Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin

by David Evanier

A sensitive, startling portrait of the legendary singer-timed to hit stores just as the Kevin Spacey movie Beyond the Sea has kindled intense new interest in every aspect of Darin's life and tragically early death.

By age 8 Bobby Darin knew he was doomed to die young. So he set out to become a showbiz legend by age 25. From his Grammy-winning smash hit "Mack the Knife" to his Oscar-nominated supporting role in Captain Newman, M.D., Darin left his mark on every aspect of show business that he touched. Now, 32 years after his death at age 37, we finally have an elegantly written, multilayered portrait of this brash, gifted artist.

Author David Evanier
o Interviewed all the key principals in the Darin saga and culled rare photographs from the singer's closest friends
o Pored through scores of videotapes, audiotapes,
recordings, documents, and films
o Re-created the rock-and-roll and Broadway show-
business milieus of the 1950s that Darin emerged from, and the sharply changing musical, political, and cultural world of the 1960s that had such a profound impact on him.

The result is a moving, insightful portrait of one of the greatest-and most complex-performers in the history of American entertainment, whose restless voice and spirit seem as alive today as ever.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

David Evanier is a critically acclaimed and award-winning author of both nonfiction and fiction. He was formerly senior editor at The Paris Review, editor at Stage Door, and assistant editor of The New Leader. He is a recipient of the Aga Khan Fiction Prize and the McGinnis-Ritchie Short Fiction Award. He has written for The New York Times (including Paper Cuts, its music blog), The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Village Voice, the New Republic, The Nation, and many other journals. He has received residence fellowship from the MacDowell Colony, Ado, and the Wurlitzer Foundation. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. "

Reviews

[Carol Storm · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you buy the idea that Bobby Darin was a colossal, stupendous genius, then this book is a brilliant and insightful work. If you suspect that Bobby Darin was a mediocre talent at best, this book is shallow, silly and often unintentionally funny.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read about a very good singer. Too bad he died so young.

[Laurel Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Complicated Entertainer

I knew most of the facts surrounding Bobby Darin. I have always been a fan of his music. I did not know, however, how multifaceted he was or what he went through. It is nice to read a biography that doesn't sugar coat a celebrity. This shows all the warts.

[Peter Corrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should be 3.5 stars. It's a solid biography--he certainly summarized Bobby's life and interviewed many if not most of the principal characters in his life, except perhaps his pitiful mother. Bobby Darin comes off as an interesting, smart and very talented guy but with a large dose of ego and even cruelty. Perhaps that describes most show-biz types, I don't read many of their stories. Of course he was sick much of his life and knew he might not live long which perhaps accounts for some of his behavior.

I totally missed the Bobby Darin era growing up. He started out in rock and roll in the late 50s and somehow jettisoned that for 'swing' music similar to Frank Sinatra, a style that was then obliterated by the 'British Invasion' starting in about 1964. That was the year I received my first ever 33 LP album, 'Meet the Beatles' for my 9th birthday! Anyway, Bobby was was caught up in the cultural frenzy of 60s too and suddenly gave up swing for a bizarre combination of folk and protest music. It really KO'ed his career along with his worsening illness, culminating in his long-predicted early exit from the earthly realm. Sad story, but his music lives on and he remains an icon of American culture for good reason. I never saw the movie that came out in 2004, 'Beyond the Stars' which apparently was based on this book in large measure. Have to check it out!

[Phil Atteberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no first rate biography of Bobby Darin, but this book is an adquate place to start. David Evanier has interviewed extensively virtually everyone who worked with Darin. Much of the text is extended quotations from those interviews. However, before we can evaluate such comments, we need to understand in some detail the backgrounds, personalities and agendas of those being interviewed. This book doesn't provide much of that.

The book does not contain a lot of musical analysis, but some, and most of it is helpful.

In short, this book tells the story of Bobby Darin and provides some assessment of his contributions to American music. It is not super insightful, but it is a place to start.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read a biography, not music criticism, but it served its purpose off-and-on throughout.

God, I hope Bobby is resting easy. He was so talented. I had no idea he was inspired by Donald O’Connor, but I’m glad Donald got to see him open for George Burns in Vegas.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read of the life of Bobby Darin. I learned so much about the man and his work.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more of a 3 1/2.

I’m still searching for the definitive biography of Bobby Darin.