James Darren, the former teen idol and pop singer who played the dreamy surfer Moondoggie in three Gidget movies before starring on television on The Time Tunnel and T.J. Hooker, died Monday.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Darren ... and even fashion. For Darren, his success with teen fans led to a recording contract, as it did with many young actors at the time, among them Tab Hunter ...