[Applause] [Music] good evening and welcome to Infinity news I'm your host and tonight we remember James Darren the Beloved teen idol singer and television director who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 James Darren whose charm and talent captivated audiences in the 1960s particularly in the iconic film gig passed away peacefully in his sleep at a Los Angeles hospital his son Jim Moret shared the sad news revealing that Darren had been too weak to undergo a necessary aortic valve replacement Darren's career spanned decades leaving an indelible Mark not just on the big screen but also behind the scenes as a successful television director he directed episodes of popular series like Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place but to many he will always be remembered as moond doggy the dark-haired Surfer who captured Hearts alongside Sandra d in gigit this role helped sparked the 1960s surfing craze influencing pop culture in profound ways Beyond acting Darren enjoyed a successful music career with hits like Goodbye cruel world and her royal Majesty both of which reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart his music like his film roles left a lasting Legacy with his song Goodbye cruel world even featuring in Steven Spielberg's 2022 film The fabl Men's as a versatile Talent Darren transitioned to television becoming a series regular in shows like TJ hooker and later moving into directing he directed episodes of several hit TV series in the 1980s and 1990s making a significant impact behind the camera James Darren was born James kolani in South Philadelphia a neighborhood that also produced stars like Fabian and Frankie Avalon he started his career early performing in local nightclubs by the age of 14 and eventually signed with Columbia pictures where his career flourished Darren leaves behind a rich Legacy not only in the entertainment world but also in his personal life he is survived by his three sons including Jim morett a correspondent for Inside Edition our thoughts are with Darren's family and fans during this time his contributions to the world of entertainment will not be forgotten thank you for joining us tonight on Infinity news I'm your host and we'll see you next time with more stories that matter to you good night