Pat Boone
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Pat Boone epitomized the image of the All-American clean-cut good guy and turned it into a singing career awash in family values way before family values became a hot-button political issue. With an enviable smile and ever-present white buck shoes, this distant relative of Daniel Boone first found celebrity in the 1950s.
Soft-spoken and easy-going, he became a pop star recording covers of hits such as "Ain't That a Shame" and "Tutti Frutti." Boone sold millions of albums, second in the late 1950s only to Elvis Presley. He also starred in films such as “April Love” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”
Boone married Shirley Foley, daughter of country star Red Foley, in 1953 and had four daughters. One of his daughters, Debby, went on to become a recording star in her own right with her hit pop song, "You Light Up My Life," in 1977.
In addition to acting and singing, Boone is a Christian activist, author and television host. He hosted a network TV show titled the “Pat Boone Chevy Show” from 1957 to 1959. He wrote “Twixt Twelve and Twenty,” a self-help book for teens. Boone, who is very involved in Christian causes, put religion first in his life, which may have been a hindrance to to his career.
Boone was known to refuse work that would jeopardize his strict moral standards. He once turned down a movie role playing opposite sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, and he refused to kiss Shirley Jones, his love interest in “April Love,” because she was a married woman.
In 1997, he spoofed his own image, releasing an album called "In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy," on which he performed covers of heavy metal music so that one can actually understand the lyrics. Celebrating more than 50 years in the business, today he can be found on Facebook, or performing in Branson, Mo.
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