Dream Lover ...

Today is Bobby Darin's birthday. He was born under the name Walden Robert Cossotto on May 14, 1936 in the Bronx during the Great Depression. His family was very poor. When he was a young boy he suffered from rheumatic fever, which left his heart in a weakened condition. He overheard his doctor tell his mother that he'd be lucky to live to be 16 years old. Since he knew his life might be short, he strived to make something of himself. He excelled in school, had genius-level IQ, became a musician, singer, actor, husband, and father. Sadly, his life was cut short and he died in 1973 after an unsuccessful heart surgery. He was only 37 years old.

Bobby left behind some wonderful music. One of my favorite songs he did was Splish Splash. Some of his other big hits were Mack the Knife, Dream Lover, and Beyond the Sea. At one point, Darin owned and operated a music publishing company that signed on Wayne Newton. Wayne's signature song, Danke Schoen, was originally sent in for Bobby Darin to record. Bobby once said, "My goal is to be remembered as a human being and as a great performer." Although his life was sadly cut short, I believe he reached his goal.