the book signing, Bobby Rydell went into the story of his donated liver. Everyone in the room was enraptured. I got the book thinking that organ donating would be a big theme. It gets only a few pages in the book.

[Dennis Stuempfle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. I like biographies and autobiographies is they about interesting celebs and seem real and truthful about the person's life. Bobby Rydell tells his story with a matter-of-fact attitude from his early years (age 4) through his trying times with alcohol abuse and medical problems. He doesn't make excuse for his behavior but tells of his bad performances and how badly he treated co-performers and friends at times. He takes responsibility for his behavior. Some of the book is funny but it may have been because he and I grew up in the same neighborhood of South Philly so I can relate to some of the things he says. But what I liked was his off the cuff way or stating things. Yes, it's the story of a child with talent who went on to become a superstar in the 50s and early 60s. But, Rydell also talks about being a regular guy, recognizing when his star had faded, decisions he made that worked out well and some that he might have done differently, like his decision to remain in Philly rather than to move to LA where he might have had a great career in the movies.

[Florence Buchholz · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was thirteen years old my father told me that by the time I turned fourteen I would have forgotten all about Bobby Rydell. Well, I never did. And here it is almost sixty years later and I still have not forgotten.

This seems like a genuine account of Bobby's life. Reading of the early days in South Philly was a real treat. He was not a bad kid but not an angel, either. (Philadelphia was central to his life and to mine, also.) From an early age Bobby seemed aware of his talent. With his father's help, first the neighborhood, then the city, then the world also became aware of his entertaining gifts. The book outlines a trajectory of a career with its many ups and downs. And it is told in an unpretentious manner, including the parts that are not flattering.

Rest in Peace, Bobby Rydell. The world will miss you.

[Penny Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rydell's brisk memoir is honest, funny, and thoughtful. He talks about the highs and lows of his life and career, and acknowledges his luck and his talent in fair measure. Lots of b&w photos add to the fun. He is not a whiner, but offers a frank account of his alcoholism, along with people who helped or hurt him. He also acknowledges his own flaws. A great look at how a teen idol's career is usually relatively short-lived, but how he was able to make it last with touring. Really fun for fans.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a fan of Bobby's, I enjoyed his book. Was nice to read about Ann-Margret coming to see him. Most facts, I knew, but not the intricate details. Always felt he should have gone farther, but now I understand more. Didn't realize just how many performances he gave. He sure kept busy ! Kinda chuckled now and then, realizing just how funny he could be. Seemed very down-to-earth and self-deprecating.

[Michele Maxson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Bobby!

I always thought Bobby was adorable & I loved his music. His autobiography was an eye opener! He went thru hell & back (his mother was an awful person) between losing his wife & his alcoholism to his surgeries (brought on my the alcoholism) Yeesh!! But he has persevered !

[Sava Kharmysheva]

I don’t rate biographies/autobiographies/memoirs
This was good, I enjoyed it, really liked the way he spoke about his life, made it feel more like someone I know rather than a book. I would say this is one of those books you pick up if you are actually a rydell fan, if not 🤷🏻‍♀️ you can be the judge

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just an ok read. At seventy six, I can recall very few of his hit songs. Must be on a different "hit parade" than I knew.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I saw him in person speaking about the book, the revelations of his life were not a surprise. But overall it was enjoyable.

[Rho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. Honest Engaging. Home town boy makes good!!!!!

[Robert Thacker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thin, slapdash, and frequently delusional autobiography of a Philly mama's boy with a stage father. Oft told tale of squandered fame and fortune, not told well.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never heard of Bobby rydell

[Sandy Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but I was a big fan of his. Lots that he talked about were disappointing, I had no idea about his problems, but I would recommend the book to fans of his

[Gail O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly entertaining book. Read it in one sitting. You never realize how tough an entertainers life can be. I think anyone who grow up in that era would enjoy reading about his life and struggles.

[Neville Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bobby Rydell is a breezy, relatively quick read of the life and career of this rocker from the Fifties and early Sixties. I always loved “Kissin’ Time," "Swinging School,” “Wild One,” “Sway” and “Volare,"all hits that stand up well today. I’ve not encountered much written about him over the years, but have always been curious about his life. He gives it straight, the ups and downs, the Philadelphia scene, his happy marriage with his first wife, who died, and now with his second. Seems he is a pretty nice guy at the end of the day. The English Invasion ended his recording career and others of the genre, but Bobby plugged on and always worked and made a good living. Alcoholism almost leveled him, but he came through and is still at it. He’s earthy at times, but of no matter. Allan Slutsky, his guitarist, co-wrote and publishes the book and is to be commended for doing an excellent job. There are lots of cool pictures too. I don’t think it’s debatable that he had the best pompadour of all time. He writes it took a lot of hairspray.