Before his claim to fame as a musician, Pat Boone enjoyed being the most popular guy in his Nashville high school and drawing cartoons for the school newspaper. He later graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University.
Boone recorded a cover of Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That a Shame” and soon became a trendsetting star. With popularity levels that rivaled Elvis Presley’s, he later branched out to acting, writing, philanthropy, and activism. As of today, Boone has sold more than 45 million records worldwide. And he has had a whopping 38 Top 40 hits to his name. He still does a bit of acting today.
Tab Hunter (1950s)
Tab Hunter had his eyes set on acting from the get-go. Even his Coast Guard friends called him "Hollywood" because movies were all he could talk about. All this talking made Hunter one of the biggest names of his time.
On Valentine's Day of 1956, he got 62,000 cards! After making a name for himself in several Warner Bros. hit films, Hunter started dabbling in singing. By the 1970s, rumors about Hunter’s romantic tendencies caused a decrease in his popularity. That didn't stop him from having a 35 year-long loving relationship with Allan Glasser, a movie producer who mourned his 2018 passing.
Leif Garrett (1970s)
Leif Garrett started making his way through the spotlight as a child actor, but he did not reach his teen idol status until he started making music in the 1970s. After appearing in a number of films as a child, Garrett transitioned into music and the rest as they say, was history.
He released his first album in 1977, naming it after himself. It featured cover versions, mainly of hits from the two decades prior (so, the 50s and 60s by our count). His immense popularity has seen highs and lows, normally as a result of legal troubles surrounding him. And he hasn't released any music since the '80s, so there's that.
Sally Field (1970s)
Sally Field’s career almost transcends time, so picking the peak decade of it is next to impossible. Still, she did have a pretty good run in the 1970s, kicking it off with her role in the classic movie "Smokey and the Bandit," in which she starred alongside Burt Reynolds. She topped off the decade with a 1979 Oscar for her role in the movie "Norma Rae."
Field starred in more timeless movies than we can count, like "Forrest Gump" and "Mrs. Doubtfire." She is incredibly talented and has even performed live on Broadway! In 2018, Field published a memoir, titled "In Pieces."
Bobby Darin (1960s)
Guys wanted to be Bobby Darin, and girls wanted to be with him. This New Yorker started out in Holywood as a lyricist for star Connie Francis. He came to his own and saw success as a musician with songs like “Beyond the Sea,” “Dream Lover,” and “Mack the Knife.”
Bobby's career skyrocketed, making his face worldwide famous. It took a dip, however, when he found out the truth about his birth mother — whom he thought was his sister his whole life. Darin's unfortunate passing was in 1973 due to heart problems. He died at 37 - but in the picture, you can get an idea of what he would have looked like if he lived longer.