1960s teen idol James Darren dies aged 88
The Time Tunnel and T.J. Hooker, as well as the Gidget film series, passed away in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on September 2, after being deemed too weak for heart surgery.In addition to his screen career, Darren had a string of pop hits in the US between 1959 and 1963, reaching Number Three on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Goodbye Cruel World’, which also charted at Number 28 in the UK.He became closely identified with the role of Moondoggie in the 1959 surf film Gidget opposite Sandra Dee, and had further success in the sequels Gidget Goes Hawaiian in 1961 and Gidget Goes to Rome two years later.Darren was born James William Ercolani on June 8, 1936, and grew up in Philadelphia.