Elvis Presley, known to the world as “the King” is the best example of a teen idol. Elvis became synonymous with rock n’ roll as he burst onto the scene in 1956 when he recorded for RCA in Nashville, Tennessee. With controversial dance moves and a look and sound so different from other musicians of his day, he quickly caught attention when he first performed publicly. Little did Presley know just how famous he would become.
Over the years, he won three Grammys and had eighteen Billboard number one songs. He also appeared and performed in films like “Blue Hawaii,” “G.I. Blues” and “Return to Sender.” While Presley’s rise to fame was an example of the quintessential, American dream, his demise is still mourned by fans today. By the end of the ‘70s, Elvis was in both poor physical and emotional health and passed away on August 16, 1977.
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.
The Beatles
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison formed the rock band, “The Beatles” in 1960 and, after a few years of performing in clubs in Hamburg and Liverpool, they eventually erupted onto the music scene in 1964. The local record store owner, Brian Epstein, effectively discovered the group and helped them gain international stardom.
The Beatles ruled music in the ‘60s producing a fandom so intense the phenomenon was termed “Beatlemania.” With John Lennon and George Harrison gone, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only two surviving members. Ringo Starr is worth roughly 350 million and Paul McCartney alone is worth over $1.6 billion. However, after decades of success, after adding up the estates of all four members, their combined net worth is over $2 billion.
Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon was one of the last crooners of his era, with hits like “Why” and “Venus” but his first public performance was playing the trumpet on “The Jackie Gleason Show” after being discovered by a talent scout at a party. After this public performance, Avalon began working on his singing career and created thirty-one Billboard singles by the time he was twenty-two. He was well-known for his acting career and starred opposite another teen idol, Annette Funicello, in the “Beach Party” movies.
Since the height of his fame, Frankie branched out to other ventures including developing his own line of health and cosmetic products and publishing an 80-page recipe book called Frankie Avalon’s Italian Family Cookbook. He shares eight children with his wife Kathryn Diebel whom he married in 1963 and the two are still together today.