Bobby Rydell

One of the biggest teen idols of the 1950s and '60s, Bobby Rydell was a likable pop singer who scored a string of hit singles that made the most of his bright, flexible vocal style and engaging personality. Along with Frankie Avalon and Fabian, Rydell was one of the leading Philadelphia-based stars who dominated the pop charts in the years after Elvis Presley went into the Army and before the British Invasion changed the landscape of rock & roll. Rydell had both talent and charm, and sustained a career as a singer longer than many of his peers. While he was a sure hand at pop standards and could perform in Italian, the bulk of his recording career took place during his days as a teen idol, and 2005's The Best of Bobby Rydell: Cameo Parkway 1959-1964 is an excellent summary of his hitmaking era.