A singer, songwriter and Oscar nominated actor, he aimed at the American dream. Robert Walden Cassotto was the son of an Italian-born cabinetmaker, and an accomplished musician who could play many instruments. He briefly attended Hunter College, then supported himself as a singing waiter and musician at a Catskills resort. After scratching out an existence as a commercial-jingle composer, he changed his name to Darin, and became a professional singer in 1956. He sent a demo record to up-and-coming record executive Don Kirschner, which resulted in a contract.

Three flop singles later, Darin half-jokingly recorded a nonsense number titled 'Splish Splash', which turned out to be his first bonafide hit. Not wishing to be a typecast rock-and-roller, Darin adapted the old Kurt Weill and Bertoldt Brecht ballad, 'Moritat' into the top-selling 'Mack the Knife'; this enabled him to break away from the bracket of teenage idol and broaden his appeal to adults. 'Mack the Knife' won a Grammy Award as Record of the Year, and Darin was voted Best New Artist.

Darin was eventually picked up by Universal Pictures, to star in a series of lightweight but popular musical films, often co-starring his first wife, Sandra Dee. After turning in powerful dramatic performances in 'Pressure Point' and 'Captain Newman MD', Darin graduated from pop personality to serious actor; in fact, he was Oscar-nominated for his work in 'Newman'. Darin continued to appear in Las Vegas and on TV through the mid-60s, and worked extensively for Robert Kennedy during his 1968 presidential campaign.

In 1968, Darin discovered his "mother" Polly was actually his Grandmother and his "sister" Nina was really his mother. This painful revelation altered him for the rest of his life. Bobby Darin was in the process of making a comeback when he died in 1973, at the age of 37, following open-heart surgery.

Awards
1960 - Grammy Winner - Record of the Year - Mack the Knife