On this day Bobby Darin finished performing at the The Las Vegas Hilton for the last time in 1973. He would be dead 4 months later after a heart operation.

Although not often remembered these days Darin was a versatile singer and actor. He was born with a heart condition that dogged him throughout his life but that did not prevent him from pursuing a glittering career. He is remembered as a rock ‘n’ roll singer (and for that dreadful single Splish Splash) and was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Songwriter’s Hall of fame in 1999.

He also moved into Jazz and is best remembered for a stunning version of Mack The Knife taken from Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht’s wonderful Threepenny Opera. There was time when ,after this move into ‘serious’ music that Darin was compared favourably to Sinatra.

He also showed talent as an actor being nominated for an Oscar, winning the French Film Critic’s Actors award (1963), and being awarded a Golden Globe as the Most Promising Newcomer (1962).