magnifier
Image
magbottom
 
American Bandstand host Dick Clark speaking with singer Bobby Rydell in front of the show's audience in 1958.
Close Window

A young Dick Clark is seated in the front row of an audience of young people, next to a smiling Bobby Rydell.

Credit: Courtesy of Temple University, Urban Archives, Evening Bulletin Photo collection

One of Rock and Roll's early teen idols, Bobby Rydell (born Robert Louis Ridarelli, in Philadelphia) played with then trumpeter Frankie Avalon in a band called 'Rocco and the Saints' before signing with the local Cameo label and scoring his first hit with "Kissin" Time" in 1959. Rydell would become Cameo's biggest star, recording 28 top-100 songs before he signed with Capitol Records in 1964. Like other local singers, Rydell received invaluable national exposure through his appearances on American Bandstand.

Back to Top