It’s hard to believe, but had he lived Bobby Darin would now be nearly 70 years old. While he was well appreciated during his lifetime, I firmly believe he wasn’t nearly as appreciated as he should have been. Bobby’s image and music are now frozen in time; we will forever remember him as a hip, swingin’ 20 and 30-something who came upon the scene and brought Big Band Swing to an even higher level. There are few now who remember Bobby’s contribution to the genre; aside from Sinatra, no one could front a Big Band the way Darin did.

If you haven’t listened to Darin, you might want to consider this an open opportunity to explore some of his music. Sinatra fans will instantly be drawn to his style; but please don’t consider him an imitator. He’s stands quite well on his own as one of the preeminent vocal performers of the 20th century. A new DVD, Seeing Is Believing, ought to go a long way towards proving this point. (I’ll have a review of this DVD in a few days after I’ve received my copy)

But getting back to my original point: Bobby would have been 70 this coming year. As a legendary Las Vegas entertainer, he hasn’t yet received his full recognition in the town he helped put on the map during its early days. A fan effort aims to change that. The Bobby Darin Star Fund’s goal is to purchase a small monument on Las Vegas’ Walk of Stars to honor Bobby. Please stop by their site and have a look.

A full review of the new DVD will be published in just a few days.