December 20, 1973 At just 37 years old, Bobby Darin died during surgery to repair a heart valve that had been implanted two years earlier. It was a tragic and far-too-early end to one of the most versatile careers in popular music. Darin burst onto the scene in 1958 with the playful, million-selling hit Splish Splash, instantly establishing himself as a major new star. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, he proved he was far more than a novelty artist, moving effortlessly between rock and