Jack Wagner Interviews

Bobby Darin

Audio File

Jack Wagner: When did you make your very first contact with music , do you remember?

Bobby Darin: Oh it was probably sometime when I was screamin' for a bottle at the age of 3 months or something. It's funny, my Mom was a musician and an entertainer in fact, way way back, turn of the century kinda style. I think I was always influenced by her without her ever saying to me,you know, why don't you go into the business or why don't you do something musical. It was just a natural family type of atmosphere that hung on in the air, you know.

JW: And Bobby while your talking about influence, usually during the formative years, an artist will usually pattern himself after or be influenced by another artist, such as June Christy's admiration for Anita O'Day style, or George Shearing for Art Tatum and so on. What about your career, Bobby? Who was your idol?

BD: That would be very hard to say, Jack. I could probably list easily a dozen people that would fit into the category of the utmost in admiration on my part. I don't ever remember having an idol outside of Donald O'Connor at the age of 17. I thought this man was the absolute be all and end all. I still feel that way about him. But since that time I've added people like Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Al Jolson, Bing Crosby...the older I got, the more respect I had for a certain kind of legendary figure.

JW: Well, influence is one thing but what you do all by yourself is what really counts.

BD: You know something Jack? That sounds just like a cue.

( Bobby's record "All By Myself" starts to play...)

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