Bobby Rydell, Legendary ‘Wildwood Days’ Singer, Dies at 79

Close to 60 years after Rydell released his hit song, “Wildwood Days,” in 1963, it remains part of the soundtrack of summer at the Jersey Shore, sung by generations. 

The teen idol was known for his connection to Wildwood, a city he first fell in love with when he spent summers there growing up. He later grew to help define its culture, as part of a small group of Philadelphia musicians, including Chubby Checker and Frankie Avalon, who played many shows in Pacific Avenue nightclubs on their rise to international stardom but continued to return and perform when they had long outgrown its venues. 

Well into his 70s, Rydell would sometimes perform for a crowd of less than 100 in an impromptu show at Joey M’s restaurant, then he would headline a casino or big venue the following night, seemingly never tiring of singing these lyrics to his hometown hit, that in the seaside town, “every day is a holiday and every night is a Saturday night.” 

The son of a machine shop foreman, Rydell was born Robert Louis Ridarelli. He grew up in South Philadelphia and always called the city home. He died in Abington, Pennsylvania, from complications of pneumonia, according to The New York Times. 

“Truly Wildwood’s favorite son,” Mayor Peter Byron told the Herald. “Had the pleasure of meeting him a number of times. A great entertainer and more importantly, a real gentleman. He never forgot his roots and really loved Wildwood. He’ll be missed.” 

Rydell’s death was unexpected, according to reports, but he had health problems dating back to a double transplant to replace his liver and kidney in 2012. He had canceled a performance in January, scheduled for the Kimmel Center with the DJ Jerry Blavat, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.  

Rydell’s struggles with alcohol were well documented, including in his 2016 autobiography, “Bobby Rydell: Teen Idol on the Rocks.” He said in an interview that after his high school sweetheart and first wife, Camille Quattrone, died, he found himself keeping liquor bottles in the trunk of his Bentley and inside his golf bag and continued in a downward spiral until his second wife staged an intervention. Rydell said at that moment he changed, but by then, the damage to his body was done.  

Against the odds, he received a liver needed for the transplant when, by Rydell’s account, he was within a week to 10 days of death. Many of his performances since 2012 raised awareness and money for organ donation.  

Rydell first rose to prominence as a teen, when television host Dick Clark championed him on his “American Bandstand” program, which was taped in Philadelphia. Rydell went on to have 19 singles in the Billboard Top 40 and 34 in the Hot 100, starting with his first big hit, “Kissin’ Time.” 

The New York Times described Rydell’s recording prime as “the era roughly between 1959, when Elvis Presley was in the Army and Buddy Holly died in a plane crash, and 1964, when Beatlemania hit America.” 

In addition to Rydell’s success as a singer and performer, he made appearances on the silver screen, with his biggest hit coming when he starred in the supporting role of Hugo Peabody in the blockbuster film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Bye Bye Birdie.”