James Darren Wooed Fans with Acting, Singing and "Moondoggie" Good Looks

Actor and singer James Darren's breakthrough role was as Moondoggie in the 1959 film "Gidget," where he also sang the title song. The film was a hit, and he became a heartthrob.The image in this episode's chapters and thumbnail is an ABC Television photo of James Darren and Shelley Fabares on "The Donna Reed Show" in 1959.Darren had equal success with acting and singing. His song "Goodbye Cruel World" reached number three on the Billboard charts in 1961. When acting roles slowed down, Darren began directing. He returned to music in 1998, portraying a lounge singer on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." In the chapters, you'll see the cover of "This One's From the Heart," which features songs he performed on "Deep Space Nine."This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.Send us Fan MailThis is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.