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.
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.
Richard Thomas (1970s)
Known to many as John-Boy from "The Waltons," Richard Thomas had built up an impressive acting record by his 20th birthday. One of his first major film roles was in "Winning" in 1969, where he played alongside Paul Newman. Now if that's not a great education in acting, we don't know what is.
After leaving "The Waltons," Richard experienced a successful theater career, which included "Fifth of July" and "Richard II." In 2009-2010, Thomas appeared in the Broadway play "Race" by David Mamet. He acted alongside James Spader, Kerry Washington, and David Alan Grier. He also had a minor role in the hit Netflix series "Ozark."
Barry Williams (1970s)
Born in ’54, Barry Williams knew that he wanted to be an actor from a young age. He made his TV debut on "Dragnet" in 1967. Two years later, they took the world by storm as Greg Brady on "The Brady Bunch." Once the show ended in 1974, Williams tried switching to the musical theater but was continuously typecast as the Greg Brady type character.
Williams also fancies himself a rapper. In 2000 Williams parodied Eminem’s "The Real Slim Shady" titled "The Real Greg Brady." And as far as what he’s up to recently? Well, his latest film, "Flea," came out in 2018, with him starring as the Marsh Man.