121-473: Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon , is an American actor, singer, and former teen idol . He had 31 charting U.S. Billboard singles from 1958 to late 1962, including number one hits, " Venus " and " Why " in 1959. He is the earliest surviving singer to have scored a solo number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 . Avalon started appearing in films in
242-414: A PBS reunion show featuring Avalon singing the song, and sings a line of it to her daughter. In stage productions of the show, part of the song is played and a portion of the supposed PBS special is screened as part of the scenery. Avalon is also referenced in the 1994 film, The Stöned Age , in which he makes an ending scene cameo appearance . His song "Venus" additionally appeared in season 4 of
363-436: A Girl " (U.S. No. 10). He was less popular in the U.K. , but did still manage four chart hits with "Why", " Ginger Bread ", "Venus" and "Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops". Most of his hits were written and/or produced by Bob Marcucci , head of Chancellor Records . Avalon concentrated on his acting career which detracted from his recording career, and "Why" of 1959 would be Avalon's final top 10 hit. Avalon's first film
484-761: A Horn , dubbing Kirk Douglas . The album from the movie charted at #1, with James backing big band singer and actress Doris Day . James's recording of " I'm Beginning to See the Light " appears in the motion picture My Dog Skip (2000). His music is also featured in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters . James's recording of " It's Been a Long, Long Time " is featured in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and in Marvel's Avengers: Endgame . With James's childhood spent as
605-400: A broader set of skills than those needed to be a gifted musician playing in someone else's band. The James band ran into financial trouble, and it became increasingly difficult for James to pay salaries and keep the band together. In 1940, James lost his contract with Columbia Records (he returned in 1941), and Frank Sinatra left the band that January. It was not long after this that James made
726-503: A child resulted in an exceptional technical proficiency in the more classical techniques of range, fingering and tonguing. Growing up in the South, James was also exposed to blues music , which had an additional influence on his style. As James explained, "I was brought up in Texas with the blues – when I was eleven or twelve years old down in what they call 'barbecue row' I used to sit in with
847-451: A comedy from Otto Preminger . In England, he was in AIP's The Haunted House of Horror (1968). In 1976, Avalon updated his song "Venus" with a new disco treatment. Materializing as a character called Teen Angel, his performance of "Beauty School Dropout" in the hit 1978 film of the musical Grease introduced Avalon to a new generation of viewers. In early 1979, Avalon portrayed Sergei in
968-492: A country club or playing Vegas, in which we have many, many types of people, then I'm sure that 'Sleepy Lagoon' would be more popular at that particular time. But I really get bugged about these people talking about commercial tunes, because to me, if you're gonna be commercial, you're gonna stand on your head and make funny noises and do idiotic things. I don't think we've ever recorded or played one tune that I didn't particularly love to play. Otherwise, I wouldn't play it." James
1089-698: A line of health and cosmetic aids. He promoted his products on the Home Shopping Network . Avalon made a cameo appearance as himself with Robert De Niro in the 1995 film, Casino . Avalon has starred in stage productions of Grease in the role of Teen Angel and in Tony n' Tina's Wedding as a caricature of himself. In 2001, he appeared as himself in the Sabrina The Teenage Witch episode 'Beach Blanket Bizarro.' Additionally, in 2007, he performed "Beauty School Dropout" with
1210-432: A long time." "Mr Wayne said I was natural as far as acting goes," said Avalon. He added: "My ambition when I was ten years old was to have my own band like Harry James . I never expected anything like this... I'd like to be identified as a singer, dancer, and actor. I don't want to be just one thing." "I like to appeal to teenagers and adults," he said in 1960. "Everybody". Avalon was now in demand as an actor. He provided
1331-426: A musician in a traveling circus, he picked up a flamboyant style that utilized such techniques as heavy vibrato, half valve and lip glissandi, valve and lip trills, and valve tremolos. These techniques were popular at the time in what was known as "hot" jazz , epitomized by James's idol Louis Armstrong , but somewhat fell out of favor by the 1950s with the advent of "cool" jazz . James's rigorous regime of practice as
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#17327865881371452-497: A national television spokesperson for Sonic Drive-In . In 1965, he appeared in the Combat! TV series episode "Brother, Brother" as a childhood friend of Pfc. Kirby, played by Jack Hogan. Avalon and Tuesday Weld supported Bob Hope in the comedy film, I'll Take Sweden (1965) for Edward Small . For AIP, he teamed with Dwayne Hickman in a copy of Some Like It Hot (1959) called Ski Party (1965). That studio also gave him
1573-579: A new starring formula for Avalon, casting him as a stock car driver in Fireball 500 (1966), alongside Fabian and Funicello, for director William Asher. It was a medium financial success and led to other AIP stock car films, though none had Avalon starring in them. For Harry Alan Towers he played the lead role in The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967), and also had a solid role in Skidoo (1968),
1694-556: A particular generic type, the teen idol [who] carried on the process ... of changing the image of male youth ... from wild to mild , by providing a cleaner, more wholesome image of masculinity than that of the previous era's rebellious rockabilly heroes [and ( working-class ) so-called juvenile delinquents , like those in West Side Story ].... Post-war teens were able to buy relatively inexpensive phonographs — including portable models that could be carried to friends' houses — and
1815-436: A period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g. as singers for pop groups, bit-part actors, TV personalities, models in photo spreads published in magazines, advertisements, etc. One of the most successful groups is Momoiro Clover Z . Their performances incorporate elements of ballet, gymnastics, and action movies. During 2014, about 486,000 people attended their live concerts, which
1936-433: A pivotal decision: he would adopt a "sweeter" style that added strings to the band, and the band would deliver tunes that were in more of a "pop" vein and less true to its jazz roots. From a commercial standpoint, the decision paid off as James soon enjoyed a string of chart-topping hits that provided commercial success for him and his band. Indeed, a U.S. Treasury report released in 1945 listed Harry James and Betty Grable as
2057-534: A pop sensation at 15 years old thanks to an aggressive marketing strategy. She promoted her debut album in shopping malls of the US. She is also the youngest person to have a debut album hit number one and have multiple number one singles from that album (" I Think We're Alone Now " and " Could've Been "). Having become a household name, she had then-unknown band New Kids on the Block as an opening act for her shows. However,
2178-514: A reported $ 100 million offer to play Superman , before temporarily leaving Hollywood. The Walt Disney Company and its numerous outlets (e.g. Disney Channel , Radio Disney and Walt Disney Pictures ) were the first to successfully develop a new generation of teen idols in this period, starting with the careers of actresses and singers Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan , initially targeting youth and female teen audiences. While still teenagers, Duff became famous for her starring titular character in
2299-492: A rocky start, she did capture the attention of producer and songwriter Max Martin, who had worked with many successful artists before. Teen idols were also popular in the R&;B and Hip-Hop realm throughout this decade, including Chris Brown , JoJo , Bow Wow , 3LW , Ciara , Mario , B2K , and Rihanna , among others. In the late 2000s, bands like Lillix , KSM , Everlife , and Clique Girlz became teen pop idols and have
2420-531: A sensation in Latin America compared to Beatles' Beatlemania . At the end of the 1980s, actor Kirk Cameron became a major teen idol. Cameron was best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains from 1985 to 1992. Also Scott Baio and Willie Aames of Charles in Charge fame found themselves regulars in teen magazines. One of the most popular female singers of
2541-643: A son, Michael (b. 1968), before divorcing in 1970. James owned several Thoroughbred racehorses that won races such as the California Breeders' Champion Stakes (1951) and the San Vicente Stakes (1954). He was also a founding investor in the Atlantic City Race Course . His knowledge of horse racing was demonstrated during a 1958 appearance on The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour entitled " Lucy Wins A Racehorse ". James
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#17327865881372662-536: A song by the Wu-Tang Clan called "The City" which refers to his experiences of being a big part of the beach party film genre ("Ride the wave like Frankie Avalon"). One of numerous obscure cultural references present in Midway's video game Mortal Kombat 3 was a lo-res image of Frankie Avalon's face that would dart up in the lower right-hand corner of the screen when Goro killed his opponent by knocking him into
2783-415: A summer replacement program for Danny Kaye 's program on CBS . He also led the orchestra for Call for Music , which was broadcast on CBS February 13, 1948 – April 16, 1948, and on NBC April 20, 1948 – June 29, 1948. James recorded many popular records and appeared in many Hollywood movies. He featured in the 1942 musical short Trumpet Serenade . He played trumpet in the 1950 film Young Man with
2904-511: A teen idol during the later part of the 1980s, as did Christian Slater . Australian singer-actor Rick Springfield was regarded as the teen idol in the 1980s with such hits as " Jessie's Girl " and "Don't Talk to Strangers". The Grammy Award -winning musician Springfield was known for playing Dr. Noah Drake on the daytime drama General Hospital . He originated the character from 1981 to 1983. He left acting after his music career took off. During this decade, Puerto Rican boy band Menudo , caused
3025-586: A teen idol was Franz Liszt , the Hungarian pianist who, in the 1840s, drew such a following among teen girls that the term " Lisztomania " soon came to describe the phenomenon. The kind of idolizing following Liszt drew in Europe would not be followed for several decades. American-born Roger Wolfe Kahn became, arguably , America's first modern-day teen idol, when, in 1924 at the age of sixteen he launched his first jazz band. Throughout his teens, he became dubbed
3146-466: A teen idol. American musician Taylor Swift entered the scene at age 16 by co-writing the song " Tim McGraw " with Liz Rose in 2005, after which she became a well-known and successful artist as well as a teen idol. Before reaching the age of 20, Ariana Grande had already been popular among secondary schoolchildren by starring in the teen comedy show Victorious (2010-2013) . She left acting for singing, and although her singing career got off to
3267-459: A teenage fanbase. Discovered on YouTube by media entrepreneur Scooter Braun at the age of 13, Justin Bieber was ushered into fame with his 2009 album My World . In Japan, more and more Japanese idol groups have appeared. In Japanese culture, persons called "idols" are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for
3388-642: A teenager, he played with Bobby Rydell in Rocco and the Saints. In 1959, " Venus ", which was a number one single for five consecutive weeks, and " Why " went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . "Why" was the last number one hit of the 1950s. Avalon had 31 charted U.S. Billboard singles from 1958 to late 1962, including " Just Ask Your Heart " (U.S. No. 7), " I'll Wait for You " (U.S. No. 5), " Bobby Sox to Stockings " (U.S. No. 8), and " A Boy Without
3509-626: Is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base . Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers themselves. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups. East Asia possesses a robust fan culture centered around idols, one that spans both genders and generates broad appeal. East Asian idol culture, which first began in Japan in the 1960s, would spread to neighboring countries in later decades: in South Korea and Taiwan, for example, it took root in
3630-457: Is a former actor who appeared in the original The Karate Kid . Avalon was mentioned in the System of a Down song " Old School Hollywood ". The song supposedly is about Daron Malakian's experience in a celebrity baseball game, where he and Avalon were both ignored. Avalon is also mentioned in "It Takes Two", a song from the hit musical Hairspray , sung by the character Link Larkin, and in
3751-405: Is popular, perpetually childlike and dependent. Some marketers turned to film and TV for fresh, 'safe' faces. Tommy Sands 's debut in a television film about the phenomenon, The Idol , made a teen idol out of Sands himself. Teen idol Ricky Nelson rose to stardom on the hit show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and the show was successfully used to promote his songs, making him one of
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3872-663: The Disney Channel teen sitcom Lizzie McGuire and her multi-Platinum second studio album Metamorphosis (2003), with which she became one of the youngest artists to reach the top of the Billboard 200 , and Lohan became famous for her starring roles in many successful teen movies , including Freaky Friday (2003), Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), Mean Girls (2004) and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), and her debut studio album Speak (2004). The success of this marketing led to further development of
3993-650: The Spice Girls , TLC , and Destiny's Child , also became very popular at the end of the decade. Even though the Spice Girls split in 2000, they remain fairly popular in England. During this decade, the Latin artist Shakira was described as a "teen idol", her songs reached number 1 on Latin radio, her videos were among the most viewed, while her hair and clothing style was emulated by girls and young women. from
4114-598: The films (2003-2006). She also had a supporting role in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). Miley Cyrus claimed her fame by playing a fictionalized version of herself on the television show Hannah Montana (2006-2011). Her 2009 singles " The Climb " and " Party in the U.S.A " were both hits. However, as she began metamorphosizing into something more mature, her popularity fell as parents considered her new materials inappropriate for their children. Selena Gomez made her debut by starring in
4235-587: The flugelhorn , but this sound was underrecorded in favor of James' brilliant high register. With financial backing from Goodman, James debuted his own big band in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, in January 1939, but it didn't click until adding a string section in 1941. Subsequently, known as Harry James and His Music Makers, it produced the hit " You Made Me Love You ", which peaked at no. 5 on Billboard's National Best Selling Retail Records chart for
4356-405: The 'Millionaire Maestro.' Geraldine Farrar , American opera singer, had a large following of young women nicknamed "Gerry-flappers" in the early 20th century. Rudy Vallée , who became a major success in 1929 with hits like " Honey " and " Deep Night ", may have been the first American popular singer to have been idolised by hundreds of teen-aged girls at sold-out concerts. He was also possibly
4477-416: The 1940s, his playing was often labeled as "schmaltzy" and dismissed by the critics, although radio discs from this period reveal James's continued commitment to jazz. James's jazz releases during this period, while not as numerous, include a variety of modern arrangements from Neal Hefti , Frank Devenport, Johnny Richards and Jimmy Mundy that often inspired his musicians, and as bop surpassed swing by
4598-556: The 1960s; he is well-known for having appeared in the Beach party films of this decade and for a supporting role in the 1978 musical film Grease , in which he sings the song " Beauty School Dropout ". Avalon was born in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , the son of Italian-American parents Mary and Nicholas Avallone. His mother was originally from Sicily . His father was a butcher who was born in Philadelphia, whose father Francesco
4719-420: The 1980s, with teen idol status was Madonna , especially among youth female audience which was later named Madonna wannabes . In popular music, the late 1980s was the boom of teenagers dominating the music charts. Debbie Gibson became the youngest person to write, perform and produce a number-one single, " Foolish Beat ", and also had many hits from her first two albums. Tiffany , another teen icon, became
4840-406: The 1990s were bands and musical acts. The rise of MTV in the 1980s and the success of the boy bands and girl groups during the 1990s and 2000s continued to fuel the phenomenon. Besides a combination of good, clean-cut looks and a ubiquitous marketing campaign, such bands typically include a variety of personality types (e.g. "the shy one", "the smart one", etc.) These idols were often found on
4961-1061: The 1990s, and in China the 2010s. Idols are also not limited to singing, and may take part in more explicitly image-focused venues such as pin-up photography ( gravure idols ) and pornography ( AV idols ). There are many different idols and idol groups spread across many countries. In Japan, there are pop stars Ayumi Hamasaki and Namie Amuro as well as Kana Nishino and music groups such as Momoiro Clover Z , Morning Musume , AKB48 , and Perfume and Johnny & Associates boy bands Arashi , NEWS , KAT-TUN , and Hey! Say! JUMP among others. In Taiwan, there are pop icons such as Jay Chou , Jolin Tsai , music groups Mayday , F4 , and S.H.E . In South Korea, notable K-pop personalities include singers BoA and Rain and groups BTS , Blackpink , Twice , Exo , TVXQ , 2PM , 2AM , Beast , Shinee , Super Junior , 2NE1 , Big Bang , Wonder Girls , T-ara , Kara and Girls' Generation . In Vietnam, there are
Frankie Avalon - Misplaced Pages Continue
5082-582: The 2000s and 2010s. Besides, former Menudo member Ricky Martin , their chief rivals Los Chicos and former member Chayanne , Venezuelan actor and singer Guillermo Davila and more, to Argentina, where telenovela, Chiquititas , ushered in a new era of teen-idols for that country, including actors Benjamin Rojas , Felipe Colombo , Luisana Lopilato , and Camila Bordonaba , who went on to form teen band Erreway , precursors to Mexican band RBD. Quinceañera (1987), starring by Thalía and Adela Noriega became
5203-533: The Balkans, the late Macedonian singer Toše Proeski was considered a teen idol. In Latin America, idols ranges from Mexican pop stars Timbiriche (including their members, Paulina Rubio and Thalía ), Lynda Thomas , Magneto , Puerto Rican born Mexican Luis Miguel , Colombian Shakira and the popular Puerto Rican boy band Menudo in the 1980s and 1990s, and Paty Cantú , Anahí , Belinda , and RBD in
5324-471: The Beatles arrived in 1964. Making their debut in the U.S. on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, the Beatles soon became the most successful and influential band in modern musical history, staying at the top of Billboard charts for a grand total of 58 weeks between 1964 and 1970. Adolescent hysteria was so loud that the band had trouble performing at concerts. The level of stardom they achieved in
5445-571: The Beatles did it through their more developed (or "grown up") music. Similarly, Neil Sedaka had two distinct eras of his career, with about a decade in between: one as a teen idol in the 1960s, and a later career in adult contemporary music . Roy Orbison was known for his songs " Oh, Pretty Woman ," " Only the Lonely ," and " Crying ." From the family band the Cowsills , Susan Cowsill , John Cowsill and Barry Cowsill became teen idols. Many of
5566-571: The Boss? became a major teen idol. In the mid-1980s there was a group of young actors called the Brat Pack ; the whole group collectively and separately became teen idols. They were Emilio Estevez , Anthony Michael Hall , Rob Lowe , Andrew McCarthy , Demi Moore , Judd Nelson , Molly Ringwald , and Ally Sheedy . They starred in many coming of age films together in some fashion and became very popular without being musicians. Molly Ringwald entered
5687-574: The Bottom of the Sea (1961), a solid commercial hit. He had a supporting role in a comedy, Sail a Crooked Ship (1961). Avalon was teamed with Ray Milland in the science fiction film, Panic in Year Zero! (1962), written by Lou Rusoff . Samuel Z. Arkoff of American International Pictures (AIP) said Avalon and Milland were teamed together because "they both have particular types of followers and
5808-469: The Brides among many others. Musical series such as Cassidy's The Partridge Family , the animated series The Archie Show , and (to a lesser extent) The Brady Bunch integrated television and teen- pop music to significant success during this time frame. The Brady Bunch's Barry Williams and Christopher Knight , as was tennis pro/actor Vincent Van Patten all were constantly in the fan magazines at
5929-716: The Canadian band the DeFranco Family , and the Bay City Rollers (UK). Even modern classic hits and oldies outlets, which cover this time period, rarely play cuts from the teen idols of the era. A notable exception is Michael Jackson of the Jackson Five , who began his career as a teen idol along with his brothers, but whose individual career eventually evolved far beyond the limitations of that description and into superstardom. The Jackson Five were
6050-675: The Disney situational comedy Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012) and released her first album Kiss & Tell in 2009. She became an icon for adolescent girls and women, yet details of her personal life put her under public scrutiny. ViacomCBS -owned Nickelodeon , a competitor to Disney Channel, has also developed its own slate of stars for its television shows, including Amanda Bynes , Drake Bell , Josh Peck , Emma Roberts , Miranda Cosgrove , Jennette McCurdy , Nathan Kress , Jamie Lynn Spears (sister of Britney Spears), Ariana Grande , Victoria Justice , Elizabeth Gillies , and groups
6171-629: The Menace , and Keith and Kevin Schultz known as the "Schultz Twins" on The Monroes all became younger preteen idols and grew into being teen idols. Herman's Hermits , the Rolling Stones , and the Beach Boys were teen idols, especially during the earlier part of their careers, although they quickly grew out of that status. The Rolling Stones did it through a more rebellious image,
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#17327865881376292-660: The Naked Brothers Band and Big Time Rush , many of whom have not only starred in TV shows, but recorded songs as well. Many of the modern-day teen idols are females marketed as "role models" to teen and tween girls, a departure from the traditional role of the male teen idol marketed as the idolized teen "heartthrob". Actress Mischa Barton became a teen idol through her role on The O.C. , with Entertainment Weekly naming her character Marissa Cooper “ It Girl " of 2003. In 2002, Canadian singer Avril Lavigne dominated
6413-551: The TV series Dexter in which John Lithgow 's character, Arthur Mitchell , plays it to remember his deceased sister. Also, "Venus" is sampled in Nick Bertke 's, single, "J'Adore Juin", a mashup of sounds from the movie The Apartment . "Venus" also appeared in the 2016 film 10 Cloverfield Lane starring John Goodman. Avalon is also mentioned in The Vaccines ' song " Teenage Icon ". Teen idol A teen idol
6534-446: The U.S.—dubbed Beatlemania —was never before seen in that country, not even during the heyday of Elvis Presley. It is believed that a part of their success in the U.S. was because they brought hope and joy to a nation that was still recovering from the shock of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Some young TV stars were being hustled into studios to make recordings; for example, ex-Mousketeer Annette Funicello became one of
6655-486: The United States, and in similar magazines elsewhere. With the advent of television, teen idols were also promoted through programs such as American Bandstand , The Ed Sullivan Show , Soul Train . Today's teen idols have spawned an entire industry of gossip magazines , television shows , YouTube , social media , and whole television channels such as E! . The first known person to have been treated as
6776-433: The age of four, then playing the snare drum in the band from about the age of six. It was at this age that James was almost trampled by the circus trick horses after he wandered onto the circus track as they were performing their stunts, but he was protected by his mother's pet horse, who stood over him until the other horses rushed by. James started taking trumpet lessons from his father at age eight, and by age twelve he
6897-482: The banner "Dick Fox's Golden Boys". A cookbook with over 80 recipes from St. Martin's Press, Frankie Avalon's Italian Family Cookbook , was published in 2015. On October 18, 2021, Avalon performed on Dancing with the Stars . Avalon married Kathryn "Kay" Diebel on January 19, 1963. She was a beauty pageant winner he met while playing cards at a friend's house. The Avalons have eight children. His son Frankie Jr.
7018-534: The biggest stars in music. His wholesome image was a stark contrast to the uproar caused by Elvis Presley, with parents often approving of Nelson. Rick’s popularity continued to grow as Elvis and the Everly Brothers were in the military, Chuck Berry was imprisoned, and Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens died. However his popularity declined as the British Invasion hit the United States. when
7139-440: The boy band One Direction got elimated as solo acts on the third season of The X Factor , guest judge Nicole Scherzinger suggested that they form a group together. The result was much fame and fortune for the band, who burst onto the scene in 2012. The group went on indefinite hiatus in 2016, and since 2017, its members have been pursuing solo projects. Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983)
7260-494: The combination adds up to an attraction". For AIP, Avalon made a war film with Tab Hunter , Operation Bikini (1963), singing a few songs in flashback. At MGM , he played the lead in an adventure film set in Africa, Drums of Africa (1963). Of more significance for Avalon's career was a project originally written by Rusoff, Beach Party (1963). This cheerful pop rock-and-roll musical comedy starred Annette Funicello and
7381-407: The continent identifying with their songs, this was called "Shakiramía" or "Shakira Fever" The Backstreet Boys ' popularity grew in 1997 with " Everybody (Backstreet's Back) ," a song produced by Max Martin . Opting against joining a girl band, Britney Spears released the music video " ...Baby One More Time " in 1998 on MTV, which pushed her into the public consciousness. Her first album of
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#17327865881377502-491: The covers and pages of teen magazines during the 1990s as teen idols as well. Classic examples of boy bands include Menudo , New Kids on the Block , Take That , Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC, all becoming the best-selling pop groups of the decade. Hanson was initially marketed as such a band, but eventually outgrew this label to become a successful indie band. Christina Aguilera , Jennifer Lopez , Mandy Moore , Jessica Simpson , and Britney Spears, along with female bands such as
7623-407: The end of the first season. Elvis Presley made his debut in the mid-1950s and became a sensation. Deemed too dangerous to be filmed except from the waist up because of his sexually suggestive dance moves, he became popular among teenagers. The success of young rock stars like Presley, film stars like Marlon Brando , Paul Newman , James Dean , Tab Hunter , and Sal Mineo in the 1950s, as well as
7744-462: The episode "Dewey and Harold and Sarah and Maggie" of the NBC television series $ weepstake$ . The 1980 film The Idolmaker , written by Ed Di Lorenzo and directed by Taylor Hackford , was a thinly-disguised biography of Avalon ("Tommy Dee" in the film) as well as 1950s teenage star Fabian Forte (called "Caesare" in the film), along with songwriter/producer Bob Marcucci (called "Vinnie Vacarri"). In
7865-534: The features of many teen idols is that their fans (and, in some cases, the musicians themselves) tended to develop a hate for the music once they became adults, and it is not much listened to by adults, except for nostalgia: the legacy of bubblegum pop . Teen idol performers in this category would include Shaun Cassidy , Leif Garrett , the Osmond Brothers (particularly Donny Osmond and their teen idol sister Marie Osmond ), Andy Gibb , Tony DeFranco of
7986-407: The film was never made. Rushes for Timberland were seen by John Wayne , who was looking for a young actor to play the (fictitious) role of "Smitty" in his passion project, The Alamo (1960). Avalon was cast in his second dramatic part. After making the film Wayne told the press: "We're not cutting one bit of any scene in which Frankie appears. I believe he is the finest young talent I've seen in
8107-707: The film's events. In 1980, Avalon appeared in the film Blood Song as Paul Foley, a serial killer. The movie was shot in October-November 1980 in North Bend/Coos Bay, Oregon. It was released in October 1982. Avalon also appeared in the Happy Days episode "Poobah Doo Dah" playing himself where he sings his hits "Venus" and "Why". Avalon had the idea of returning to beach party films with Funicello. He hired several screenwriters and shopped
8228-412: The film, Dee clashes with the record producer and younger singer Caesare, who he feels threatens his career. Eventually, Dee and Caesare quit the label, but their record careers collapse just as the British Invasion begins. The real Fabian threatened a lawsuit, despite the filmmakers' insistence that the film presented only fictional characters (though Marcucci was a paid consultant). Avalon denied most of
8349-409: The first telenovela made for teenagers. Often teen idols are actors or musicians . Some teen idols began their careers as child actors , such as Britney Spears , Hilary Duff , Raven-Symoné and Miley Cyrus . There were teen idols before there were teen magazines , but idols have always been a permanent feature in magazines such as Seventeen , 16 , Tiger Beat and Right On! in
8470-406: The first African-American music group to become national teen idols, appearing along with famous white idols in magazines such as 16 and Tiger Beat . In addition, the charismatic appeal, showmanship and flurry of fans towards lead Michael Jackson made him a teen idol and heartthrob amongst teens; his success as a soloist continued into the 1980s. In 1985, actress Alyssa Milano from Who's
8591-795: The first big female idols as well as the Lennon Sisters whom had cut out dolls and were always on the covers of the gossip magazines; another, Johnny Crawford of The Rifleman , had five Top-40 hits. In 1963, Luke Halpin made a big splash as a teen idol in the television program Flipper . After Bye Bye Birdie was released in 1963, Bobby Rydell became an instant teen idol. In the 1960s as situation comedies and dramas on television using child actors became more popular, actors Paul Petersen , Patty Petersen , and Shelley Fabares from The Donna Reed Show , Dwayne Hickman from The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis , Sally Field of Gidget , Jon Provost of Lassie , Jay North from Dennis
8712-484: The first popular singer to have a star vehicle created for him: The Vagabond Lover . Frank Sinatra , whose early career in the 1940s is often linked to his appeal to bobby soxers , who got that name because they were forced to dance in their bobby socks so that their shoes would not damage the dance floor, is also regarded as having been amongst the first teen idols. Although he had only three major movie roles, James Dean earned two Oscar nominations. He also had
8833-463: The four remaining female contenders (Kathleen Monteleone, Allie Schulz, Ashley Spencer, and winner Laura Osnes) for the role of Sandy on the NBC television reality show Grease: You're the One that I Want! . On April 8, 2009, Avalon performed on American Idol . As part of a long-running concert tour, Avalon has toured with fellow Philadelphian early 1960s teen idols Fabian and Bobby Rydell under
8954-554: The genre, including new teen idols such as Raven-Symoné , Dylan and Cole Sprouse , Zac Efron , Aly & AJ , Jesse McCartney , Vanessa Hudgens , Ashley Tisdale , Corbin Bleu , Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers . Disney has also used another one of its own TV channels, Freeform , to develop shows and stars popular among teen girls. Mean Girls , a well-known comedy written by Tina Fey , also saw
9075-436: The guys that had the broken bottlenecks on their guitars, playing the blues; that's all we knew." After hearing James solo on several numbers at a Benny Goodman one-nighter, Armstrong enthused to his friend and Goodman vibraphonist Lionel Hampton , "That white boy – he plays like a jig!" After James left Benny Goodman's band in 1939 to form his own band, he soon found that leading a commercially viable musical group required
9196-581: The highest-paid couple in the nation. While James remained commercially successful and personally committed to his music, some critics sought to find fault. In Peter Levinson's 1999 biography, Dan Morgenstern , the respected critic and Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies, called the 1941 release of the later Grammy Hall of Fame inducted "You Made Me Love You" "the record that the jazz critics never forgave Harry James for recording." With James continuing to employ his flamboyant style on pop hits through
9317-490: The image of a rebellious youth, something that was popular among girls and young women. His performance in Rebel Without A Cause (1955) and his untimely death in a road collision in 1955 cemented his status as an icon. Contemporary teenagers still wear white T-shirts and jeans in his style. Selected by Walt Disney in 1955 for his new show The Mickey Mouse Club , Annette Funicello became popular among viewers by
9438-576: The internet, though Hollywood would still be a spring board for many names in the early years of the decade. Actors such as Josh Hartnett , Heath Ledger and Ashton Kutcher would dominate the teen idol scene for the early 2000s. Hartnett become the most prominent face of the young Hollywood actors entering the 2000s. He appeared on dozens of major magazine covers and was the subject of a Vanity Fair cover story remarking on his meteoric rise to fame. The intense attention he received during this time period caused him to turn down high-profile roles, including
9559-528: The late 1930s into the 1940s. He was also an actor in a number of films that usually featured his band. Harry James was born in Albany, Georgia , United States, the son of Everett Robert James, a bandleader in a traveling circus, the Mighty Haag Circus , and Myrtle Maybelle (Stewart), an acrobat and horseback rider. He started performing with the circus at an early age, first as a contortionist at
9680-604: The late 1940s, James was surprisingly open to its influence. After coasting through the mid-1950s, James made a complete reevaluation of where he was heading in his musical career. Count Basie provided the impetus by making a significant comeback with his newly formed "16 Men Swinging" band, and James wanted a band with a decided Basie flavor. James signed with Capitol Records in 1955, and two years later, after releasing new studio versions of many of his previously released songs from Columbia Records, James recorded ten new tracks for an album entitled Wild About Harry! . This album
9801-399: The late 1950s and into the 1960s, contemporary opinion of his work has shifted. Recent reissues such as Capitol's 2012 7-disc set The Capitol Vaults Jazz Series: Gene Krupa and Harry James have prompted new, more favorable analyses. In 2014, Marc Myers of JazzWax commented, "[James's] band of the mid-1940s was more modern than most of the majors, and in 1949 he led one of the finest bands of
9922-488: The late 1960s after their TV show became an overnight success, especially for Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones . The British-born Monkee Davy Jones was regularly featured in teen fan magazines . In 2008, Yahoo Music named Jones the number one teen idol of all time, and in 2009 he was ranked second in a list compiled by Fox News . Teen fan magazine TeenSet began publishing in 1964, focusing on youthful bands and musicians. Tiger Beat magazine began competing for
10043-475: The lead in a military service comedy, Sergeant Deadhead (1965), playing another dual role. All this activity meant he was reluctant to appear in another "beach party" film, so Hickman played the lead in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965), although Avalon had a cameo. The box office performance of these last few films was disappointing, especially Sergeant Deadhead , for which sequels had been planned. More popular
10164-543: The limelight with the films Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club . Actors Corey Feldman and Corey Haim also became teen idols during the later part of the 1980s with films The Goonies and together The Lost Boys , Dream a Little Dream and License to Drive among other films. They were dubbed "the two Coreys". Before Corey Haim's death in 2010, they did a reality TV show for two seasons (2007–08) on A&E named The Two Coreys after their 1980s moniker. Actor River Phoenix during his teen years became
10285-521: The media and general public as "White Boys of the Month", with the term becoming a popular meme since. Noah Centineo became popular among teenagers and young adults following the release of To All the Boys I've Loved Before , having amassed over 15 million Instagram followers within eight weeks of the film's release; he was dubbed an "internet boyfriend" by the media. Although the future members of
10406-470: The movie Clueless (1995), Alicia Silverstone became a teen idol. The 1997 film Titanic made Leonardo DiCaprio a teen idol; during "Leo-Mania" his face appeared on many teen magazines. Fraternal twin sisters and actresses Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen were major tween idols and as they grew up they later became teen idols during the 1990s. The 2000s would be a decade of transition due to increasing amount of media platforms coming from TV and
10527-561: The music he both played and recorded. In 1972 while in London, he did an interview with the English jazz critic Steve Voce , who asked if the biggest audience was for the commercial numbers he had recorded. James visibly bristled, replying "That would depend on for whom you are playing. If you're playing for a jazz audience, I'm pretty sure that some of the jazz things we do would be a lot more popular than 'Sleepy Lagoon,' and if we're playing at
10648-438: The music scene and eventually became a worldwide teen idol. Listed at #4 on Yahoo!'s Top 25 Teen Idols of all-time. During the popularity of her sister Jessica Simpson 's MTV reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with then-husband Nick Lachey , 7th Heaven actress Ashlee Simpson developed a music career through her own MTV spin-off reality series The Ashlee Simpson Show in 2004, and soon became
10769-580: The new 45-rpm singles . Rock music played on 45s became the soundtrack to the 1960s as people bought what they heard on the radio. The great majority of the music being marketed to 1950s teens was being written by adults, but 1960s teens were increasingly appreciating and emulating artists closer to their own age, to teen fashion, and to lyrics which addressed their own concerns. Their parents worried about their attraction to artists (and DJs) who were edgy and rebellious. Faces on magazines fed fans; fans buy records, see films, watch TV and buy fashions. Marketing of
10890-429: The performances of Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried (in her first role). Raven-Symoné gained popularity as a child actor for her roles on The Cosby Show (1989-1992) and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1993-1997), but became a household name from being the titular character on the extremely popular and successful Disney Channel show That's So Raven (2003-2007) as well as being a part of The Cheetah Girls and
11011-439: The picture of mine that I think people remember best, and it was just a lot of kids having a lot of fun ... a picture about young romance and about the opposition of adults and old people ... also fun because we got to learn how to fake skydive out of an airplane." Avalon also appeared in nearly two dozen TV episodes, including ABC 's The Bing Crosby Show and The Patty Duke Show , appearing often as himself. Later, he became
11132-423: The same audience in 1965. After Davy Jones came Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy , who held the title of Teen Idols from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s. Both Sherman and Cassidy were actors on television and chart topping musicians in the pop-rock category at the time; with David Cassidy in particular enjoying immense international fame and success. Sherman was on hit TV shows Shindig! and Here Come
11253-523: The same name made its debut at the top of Billboard ' s charts, and became the world's best-selling album by a teenage solo artist. Before she turned 20 years, Spears was also recognized by the Guinness World Records as the best-selling teenage artist. Spears and Billie Piper also became the youngest artists to have accumulated more number-one songs in the UK singles chart. After
11374-549: The screenplay around town, eventually managing to set up the project at Paramount Pictures . Back to the Beach (1987) was a moderate success. In 1989, Avalon and Funicello appeared as themselves in cameo roles, out jogging the streets in Troop Beverly Hills . Not long afterward Funicello retired, having been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis . Avalon then turned to marketing and created Frankie Avalon Products,
11495-469: The singers WanBi Tuấn Anh , Sơn Tùng M-TP , Đông Nhi , Bảo Thy and Tóc Tiên . European teen idols include German popstar Bill Kaulitz of the pop-rock band Tokio Hotel and the members of the Anglo-Irish pop boy band One Direction , and Girls Aloud , another Anglo-Irish band. In Spain, La Oreja de Van Gogh , Miguel Bosé , Mecano , and Hombres G all enjoyed teen-idol status. In
11616-584: The singing voice for the lead character in the English-language version of a Japanese musical anime , Alakazam the Great (1960), which was done at the behest of the US distributor, American International Pictures . It was the first in what would be a long association with that company. For Irwin Allen , Avalon had a small role and sang the title song in the science fiction adventure film, Voyage to
11737-714: The spike pit on the Bridge level. His song "Venus" was featured in Cranium Command (1989–2005), an attraction at Epcot 's Wonders of Life Pavilion (now closed) at Walt Disney World . In the attraction, a 12-year-old boy named Bobby (Scott Curtis), tries to survive the pressures of life and falls in love with a beautiful girl named Annie ( Natalie Gregory ) at school. Avalon and his song "Venus" are mentioned in Wendy Wasserstein 's 2005 play Third . The main character, English professor Laurie Jameson, watches
11858-477: The sudden popularity of the New Kids caused their roles to be reversed. Gibson and Tiffany's careers had stalled by the early 1990s; so had NKOTB by the mid-nineties. The other boy band from Boston, New Edition , was popular with the teen set by the end of the 1980s. The manufacturing of teen idols has been marketed more aggressively and with greater sophistication since the 1980s. Many of the major teen idols in
11979-446: The teen idol generally focuses on the image.... The teen idol is structured to appeal to the pre-teen and young teen female pop audience member and children in general.... [They] are commodified in forms and images that are relatively non-threatening to this young audience and to the ancillary market of parents... The teen idol never appears to be autonomous and therefore never appears to be threatening as an adult; he remains, as long as he
12100-529: The teen idols of the era were the sons of older, established stars; Dino, Desi & Billy were active as teen idols during the mid-sixties. The group included Dean Paul Martin (son of singer Dean Martin ), and Billy Hinsche (a mutual friend whose parents were not famous). Gary Lewis , son of comedian Jerry Lewis , fronted the Playboys during this era. All of the Monkees became instant teen idols in
12221-493: The time. Popular actors such as John Moulder Brown , Leonard Whiting , Ray Lovelock (Raymond Lovelock), Leif Garrett , Mark Hamill , Mark Lester , Jan-Michael Vincent and Jack Wild were the talk of the teenagers in the 1970s as well. Musical group the Hudson Brothers were on many teen magazine covers for a number of years as teen idols. They had two shows on TV during the 1970s and recorded many albums. One of
12342-638: The top jazz musician on each instrument. The winners were invited to join an ensemble known as the Metronome All-Stars that was assembled for studio recordings. The studio sessions were held in the years 1939–42, 1946–53, and 1956, and typically resulted in two tracks which allowed each participant a one chorus solo. Harry James was chosen to play trumpet with the Metronome All-Stars in 1939, 1940 and 1941. A similar annual readers' poll conducted by Downbeat magazine selected James as
12463-482: The top ten, and 70 in the top 100 on the U.S. pop charts, as well as seven charting on the U.S. R&B chart. As of 2016, two recordings of Harry James had been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame , a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance." Metronome magazine conducted annual readers' polls ranking
12584-626: The week ending November 18, 1941. During its 18-week chart run, the single spent ten non-consecutive weeks in the Top Ten, from early November 1941 until late January 1942. He and his band appeared in three Hollywood films: Private Buckaroo and Springtime in the Rockies (both 1942), and Two Girls and a Sailor (1944). James toured with the band into the 1980s, and as of July 2018 the Harry James Orchestra, led by Fred Radke,
12705-479: The wider emergence of youth subcultures , led promoters to the deliberate creation of teen idols such as singers Frankie Avalon , Frankie Valli , Frankie Lymon , Fabian Forte , Bobby Rydell and Connie Stevens . Even crooners like Frank Sinatra were still considered idols and rather handsome. Actors Edd Byrnes and Troy Donahue and other artists deliberately cultivated a (safer) idol image, like Canadian musician Paul Anka . Anka initially modelled himself on
12826-425: The year." And on James's releases from 1958 to 1961, Myers noted, "The James band during this period has been eclipsed by bands led by Basie , Maynard Ferguson and Stan Kenton . While each served up its own brand of magnificence, James produced more consistently brilliant tracks than the others... virtually everything James recorded during this period was an uncompromising, swinging gem." James felt strongly about
12947-452: Was Helen Forrest , and his later band included drummer Buddy Rich and bassist Thurman Teague . Johnny MacAfee was featured on the sax and vocals, and Corky Corcoran was a youthful sax prodigy. James' orchestra succeeded Glenn Miller 's on a program sponsored by Chesterfield Cigarettes in 1942, when Miller disbanded his orchestra to enter the Army. In 1945, James and his orchestra had
13068-745: Was 15 years of age. While still a student at Dick Dowling Junior High School, he participated as a regular member of Beaumont High School 's Royal Purple Band, and in May 1931 he took first place as trumpet soloist at the Texas Band Teacher's Association's Annual Eastern Division contest held in Temple, Texas . James’s first job was playing at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and he played regularly with Herman Waldman's band, and at one performance
13189-521: Was AIP's Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965), a comedy with Vincent Price and Hickman. This was liked well enough to justify a sequel, although Avalon did not appear; Fabian Forte took over the Avalon role. In January 1966, Avalon said he no longer wanted to make beach films. "Even a seagull leaves the beach from time to time, and I'm getting a little sick of sand." AIP tried to find
13310-808: Was a heavy smoker, drinker, and gambler. In 1983 he was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer , but continued to work. He played his last professional job, with the Harry James Orchestra, on June 26, 1983, in Los Angeles, dying just nine days later in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 5, 1983, at age 67. Frank Sinatra gave the eulogy at his funeral, held in Las Vegas. The discography of Harry James includes 30 studio albums, 47 EPs, three soundtrack/stage and screen albums, and numerous live albums and compilation albums, along with contributions as sideman and appearances with other musicians. James released over 200 singles during his career, with nine songs reaching number one, 32 in
13431-906: Was a short appearance in Jamboree (1957), playing a trumpet and singing "Teacher's Pet". In the late 1950s, teen idols were often given roles in films, supporting older male stars in order to attract a younger audience, such as Ricky Nelson in Rio Bravo (1959). Alan Ladd 's daughter was a Frankie Avalon fan, who recommended that he co-star with her father in the Western Guns of the Timberland (1960). Avalon sings two songs, "The Faithful Kind" and "Gee Whiz Whillikins Golly Gee"; both were released as singles. Ladd announced he would reteam Avalon and his daughter in Six Steps to Freedom but
13552-436: Was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but shortly after he reorganized and was active again with his band from then until his death in 1983. He was especially known among musicians for his technical proficiency as well as his tone , and was influential on new trumpet players from
13673-529: Was directed by William Asher . Arkoff said AIP originally wanted Fabian Forte to co-star with Funicello, but when he proved unavailable, they went with Avalon; it was a big hit and led to several sequels. Avalon received an offer to appear in a swashbuckler set in 10th century Spain about Fernán González of Castile , The Castilian (1963). This was followed by the Beach Party sequel, Muscle Beach Party (1963), which proved to be popular. Even more so
13794-533: Was from Salerno, in Campania , Italy, and whose mother was from Sicily . In December 1952, Avalon made his American network television debut playing the trumpet in the Honeymooners "Christmas Party" sketch on The Jackie Gleason Show . Two singles showcasing Avalon's trumpet playing were issued on RCA Victor 's X sublabel in 1954. His trumpet playing was also featured on some of his LP songs as well. As
13915-632: Was leading the second band in the Christy Brothers Circus, for which his family was then working. James's father placed him on a strict daily practice schedule. At each session he was given several pages to learn from the Arban's book and was not allowed to pursue any other pastime until he had learned them. In 1924, his family settled in Beaumont, Texas . It was here in the early 1930s that James began playing in local dance bands when he
14036-415: Was married three times, first to singer Louise Tobin on May 4, 1935, with whom he had two sons, Harry Jeffrey James (b. 1941) and Timothy Ray James (b. 1942). They divorced in 1943. Later that year he married actress Betty Grable . They had two daughters, Victoria Elizabeth (b. 1944) and Jessica (b. 1947), before divorcing in 1965. In December 1967 James wed Las Vegas showgirl Joan Boyd. The couple had
14157-476: Was noticed by nationally popular Ben Pollack . In 1935 he joined Pollack's band, but left at the start of 1937 to join Benny Goodman 's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938. He was nicknamed "The Hawk" early in his career for his ability to sight-read . A common joke was that if a fly landed on his written music, Harry James would play it. His low range had a warmth associated with the cornet and even
14278-472: Was still very much in business. James' band was the first high-profile orchestra to feature vocalist Frank Sinatra , who signed a one-year, $ 75 a week contract with it in 1939 ($ 1,589 a week in 2022). James wanted to change Sinatra's name to 'Frankie Satin', but the singer refused. Sinatra only worked seven months before leaving to join Tommy Dorsey 's outfit. The James band's featured female vocalist
14399-476: Was the first in a series released on Capitol, and continuing later on MGM , representative of the Basie style that James adopted during this period, with some of the arrangements provided by former Basie saxophonist and arranger Ernie Wilkins , whom James hired for his own band. While James never completely regained favor with jazz critics during his lifetime in spite of his return to more jazz-oriented releases in
14520-481: Was the highest record of all female musicians in Japan. Momoiro Clover Z has been ranked as one of the most popular female idol groups from 2013 to 2017. In the late 2010s, many young actors developed large followings amongst teenagers after portraying famous contemporary literary characters. The most notable among these were Ansel Elgort ( Augustus Waters ), Timothée Chalamet ( Elio Perlman ), and Nick Robinson ( Simon Spier ). These actors were referred to by
14641-521: Was the third in the film series Bikini Beach (1964), where Avalon had a dual role. In August 1964, Avalon announced he had signed to make ten films in five years for AIP. Pajama Party (1964) was the unofficial fourth film in the series; it was a science fiction spoof in which Avalon ceded the leading man duties to Tommy Kirk , retaining a cameo. He was back as the leading man in Beach Blanket Bingo (1965). He later recalled: "That's
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