Johnathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood, Mark Wahlberg, and Donnie Wahlberg made up the 80s sensation, “New Kids on the Block. Their self-titled, debut album was released in 1986 when they were just teenagers. Mark Wahlberg was briefly replaced by Jamie Kelly when he left the group in 1985.
The band’s popularity exploded when they supported pop star, Tiffany on her U.S. tour, but they later split in the mid-90s. After this, Wahlberg turned his attention to acting as he took roles in movies like “Boogie Nights” and “The Departed.” The group reunited in 2008 and still perform together.
James Dean
James Dean first emerged in a Pepsi commercial. However, Dean wasn’t just a pretty face, and he later proved himself to be a serious actor who was committed to bringing characters alive on-screen. After struggling to obtain serious parts, Dean finally found a stepping stone in director Elia Kazan’s, “East of Eden.” Shortly after, he found his breakout role as Jim Stark in “Rebel Without A Cause.”
With his bad-boy looks and maverick attitude, James Dean glamorized the character of the misunderstood, angst-ridden youth. In one of the most tragic events in Hollywood history, Dean was killed instantly in a high-speed car crash in 1955, just as his career was starting to flourish. To this day, James Dean remains a timeless icon whose talent influenced a generation.
Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett and his sister, Dawn Lyn, pursued acting together, co-starring in the horror flick, “Devil Times Five.” After a couple of smaller roles, Garret found a more sizeable opportunity in the role of Jimmy Henderson in “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.” Pivoting from acting, Garrett began pursuing music in the 70s which ultimately landed him the label of "teen idol."
He played piano, drums, keyboard, and guitar and his first album spawned several modest hits including “Come Back When You Grow Up.” Garrett’s career has fluctuated over the years. His stint on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2010 was not a high point. Unfortunately, the former child star hasn’t released any new music or acted in quite some time and has most recently been in the news, discussing his substance abuse struggles.
Pat Boone
Pat Boone has had a glittering career since he first exploded onto the scene in 1957. In the ‘50s, he was second in popularity to “the King” himself, Elvis Presley. Boone had modest beginnings, first performing in Nashville’s Centennial Park but he later rose to fame after he began recording for Republic Records and then for Dot Records. Interestingly, the singer found success covering songs previously released by African American artists, but he also received criticism for this.
Like many music stars, Boone transitioned into the world of television and movies but never became a notable, Hollywood star. Not one to shy away from reinvention, Boone also released a collection of Heavy Metal covers called “In A Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy.”
Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb (the youngest sibling to Bee Gees band members Barry, Robin, and Maurice) first began experimenting in the world of music at age thirteen and in 1974, started his first group, “Melody Fayre” with John Alderson and John Stringer. After a lot of hard work and unreleased material, Gibb finally made a name for himself in 1976 with the hit single, “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” and with “Love is Thicker Than Water” in 1977.
Over his short career, Gibb had a lot of collaborations with musicians like Olivia Newton-John and ABBA and drew the acclaim of Queen’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury. However, by the ‘80s Andy was struggling with a barrage of personal problems. Despite seemingly beating his habit, the damage to Andy’s heart was so irreversible that he passed away in 1988 at age thirty.