Me and Bobby D.: A Memoir [Hardcover]

Steve Karmen (Author), Bobby Darin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003

Me and Bobby D. is the exciting coming-of-age story of two teenage boys from the Bronx - Steve Karmen and Walden Robert Cassotto - who meet in high school, play in the same band, and then form a singing act. The year is 1956, at the dawn of rock and roll, a crossroad in the entertainment business rarely written about. Cassotto changes his name to Bobby Darin, makes his first recording, and he and Karmen are booked on the road for their first job ever as entertainers into Club Temptation, a seedy nightclub in suburban Detroit. This is Bobby Darin before "Splish Splash," "Mack, The Knife," "Beyond the Sea" and "Dream Lover"; and Steve Karmen before composing "I Love New York," "This Bud's for You," "Hershey Is the Great American Chocolate Bar" and "Nationwide Is on Your Side." What happens to them during the two-week engagement will alter their friendship, and change both of their lives forever. B/W photos; Hardcover; May; Biography; World Rights Steve Karmen has been a composer/lyricist/arranger/producer of advertising music for over 30 years. In addition to the above-mentioned themes, some of his most memorable compositions are: "Here Comes the King (The Budweiser Clydesdale Theme)," "Hertz, We're America's Wheels," "Weekends Were Made for Michelob," "Sooner or Later, You'll Own Generals," "Quality Is Job One - Ford," "We Build Excitement - Pontiac" and "At the Nevele." He is the recipient of 16 CLIO Awards, the "Oscar" of the advertising industry; the author of Through the Jingle Jungle, the accepted textbook about the industry, published by Billboard Books; and The Jingle Man, a collection of 152 of his jingles, published by Hal Leonard Corporation. Karmen lives in Westchester, NY.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard; 1 edition (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634048767
• ISBN-13: 978-0634048760
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,369,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cuts through the glitz into real show business, June 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Me and Bobby D.: A Memoir (Hardcover)

"Me and Bobby D." is a wonderfully detailed account of two ambitious teenagers who sweated for and got a shot at the big time. It's a great read for anyone who loved "Almost Famous"

Steve Karmen and Bobby Cassotto start as innocents with a faux Harry Belefonte act. But when Darin's talent, energy, and charisma are discovered by an agent, he quickly realizes there's no room for Karmen in his spotlight. So Darin moves on, almost immediately becoming a star on his own.

Left behind, bruised by the severed friendship, Karmen must deal with his feelings of betrayal and terrible disappointment. The reader feels Karmen's pain but at the same time is amused by his travails to establish himself in show business. He eventually finds himself writing advertising jingles and clicks, gaining the reputation of "King of the Jingles".

Karmen reaches his best form when he shares with us his dramatic reunion with Darin in Las Vegas. The final chapters are a sensitive and thorough weaving together of the writer's feelings. How splitting up with Darin caused him to go out on his own, leading to a full, financially successful, and loving life. Karmen portrays Darin's failing health with love and a sense of awe for how Bobby Cassotto, the boy, became Darin the entertainer.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST show business biography !, July 9, 2003

By 

kathleen m condon "mikenyc" (NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Me and Bobby D.: A Memoir (Hardcover)

This is THE BEST show business biography that I have EVER read !

Not withstanding that this is about Bobby Darin, this book gives the BEST account of how a Star is created...and yes, it isn't all just "Chance", it involves delicate construction, and LOTS of hard work.

For Bobby Darin fans, this is a treasure trove of information, that ONLY a Best Friend could share with us. The author's unvarnished account here is vividly written, so that the reader is "included", if you will, in this life-career, defining moment.

ATTENTION TO THOSE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DETAILED CONVERSATIONS and RECOLLECTIONS: We all have experienced personal, life defining "moments", where we had to make choices, that we have had to live with, the rest of our lives. They will be forever, etched into our consciousness, like a jackhammer into granite.

To intimate, that the author could not state each word of a conversation, that was held decades ago, is a cheap shot and totally made without any foundation of fact or reality.

The book is awesome ! It may change your life, too !

Mr. Karmen's recollections are deeply, and personally felt. It's our privilege to relive them, with him.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I liked the book!, June 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Me and Bobby D.: A Memoir (Hardcover)

I really like this book. Especially touching were the last few chapters.
Bobby Darin is a favorite of mine. He was so talented. His early death was such a loss to the music world.
Perhaps the author portrayed Bobby Darin too hard and cruel in his quest for stardom. It seemed at times like the author was feeling sorry for himself too much. He certainly portrayed himself as Bobby's "flunky".
But, all in all, I really liked the book