Bobby Rydell first stepped onto the stage when he was just eight years old, and now six decades later is still as enthusiastic as ever, after a brush with death sparked a renewed passion for life.
The 71-year-old has enjoyed a distinguished history in the limelight, selling millions of records, starring in the classic movie ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ and playing to sold-out stadiums in Las Vegas.
When he became seriously ill a few years ago, his performing career was under threat but luckily for Rydell, a double transplant in 2012 saved his life and transformed his attitude.
“I had a new liver and a new kidney put inside me and I’ve been given a new lease on life to be able to perform again, prior to the operation I was very, very sick and I didn’t know if I would be able to perform again but god has blessed me through these years and since the operation I’ve been feeling wonderful,” he said.
Rydell’s experience also triggered him to become an advocate for organ donation.
“I’m a big promoter of organ donorship, my donor was a young girl who lived not too far from where I live, Philadelphia, she was only 21-years-old. Her name was Julia and unfortunately she was hit by a car and not only did she save my life but she saved seven other people as well. And I promote that when I’m up on stage, how important it is to become an organ donor,” Rydell said.
The iconic entertainer is currently in Australia on tour, on what he estimates as his 20th visit down under since his first concert here in 1960.
“I just love the country so much, that’s why I always want to go back every couple of years or so and tour in Australia. The people are wonderful, the climate is great, the food is wonderful and my fan base in Australia since 1960, it’s phenomenal, and that’s why I keep going back,” Rydell said.
He will be playing at the EVAN Theatre, Penrith Panthers on Friday, February 7 for a show that will feature all his hits and some comedy.
While Rydell has always been popular in this country, it took him a while to realise that his Australian fans had different song preferences to his American fans, which led him to tailor his concerts to local tastes.
“After the show, signing autographs, taking pictures, they [fans] would say ‘Bobby, this show was wonderful but what happened to ‘Swingin’ School’ and ‘The Cha-Cha-Cha?’, and I really didn’t realise that those records were big hits for me in Australia. So the last few years, I’ve had my arranger write up those particular songs,” he said.
Rydell was one of America’s original child stars, giving his first performances when he was just eight, followed by his public debut as a teen idol in the late 1950’s.
“If I had any talent whatsoever, my dad was the first one to see it when I was eight or nine-years-old, and he used to take me around to different clubs in Philadelphia and asked the club owner if I could get up on stage and sing some songs and do some impersonations, some comedy… I guess that’s where it all stemmed from,” he said.
Despite beginning his career so early, Rydell said he still got to spend time with friends after his shows and never felt like he missed out on enjoying a normal teenage life.
“We had so many nightclubs in Philadelphia and my dad used to take me around on the weekends, but after that was over, yeah that was fun, that was wonderful but I wanted to be with the guys and the girls from the neighbourhood… so I didn’t miss out really too much of growing up,” Rydell said.
Classic hits such as ‘Volare’ and ‘Kissin’ Time’ have made Rydell the perfect symbol of the 1950’s, with his iconic status leading the makers of the musical (and film adaptation) of ‘Grease’ to name a fictional high school in his honour.
Surprisingly though, the star has never seen the popular 1978 film that introduced him to a younger audience and immortalised his name.
“I’ve never seen ‘Grease’… I’ve seen bits and pieces of the movie picture but I’ve never seen it from start to finish and all of a sudden it’s Rydell High, where the kids went to school, and I said ‘oh, what a wonderful tribute, they could have picked anyone really to name a high school, it could have been Presley High, Anka High, or Everly High but it’s something that will be with me for the rest of my life.”
