Age, Biography, and Wiki
Robert Walden Cassotto, known professionally as Bobby Darin, was born on May 14, 1936, in Harlem, New York City. He is celebrated as an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Darin’s remarkable career spanned pop, swing, folk, rock and roll, and country music, making him a true icon of versatility in the entertainment world. He passed away tragically young on December 20, 1973, at the age of 37 after a battle with heart disease.
| Occupation | Country Singer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 14 May 1936 |
| Age | 89 Years |
| Birth Place | New York City, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 20 December, 1973 |
| Died Place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Due to the era in which Bobby Darin lived, precise details about his height, weight, and other measurements are not widely documented in public records. Most sources suggest he was of average stature for his time, likely around 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm), which was typical for male singers and actors of the mid-20th century. There is no verified information regarding his weight or other body measurements.
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Bobby Darin was married to actress Sandra Dee in 1960. The couple had one son, Dodd Mitchell Darin, and divorced in 1967. Their relationship was highly publicized and considered one of the golden Hollywood marriages of the era. After his divorce, Darin did not remarry, and there is little public record of serious relationships before his death in 1973.
Darin started his career as a songwriter for Connie Francis. In 1958, Darin co-wrote and recorded his first million-selling single, "Splish Splash", which was followed by Darin's own song "Dream Lover", then his covers of "Mack the Knife" and "Beyond the Sea", which brought him worldwide fame. In 1959, Darin was the inaugural winner of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and also won a Record of the Year for "Mack the Knife" at the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards. In 1962, Darin won a Golden Globe Award for his first film, Come September, co-starring his first wife, actress Sandra Dee.
During the 1960s, Darin became more politically active and worked on Robert F. Kennedy's Democratic presidential campaign. He was present at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at the time of Robert Kennedy's assassination in June 1968. That same year, Darin discovered the woman who had raised him was his grandmother, not his mother as he thought, and learned that the woman he thought was his sister was actually his mother. Those events deeply affected Darin and sent him into a long period of seclusion.
Because his mother was only 18 at the time of his birth, Darin was raised to believe his maternal grandmother was his mother and Nina was his older sister.
In 1968, when Darin was 32 and considering entering politics, Nina told him the truth, devastating Darin. She refused to reveal the identity of his biological father, and took that secret to her grave when she died in 1983. The father's identity remained unknown until 2020. In April of 2020, Emilio "Milton" LePore (1911 – 1965) was traced, through familial DNA, as being Darin's biological father.
By the time he was a teenager, Darin could play several instruments, including piano, drums, and guitar. He later added harmonica and xylophone. Darin took his stage name, Bobby Darin, when he began to record. One version of how Darin got the name is that the first three letters on a Mandarin Chinese restaurant were burned out. According to another version, he adapted it from the first name of actor Darren McGavin, TV's Mike Hammer. Darin said: "My legal name will remain Cassotto. Cassotto was my mother's name, and it will be my children's name."
A member of the Brill Building gang of struggling songwriters, Darin was introduced to singer Connie Francis, with whom he helped write several songs. They developed a romantic interest, but her father was not fond of Darin and did not approve of the relationship, and the couple split up. At one point, Darin wanted to elope immediately; Francis has said that not marrying Darin was the biggest mistake of her life.
Guided by Atlantic's star-maker Ahmet Ertegun, Darin's career finally took off in 1958 when he recorded "Splish Splash". Darin co-wrote the song with radio DJ Murray Kaufman after a phone call from Kaufman's mother, Jean, a frustrated songwriter. Her latest song idea was: "Splish, Splash, Take a Bath". Both Kaufman and Darin felt the title was lackluster, but Darin, with few options, said: "I could write a song with that title." Within an hour, Darin had written "Splish Splash". The single, Darin's first successful foray into the rock-and-roll genre, sold more than a million copies. His partnership with Kirshner, who was not involved in the writing of that song, ended at that time. Darin made another recording in 1958 for Brunswick Records with a band called the Ding Dongs. With the success of "Splish Splash", the single was re-released by Atco Records as "Early in the Morning" with the band renamed as the Rinky Dinks. It charted, and made it to number 24 in the United States.
In 1956, Darin and Connie Francis met after their manager, George Scheck, arranged for Francis to record a song Darin had written. They were soon in what Darin's friends described as, "an intense romance". However, Francis's parents did not approve of Darin, and one night after returning from a date, Francis found her bags packed and waiting for her on the front step. Darin proposed almost immediately. When her father found out about the engagement, he stormed into the rehearsals of The Jackie Gleason Show with a gun and threatened to shoot Darin, who managed to escape out of a window. Darin and Francis talked briefly after the show, but parted ways. Over a four-month period in 1956, the two maintained a secret correspondence involving love letters. Darin kept the letters until his death, and the letters were auctioned. They were returned to Francis later.
In the following years, they saw each other several times while appearing on the same television shows, but were never romantically involved again. In 1960, Francis heard on the radio that Darin had married Sandra Dee — just as her father and she were driving through the Lincoln Tunnel. Francis later wrote: "I wished that somehow God would cause the Hudson River to come gushing in and entrap us in that tunnel." Francis has said that not marrying Darin was the biggest mistake of her life.
Darin married actress Sandra Dee on December 1, 1960. They met in Rome, Italy, while filming Come September (which was released in 1961). It was Dee's mother, Mary Douvon, who convinced the actress to go on a date with Darin. Later commenting on their relationship, Dee stated: "Bobby loved me. He was a calculating guy, but I don't think he arrived in Rome with a plan to marry this new little Mary Pickford of Hollywood. Aside from the fact that he was rude, brash, and always trying to get a reaction, I didn't like this person. I just thought, this is a conniving SOB." On December 16, 1961, they had a son named Dodd Mitchell Darin. In the early 1960s, the pair became Hollywood's golden couple, but they had a troublesome marriage, and divorced on March 7, 1967.
Darin's second wife was Andrea Yeager, a legal secretary, whom he met in 1970. They married on June 25, 1973, after living together for three years. Four months later, in October 1973, the couple divorced amid strain caused by Darin's worsening health problems.
In September 2016, Dream Lover: The Bobby Darin Musical had its world premiere at Sydney Lyric Theatre, Australia. The production featured the story of Darin with an 18-piece big band. Darin was played by David Campbell. Darin had an unusual upbringing, being raised by a "mother" who was actually his grandmother and alongside a "sister" who was actually his mother, a fact Darin did not discover until he was 31 years old. Campbell grew up in a similar circumstance, leading Bobby's son Dodd Darin to describe Campbell as perfect for the role: "You have to have lived something like that to understand it and [Campbell] has, and I think he can relate to my dad, he can relate to the pain." Campbell made similar observations, describing playing Darin as a "cathartic experience", and stating, "I feel like I'm healing things during this show." The production was nominated in six categories in the 18th Helpmann Awards, including for Best Musical, with Campbell receiving the Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical. in 2024, Jonathan Groff was announced to play Darin in upcoming musical Just in Time.
| Parents | |
| Husband | Sandra Dee (m. 1960-1967) Andrea Yeager (m. 1973-1973) |
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Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death in 1973, Bobby Darin’s net worth was estimated at $700,000, which is equivalent to approximately $5 million in 2025 dollars after adjusting for inflation. This wealth was accumulated through a combination of chart-topping records, sold-out concerts, lucrative film deals, and television hosting roles.
During the peak of his career, Darin was among the highest-paid entertainers of the 1960s, earning substantial sums from his music, films, and television appearances. His annual salary is not widely documented, but it is clear that his diversified talents and ventures made him financially successful for his time.
Career, Business, and Investments
Early Beginnings:
Bobby Darin started as a songwriter at the famous Brill Building in New York City, co-writing songs for other artists before launching his own performing career. His breakthrough came in 1958 with the hit “Splish Splash,” which he co-wrote in just 12 minutes.
Rise to Stardom:
Darin followed up with global hits such as “Dream Lover,” “Mack the Knife,” and “Beyond the Sea,” which became timeless classics and cemented his reputation as a versatile entertainer. He also pursued a successful acting career, starring in films like Come September, Captain Newman, M.D., and Gunfight in Abilene.
Darin moved to the Bronx early in his life (with a rented summer home in Staten Island) and graduated from the prestigious Bronx High School of Science. In later years, Darin attributed his arrogance to his experiences there, where Darin was surrounded by brighter students who teased him. Darin then enrolled at Hunter College and soon gravitated to the drama department. After only two semesters, he dropped out to pursue an acting career. Darin was an ambitious young adult and aspired to be an actor, go on Broadway, and become a recording artist.
Darin's career took off with a songwriting partnership, formed in 1955 with Don Kirshner, whom he met at a candy store in Washington Heights. They wrote jingles and songs, beginning with "Bubblegum Pop". In 1956, Darin's agent negotiated a contract with Decca Records. The songs recorded at Decca had minimal commercial success.
In 1959, Darin recorded the self-penned "Dream Lover", a ballad that became a multimillion seller. With it came financial success and the ability to demand more creative control of his career; Darin meant for his That's All album to show that he could sing more than rock and roll as a result. Darin's next single, "Mack the Knife", the standard from Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, was given a vamping jazz-pop interpretation. Although Darin was initially opposed to releasing it as a single, the song went to number one on the chart for nine weeks, sold two million copies, and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1960. He was also voted the Grammy Award for Best New Artist that year, and "Mack the Knife" has since been honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
In 1963, Darin was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a shell-shocked soldier in Captain Newman, M.D. Throughout his acting career, Darin appeared alongside a series of Hollywood leading men - Sidney Poitier, Steve McQueen, and Gregory Peck.
Of his first Direction album, Darin told the press, "The purpose of Direction Records is to seek out statement-makers....The album is solely comprisedof [sic] compositions designed to reflect my thoughts on the turbulent aspects of modern society." Darin was struggling with his finances as his music career was dwindling. Darin's venture into protest music was not received favorably and generated little or no profits. In late 1969, Darin sold his songs, his record label (Direction Records), and publishing company (TM Music), losing the copyright to his own music and eventually, their worth. The company to which Darin sold them went bankrupt. During his final days, Darin was believed to have been still trying to gain back the rights to his music.
Beginning on July 27, 1972, Darin starred in his own television variety show on NBC, Dean Martin Presents: The Bobby Darin Amusement Company, which ran for seven episodes ending on September 7. Beginning on January 19, 1973, Darin starred in a similar show on NBC called The Bobby Darin Show. That show ran for 13 episodes, ending on April 27. Darin subsequently made television guest appearances and remained a top draw.
On May 14, 2007, Darin was awarded a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars to honor his contribution to making Las Vegas the "Entertainment Capital of the World" and named him one of the 20th century's greatest entertainers. Fans paid for the star. Darin also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1986, director Barry Levinson intended to direct a film based on Darin's life, and had begun preproduction on the project by early 1997. He abandoned the project, the rights to which were subsequently bought by actor Kevin Spacey, along with Darin's son, Dodd. The resultant biopic, Beyond the Sea, starred Spacey as Darin, with the actor using his own singing voice for the musical numbers. The film covers much of Darin's life and career, including his marriage to Sandra Dee, portrayed by Kate Bosworth.
Social Network
As Bobby Darin passed away in 1973, before the advent of the internet and social media, there are no official social media profiles under his name. However, dedicated fan pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram keep his legacy alive, sharing his music, films, and tributes.
In October 1964, Darin appeared as a wounded ex-convict who is befriended by an orphan girl in "The John Gillman Story" episode of NBC's Wagon Train Western television series.
In 1970, Darin proposed a self-directed and written film The Vendors (1970), about the life of a folk singer. However, the production left him broke and was not released, which led Darin to return to music. In spite of his declining health, Darin's last venture was spent performing live, while undergoing heart surgery and receiving post-treatment medication. He released his last album, self-titled (1972) on Motown.
Education
Bobby Darin attended the Hunter College Elementary School and later enrolled at The Bronx High School of Science. Despite a promising academic record, he left school at the age of 16 to pursue a career in music and entertainment, eventually honing his craft at the Brill Building in Manhattan.
Conclusion
Bobby Darin’s legacy as a singer, songwriter, actor, and television host remains influential, with his music continuing to inspire new generations of artists. His net worth, adjusted for today’s standards, reflects the success he achieved across multiple entertainment platforms, making him a true icon of the 20th century.
