James Darren, the former teen idol and pop singer ... Over the years, Darren encountered many fans of his music, some of them unexpected. "I was in a pizza shop one day with a friend of mine.

Darren was born James Ercolani in 1936 and grew up in South ... and helped spur interest in surfing — one that influenced pop music, slang and even fashion. Darren was the only “Gidget ...