Bobby Darin was an incredible force in the music industry during the 1950s and ‘60s, yet the insanely popular singer could not be pinned down to just one genre of music. Darin defied all stereotypes by establishing himself as a little bit folk, a little bit R&B, a little bit pop and a little bit jazz, all thrown in with Vegas cabaret stints and flecks of politics to create a million different sounds. The smooth cat waltzed into the music business with the hit song "Splish Splash" in the late ‘50s, and never quite left the music scene the same after his abrupt departure at the time of his death in 1973.Darin was born with the name Walden Robert Cassotto, and grew up in New York's Bronx area. Donning his first hit song "Splish Splash" while still a teen heartthrob, the strangely mature vocalist quickly moved from pop-infused tunes to his next feat, the R&B song "Dream Lover." Covering the hit song "Mack the Knife" in 1959, Darin then released the single "Beyond the Sea," exhibiting his ability to perform big band jazz music, as well. The musical chameleon bounced back and forth in almost every kind of genre possible, eventually dominating Vegas nightclubs in the ‘60s. The ‘60s were a time of experimentation for many, and Darin had his own schedule for testing out his waters, including performing the country song "You're the Reason I'm Living," which made it to number three on the pop charts, as well as the antiwar tune "We Didn't Ask to Be Brought Here."Darin was all over the place in the ‘60s and ‘70s, participating in a civil rights march, hosting a TV variety series and covering Dylan and Rolling Stones songs, all the while continuing to entertain the masses in Vegas. In the midst of his grab-bag musical heyday, Darin died in 1973 during open-heart surgery, having had a rheumatic heart.