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.
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.
Sal Mineo (1950s-1960s)
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.
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.
Elvis (1950s-1960s)
Mississippi-born Elvis Presley had his big break with the hit “Heartbreak Hotel” and became a household name in and out of the US. His smooth voice and shaking hips welcomed us into the era of rock n’ roll. Elvis had a seemingly bottomless pit of hits and became the synonymous face when it came to pop music.
What started as a glamorous career in the 1950s was waning towards the late 1960s. His problematic private life took a toll on The King's health as well. At 42 years old, Elvis died from a heart attack. In 2022, Austin Butler played Elvis in a titular biopic.