https://www.startrek.com/en-un/news/remembering-james-darren
"StarTrek.com is saddened to report the passing of James Darren, who played the
charismatic lounge singer, Vic Fontaine, across seven episodes for
Star Trek:
Deep Space Nine's last two seasons. He passed away on September 2, 2024, at
the age of 88.
Born June 8, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as James William Ercolani,
Darren knew early on he wanted a career in show business. His father would take
him to local bars and nightclubs in Philly where he would get up on stage and
sing a song or two.
Darren would go on to have a multifaceted career spanning film, television, and
recording music. His teen heartthrob image landed him the breakout role as the
leading man, the surfer/singer Moondoggie, in
Gidget (1959) alongside Sandra
Dee and Cliff Robertson. Following his crooner role in
Gidget, which included
the film's theme song, Darren would go on to record several pop hits for Colpix
Records, garnering a gold record for his "Goodbye Cruel World." He would
reprise the role in
Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and
Gidget Goes to Rome
(1963). Other noteworthy theatrical films during this time included
All the
Young Men (1960),
Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960),
The Guns of Navarone
(1961), and
Diamond Head (1962).
Darren would soon pivot to the small screen, starring as the leading actor in
the sci-fi, time-traveling series
The Time Tunnel. He would continue to book
guest star roles in a number of popular series such as
S.W.A.T.,
Police
Woman,
Charlie's Angels,
Police Story,
Hawaii Five-O,
The Love Boat,
Fantasy Island, and
Melrose Place, while he pursued his love of live
musical performances. Darren would then try a hand at directing television
episodes for series such as
The A-Team,
Walker, Texas Ranger,
Silk
Stalkings,
Beverly Hills, 90210,
Savannah, and
Melrose Place."
RIP,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
