REASON NINE

DARIN LIVES!!

2006 is the fiftieth anniversary year of Bobby Darin's entry into show business. His legacy as a singer, performer, and songwriter has sustained over time for more than thirty years beyond his passing and there are no signs of his going away.

Darin lives as a singer

He exhibited greatness across the landscape of popular music. In interviews, he showed prescience about its future. He foreshadowed fusion in music with his country jazz approaches and pointed out the path that would lead to rap through his own penned songs such as Me And Mr. Hohner. He brought soul into croon and folk through his growls and howls and in his preacher's ways. His impeccable swinging versions of the standards have impacted a new generation of singers. He is often mentioned as an idol or influence by singers of the new generation. Darin satisfies his listeners with his songs. They listen closely. They collect. They want more. They are astounded both by the virtuosity and the versatility. He is unforgettable and lingers beyond the song both in our hearts and our minds. Darin's manager Steve Blauner said it best in a 2004 interview on the Larry King Live Show: "Darin is more popular now than when he was alive!"

Darin lives as a recording artist

He was a song interpreter of considerable merit. Every time he came before a microphone, he fused his intellectual gifts and emotional commitments to his performing talents and brought out the meaning in the song's lyric with depth and feeling. As more and more of these recordings found their way to the public, Darin became even more important as a vocalist. DVD's brought to light his skills as a consummate performer. They enabled people to rediscover him or discover him for the first time. Either way, the impact on the viewer is strong and exciting. On them, Darin does not look like he comes from the past. The movie "Beyond The Sea" brought him new fans and spawned CDs by Kevin Spacey and Roger Kellaway that were designed to honor the Darin songbook. Contemporary artists recorded Darin hits and described how they were influenced by him.

Darin lives again because Kevin Spacey moved mountains to get a movie made based on the life of Bobby Darin. It has brought Darin many new, dedicated fans, most of whom want to collect and to hear and to be astounded by the sheer excellence of the work. A reassessment of his career written by respected journalists and printed in respected publications and in books has resulted in an elevation in Darin's status as an artist. His legendary status is assured for the ages. He also lives through performances of his stirring anti-war anthem Simple Song of Freedom. As recently as a few months ago, a children's chorus sang the song at an anti-war rally. Darin is relevant to the world of 2006.

How would Bobby Darin feel about all of this interest and acceptance? I do not know, but I have a clue. I refer you to a photograph taken of Bobby Darin. It is on page 94 of Borrowed Time, first edition, by Al DiOrio. The caption states that it was taken after his June 1960 opening at the Copacabana nightclub. It is candid, unguarded, and unposed. Look closely and you will note a rare expression on Darin's face. Pride. Satisfaction. Self-fulfillment.

Darin will continue to live because we will continue to want more Darin. We are certain that there is more greatness to be found, be it in as-yet unreleased tracks or in episodes of his television shows "The Bobby Darin Amusement Company" and "The Bobby Darin Show." Darin archivist Jimmy Scalia promises there is more to come. Steve Blauner, Joel Dorn, and Jimmy Scalia are presently at work on a DVD that contains never-before-released Darin material.

Though he lived his half-life at warp speed, it would not be an exaggeration to state that his was a life of consequence both as an artist and as a human being. We wait for more. We want it all. He is a legend. His immortality is assured. Darin lives because his music lives. To end the series titled Nine Reasons Why Bobby Darin Matters, I leave you with a singular look at Bobby Darin hitmaker extraordinaire.

Splash, Mack and Dream Lover
Queen, Jane and Beachcomber,

Sea, Singing and Lazy River,
Things, Roses and Artificial Flower,

Baby, Reason and Wait By The Water,
Dolly, Charlie and Minnie the Moocher,

Feeling, Breaking and Song For A Dollar,
Lady, Freedom and Mr. Hohner,

Jive, Morning, If I Were A Carpenter,
Sail, Happy and Long Line Rider

"There is no ending for this song
We have to end it before long."

All together now . . . 2-3-4 . . .
WALDEN ROBERT CASSOTTO LIVES
Forevermore!