"If I Were A Carpenter" #8 11/5/1966

Bobby Darin certainly had a varied career in show business, starting out (with help from his pal Don Kirschner) as a rock and roller in the 50's with songs like "Splish Splash." He then did show tunes such as "Mack The Knife" and even moved toward country sounds. After the British Invasion derailed his career for a few years, this one was his last big hit on the pop charts, later re-done by the Four Tops and the duet of Johnny Cash and June Carter. Darin was there when Robert Kennedy was assassinated, which pushed him into seclusion at Big Sur. He returned to become a leading Vegas act, even landing his own TV show, until his untimely death at age 37. Bobby always had a bad heart and other medical issues and didn't take antibiotics before a dental procedure, leading to sepsis and heart valve problems. He required major open-heart surgery and died without regaining consciousness.