After starring in huge movies like “Carrie,” “Saturday Night Fever,” and “Grease,” the world was John Travolta’s oyster. Unfortunately, the eighties were a rough period for the actor, and he released a number of box office bombs such as “Blow Out” and “Staying Alive.”
It was only thanks to Quentin Tarantino that Travolta got another chance at Hollywood, thanks to a starring role in the cult classic “Pulp Fiction.” Due to the tragic death of his son Jett in 2009 and a 2012 lawsuit, Johnny boy, has been keeping a low profile but has had a few roles to speak of.
Dion DiMucci (1960s)
Dion, as he was known, had lots of big hits, but only one of them, “Runaround Sue,” made it to number one. He was one of the rare teen idols at the time who had real musical ability beyond chords and a stage presence. He made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 – his fans include legendary musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Lou Reed.
This journeyman is still releasing music and can always be found in the studio, on tour, or playing live on Facebook. He's still got plenty of life in him, even for someone who's playing for fifty years.
Shaun Cassidy (1970s)
As David Cassidy's brother, Shaun was close to fame for a while before he got his own career. This former teen heartthrob was young detective Joe Hardy in “The Hardy Boys Mysteries,” alongside Parker Stevenson as the older Frank. Just like David, Shaun adjusted well to adult life, and after teen and twenties full of “Tiger Beat” magazine articles, Shaun has settled down and taken to the stage, acting in Broadway dramas.
During the nineties, he returned to the TV behind the camera, writing and producing shows like “American Gothic” and “Invasion.” His life is quiet on his two-acre Los Angeles ranch with his family.
Henry Winkler (1970s - 1980s)
Even if the name doesn't ring a bell, the fact that Winkler played the epitome of cool as “The Fonz” in “Happy Days” will help you picture him. Thanks to the immediate star power the show gave him, he's still doing plenty in and around the entertainment industry.
He's a character actor that still gets plenty of roles, including in “Arrested Development,” “Numb3rs,” “Royal Pains,” and even “Children's Hospital” on Cartoon Network. During his spare time, he writes a children's book series, “Hank Zipzer,” which is now at seventeen books, and spends time with his wife and children. Winkler recently starred as Gene Cousineau in the HBO series "Barry."
Johnny Tillotson (1960s)
Johnny put the time and work in to finally make it big. He had a musical variety show while he was in college at the University of Florida, and once he graduated, he signed with Cadence Records and moved to New York City. His big hit “Poetry in Motion” got to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and all the way to number one on the UK Chart Singles.
Tillotson was known as a crossover artist, able to make it big on both the pop charts and in the country music world. The kid even got a Grammy nomination thanks to “It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin.'”