93-3-3-WMR Audio on Demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast.

93-3-W-M-R audio-on-demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast.

And now, Preston and Steve's News Update with Kathy Romano.

Today is Wednesday, April 6th. Good morning, Kathy.

Good morning. In the news this morning, Bobby Rydell, an early rock and roll heartthrob, who was a native of Philadelphia, died on Tuesday.

Rydell died of complications from pneumonia at Abington Jefferson Hospital.

Rydell, who credited a 2012 kidney and liver transplant with extending his life was

79, along with James Aaron Fabian and Frankie Avalon. Rydell was among a wave of wholesome teen

idols who emerged after Elvis Presley and before the rise of the Beatles. Between 1959 and

1964, he had nearly three dozen top 40 singles, including

Wild One, Valour, Wildwood Days,

the cha-cha-cha-cha, and forget him.

A song of

consolation for a

bereft girl that helped inspire the Beatles

classic, She Loves You.

He had reoccurring roles on the

Red Skeleton Show and other television programs.

In 1963's Bye Bye Birdie was written to give Rydell a major part as a boyfriend of Anne Margaret.

He didn't want to move to Hollywood, however, and Bertie became his only significant movie role,

though the high school in the hit 70s musical Greece was named for him.

Rydell never strayed far from his Philadelphia roots, living in the area for most of his life.

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