James “Darren” Ercolani in the 1950s with former wife Gloria Terlitsky and son James Jr.

James Darren, the teen idol who helped spark the 1960s surfing craze with his portrayal of a laid back beach boy, passed away Monday at the age of 88, according to the Associated Press.

Darren died peacefully in his sleep at a Los Angeles hospital, according to his son Jim Moret. He shared with The Hollywood Reporter that his father had been scheduled for an aortic valve replacement but was too frail for the procedure.

“I always thought he’d make it through,” his son said. “He was just so cool. He was always cool.” Throughout his long career, Darren acted, sang and even transitioned into a successful role as a TV director, overseeing episodes of popular shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place.

In the 1980s, he was also known for his role as Officer Jim Corrigan on the police series T.J. Hooker.

But to moviegoers in the late 1950s, Darren will forever be remembered as Moondoggie, the dark-haired surfer from the hit Gidget, starring alongside Sandra Dee as the adventurous Southern Californian who falls for him.

“They were thinking about having someone do the vocal and I would lip sync,” recalled Darren. “I told them I could do it. So we went into one of the sound stages and I sang ‘Gidget.’ They said, ‘He sings fine,’ then I did all the other songs.”

The film played a significant role in popularizing surfing, influencing pop culture, music, and fashion.

Darren grew up in the Italian American enclave of South Philadelphia. Of South Philly, he said it was “a real neighborhood. It made you feel that you could be successful, too.”