How Bobby Darin sold his possessions to find peace
Bobby Darin passed away on December 20, 1973. East Coast Gold remembers how his music shaped the pop genre and the internal conversation he had that changed his outlook on life.
One of the greatest musicians of the 1950s and 60s was Bobby Darin.
The world got to know his name after his single, 'Splish Splash', became a major global hit.
In 1960 he released another major hit, 'Beyond the Sea'.
His popular single, 'Mack the Knife', which was originally done by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, was released in 1959. It won the 1959 Grammy Award for 'Record of the Year' and Bobby won his first Grammy Award for 'Best New Artist' for the song.
READ: Remembering John Lennon's final words before he was murdered
Bobby Darin's secret to living a life of contentment
Like many global stars, the singer had accumulated wealth, thanks to his successful music career. However, Bobby says a day came when he had to introspect and realized that his wealth was not bringing him the fulfilment he needed.
The singer, who was diagnosed with a heart defect at the age of 8, says he looked at all he had accumulated over the years and realised that he was still not fulfilled.
"The changes that I felt were necessary could only come from me, from within. I had to do something about the way I was living. My approach to things. My values in general," said the star in an interview.
He says it took him about ten months to "realise that everything I was, practically, everything I was surrounded by, was alienating me from myself. It was just keeping me apart and also certainly not adding any great points between myself and the audience or between myself and a group of people"
Amongst some of his possessions were 85 suits, 90 pairs of shoes, big house at the beach, another house in town, and "long cars".
However, the musician says nothing could compensate for what he was lacking inside.
"Now I know that part of that came from the need to compensate for when I was a young person because I was born in a very, very poverty stricken surroundings and I just didn't know what it was to have anything material. You try to make that compensation."
However, he says he came to the realisation that the plenty of things he owned did not answer his internal issues and he ended up selling his possessions and living a simple life. This is how he found his peace and contentment.
Listen to East Coast Gold this Tuesday, 20 December, for a special tribute to the late star.
Image courtesy of YouTube screenshot.
For loads of fantastic 60s, 70s, and 80s classics, listen to East Coast Gold via the ECR app or here. We’re also on platforms like Alexa (just enable the ‘East Coast Gold’ skill), MyTuner, Radio Garden, iono.fm, Radioline, and OpenRadio.
Who's on-air when?
See the full line-up by clicking here!
Image courtesy of YouTube screenshot.