Pat Boone

Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host, and philanthropist. One of the best-selling American recording artists of the 1950s and early 1960s, he has sold nearly 50 million records, charted 38 Top 40 hits in the United States, and appeared in numerous feature films. Boone rivaled Elvis Presley in popularity during the 1950s and was ranked by Billboard as one of the top charting artists between 1955 and 1995. He spent 220 consecutive weeks on the Billboard charts with one or more songs each week. Through the 1960s, Boone remained one of the most popular entertainers in the United States, becoming a teen idol positioned as an alternative to the perceived hedonism of rock and roll, owing to his work as a singer, writer, actor, and religious motivational speaker. In 1957, at age 23, Boone began hosting the half-hour ABC variety series The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, which aired 115 episodes from 1957 to 1960. Guests included Cliff Richard, Nat King Cole, Edie Adams, Andy Williams, Pearl Bailey, and Johnny Mathis. His cover versions of rhythm and blues songs contributed to the mainstream popularity of rock and roll. Elvis Presley opened for Boone in Cleveland in 1955, and the two later became close friends. As an author, Boone published the 1958 advice book 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty, which became a number-one bestseller. In the 1960s, he turned his attention to gospel music and was later inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He continues to perform, speak as a motivational speaker, and work as a television personality and conservative political commentator.