Worst Teen Idol, 1957-1963?

[NightTrain]

Actually, I like Ricky Nelson. He was a decent singer whose father's showbiz connections assured him a steady supply of good songs. And Nelson always had a tight band backing him up! But I included him in the poll anyway, with the hope that a lot more folks would vote for Avalon, Fabian, and the other midget talents of the Eisenhower (and Kennedy) years that I listed.

ON EDIT: Added Pat Boone, even though I have trouble thinking of him as a rock 'n' roll singer!

[madrchsod]

1. fabian

my sisters loved him. he had absolutely no talent

[NightTrain]

2. Your assessment sounds exactly right!

<<my sisters loved him. he had absolutely no talent>>

[starroute]

11. I was actually a Fabian fan, sort of

I was 11 in 1958 and trying very hard to be a teenager. I had observed other girls buying movie magazines and cutting out pictures of their favorite singers, so I decided I should do the same. I think I probably chose Fabian because he wasn't over-subscribed to.

I bought a few of his singles and one album, and a friend and I went to the awful Western he was in where he got killed halfway through.

I stuck with it for a while, but when I turned 13, I breathed a deep sign of relief and said, "Well, I don't have to do *that* any more." I even gave up listening to Top 40 radio.

Being a geek was *hard* in those days. I kept making efforts to be normal, but it just never seemed to work.

(Now, my son tells me, the hip people on MTV are actually pretending to be geeks. Sometimes life gets very confusing.)

[5thGenDemocrat]

3. Um, no "Pat Boone" option?

This is a rig. And Connie Francis is God, according to Polly.
John
All the time, it's "Where the Boys Are" this and "Who's Sorry Now?" that. ON and ON and ON and ON...

[NightTrain]

4. There is now.

But I'm not sure if I oughta thank you for the reminder! ;)

[Norbert]

5. I heard Fabian's Turn Me Loose the other day

That song never improves with age.

I like Rick Nelson too. I know he had the last part of the TV show to show off his latest song but I think he was a decent singer that tried hard. He assembled a good band to back him up (including James Burton) and picked many of his songs wisely.

[NightTrain]

6. Fabian also grew up into a wife-beater.

As if his music weren't reason enough to detest the man! :grr:

[Norbert]

10. Fabian alway came off as a jerk to me

I think he got into a couple of fights over the years because of someone "questioning" his singing talent. The truth hurts sometimes.

[MarianJack]

7. I Voted pat boone.

When I was a kid, I thought Shelley was HOT!

[5thGenDemocrat]

14. Yeah. Me, too.

Every Saturday, my parents would bundle the five of us kids into the Buick -- along with any other neighborhood kids who were hanging around, and take us all to the Court Theater for the Saturday matinee (circa, say, 1964). They'd then double back to the house and, presumably, have sex.
Meanwhile, we saw Godzilla, and Pit and the Pendulum (God love Vincent Price) and all the Hammer Films (God love Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, too). Best of all, though, were the Beach Blanket movies -- especially for this precocious Catholic eight-year-old.
I thought Annette was...okay, but Shelly Fabares was downright dishy. Terri Garr (her own little 18-year-old bikini-clad self) was in some of those, too -- if I remember correctly.
John
Anyhow, I voted for Paul Anka before Pat Boone was an option. But I would've voted for Pat.

[cosmicdot]

8. Pat Boone was an idol ... and, his white bucks ...

who missed his movies, i.e. April Love; Bernadine

I thought Ricky Nelson was good, too. I loved Ozzie and Harriett.

my Rick Nelson favs: Waitin' in School and Be-Bop Baby

[NightTrain]

9. I'm beginning to worry about you.

In the "60s Duos" thread, you voted for Chad & Jeremy. And now you're defending Pat Boone!

Have you thought about seeking professional help? I know a counselor named Wolfman Jack who might be able to help you.

[Whitacre D_WI]

12. Fabian kicked ass!

I took my confirmation name after St. Fabian.

Okay, that's a lie. But I did convince my cousin to take Damien.

Anyway, I voted for Pat Boone. Have you heard the "In a Metal Mood" album? The female backup singers going "crazy, crazy train, choo! choo!"

[NightTrain]

13. Yeah, but he kicked ass on his wife.

"Fabian" must be Italian for "douche bag."

[BlueJazz]

15. Bobby Rydell......Geez Man, I don't want to be

derogatory but Bobby Rydell had perfect pitch, had a 2 1/2 octave range and played dynamite jazz drums. He really shouldn't be on the list any more than BB King ....

[NightTrain]

16. You'll notice that he's gotten no votes.

So, what's the problem? :shrug:

[DemBones DemBones]

17. OK, who was the guy who did

"Little White Dove"? "Little White Dove fell in the river, etc." Oh, wait! Was it called "Running Bear"? "RUnning Deer"? Little White Dove was the Indian maiden, rescued by her "brave," whose name was Running Something.

It was done by Bobby Somebody, about 1959, give or take a year.

[NightTrain]

18. You're thinking of Johnny Preston's "Running Bear."

A #1 hit in early 1960. And a real piece of shit!

[DemBones DemBones]

19. Thanks. Some things I try to forget.

But there they are, messing with my head!

[stanwyck]

20. Pat Boone

the Britney Spears of his day. The music execs. took Little Richard's music and packaged that "dangerous Negro music" into...nice, safe whitebread Pat Boone. Compare Little Richard singing Tutti Fruiti with Pat Boone. Obscene.