Salvatore “Sal” Mineo became a full-blown celebrity when he starred in “Rebel Without a Cause” alongside James Dean. The performance earned him an Oscar nomination, as well as a fanbase stretching as far as the eye can see.
He went on to star in many other hit films (“Giant,” “Crime in the Streets,” and “Exodus,” to name a few). He was the first star to publically come out of the closet in the late 1960s. He found his unfortunate, untimely death at the hands of a mugger when he returned to his Los Angeles home after a rehearsal. He was 37 at the time.
Christopher Knight (1970s)
Christopher Knight is commonly known as Peter Brady from "The Brady Bunch." He later made guest appearances on other famous TV shows of the time, as well as a few sporadic film roles. While Knight made his first few bucks as an actor, he later found more success in the business world.
Knight went into the tech industry, eventually founding a few companies. The last one he founded, Eskape Labs, was bought out by a big US tech company. Romantically speaking, the man’s been married four times. Hopefully, with his latest wife, Cara Kokenes, there’s a little more lasting power.
Corey Feldman (1970s)
Corey Feldman got his start in the '70s. His first role was at the age of three in a McDonald’s commercial and had a role in the 1979 film "Time After Time." He and Corey Haim became good friends, and both struggled with substance abuse as they moved into their young adulthood.
Corey later starred in classics such as "Stand By Me," "Gremlins" and "The Goonies," to name a few, before turning to music. His music career didn't enjoy the same success as his acting career. He released 5 studio albums, the latest of which, "Angelic 2 the Core" (2016), flopped miserably.
Bobby Vee (1960s)
In 1961, Bobby Vee came out like a shiny new toy with his hit song “Rubber Ball.” But the truth is that he'd been releasing flops for years prior. “Rubber Ball” is what turned him into an international star. The UK fans were particularly fond of him, with 10 of his hits charting at number one.
Vee was good friends with Bob Dylan. The two met when Dylan was young and still performing as Robert Zimmerman. Years went by, and Bobby kept playing his songs to his beloved fans until 2011 when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He passed away 5 years later.
Ricky Nelson (1950s)
Ricky Nelson grew up to be handsome and famous but had to work very hard as a child actor. He started out in the sitcom "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." His family and friends quickly saw he could also sing and dance - so he made the smooth transition into music.
Nelson would go on to have a staggering 54 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including the popular number "Poor Little Fool," which turned out to be the first number one on the Hot 100 chart. Over time, the dwindling fanbase made Nelson less popular. He tragically died in a plane crash in 1985 during his comeback tour.