During the sixties, Willie Aames was a child actor who had plenty of big appearances, including on “Gunsmoke,” perhaps one of the biggest shows of the decade. When he reached adulthood in the seventies, he had spots on “Cannon,” “Medical Center,” and “The Waltons.”
He was the first actor to play Felix Unger’s son, Leonard, on “The Odd Couple,” a role that fellow teen star Leif Garret would take over. Aames starred in “Eight Is Enough” as Tommy Bradford from 1976 until 1981. After that, he became an ordained minister and appeared as the Christian superhero Bibleman in a video game series of the same name from 1995 until 2004.
The Bay City Rollers (1970s)
Formed in 1967, this Scottish group went through plenty of lineup changes before they struck it big and caused music and fashion crazes alike. They had major chart success in the United Kingdom and later got all the way to number one on Billboard with “S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night.”
The boys seemed unstoppable when their next song, “Money Honey,” got to number nine. Teen gals of the era loved the music and looks of the boys, but their star power faltered thanks to a revolving door of members who couldn't take the strain. Several of the members still play the songs, but there is no official Bay City Rollers anymore.
Jimmy Baio (1970s)
That name probably looks familiar, and yes, Jimmy Baio is Scott's cousin (to be fair, we can see a resemblance). Another cousin is Joey Baio, who had success as an actor in the fifties and sixties. There isn't a whole lot we can find about the youngest Baio.
But we do know he began his television career at the age of thirteen when he played an uncredited role on “Ellery Queen.” In 1976 he joined the cast of “Joe and Sons,” which only ran for a single season, and then became part of “Soap,” playing Billy Tate, staying with the show until 1981.
Andy Gibb (1970s- 1980s)
British-born singer Andy Gibb had star power in his family. He was the younger brother of Bee Gees members Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, but he didn't need to be part of the family act to get his own fame. His first album “Flowing Rivers” proved he had the musical chops, and he got his first number one song, “I Just Want to Be Your Everything,” when he was nineteen years old.
Three more top twenty singles followed the hit, and then Gibb fell into addiction and depression. When he turned thirty, he attempted a comeback but died just a few days later due to myocarditis – inflammation and weakness of the heart due to substance abuse.
The Hudson Brothers (1970s)
These brothers only rose to prominence thanks to the established star power of “The Sonny & Cher Show.” Less than a year later, in 1975, the brothers had their own variety show, “The Hudson Brothers Show.” They later moved on to children's programming with “The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show.”
The same year they began their variety show, they had two songs – out of four – that made it to the Billboard Hot 100: “Rendezvous” and “Lonely School Year.” The musical talent didn't stop there – one of the brothers, Bill, met and married Goldie Hawn in 1975 when Hawn was pregnant with their daughter, none other than actress Kate Hudson.