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Pat Boone
Charles Eugene (Pat) Boone
(born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, actor and writer who was a
successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early
1960s. He covered black artists' songs (when part of the country was
segregated) and sold more copies than his black counterparts. He sold
over 45 million albums, had 38 Top 40 hits and appeared in more than 12
Hollywood movies. Boone's talent as a singer and actor, combined with
his old-fashioned values, contributed to his popularity in the early
rock and roll era. He continues to perform, and speak as a motivational
speaker, a television personality, a conservative political commentator
and a preacher.
According to Billboard, Boone was the second biggest charting
artist of the late 1950s, behind only Elvis Presley but ahead of Ricky
Nelson and The Platters, and was ranked at No. 9—behind The Rolling
Stones and Paul McCartney but ahead of artists such as Aretha Franklin
and The Beach Boys—in its listing of the Top 100 Top 40 Artists
1955-1995. Boone still holds the Billboard record for spending 220
consecutive weeks on the charts with more than one song.
At the age of twenty-three, he began hosting a half-hour ABC variety
television series, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, which aired for 115
episodes (1957–1960). Many musical performers, including Edie Adams,
Andy Williams, Pearl Bailey and Johnny Mathis made appearances on the
show. His cover versions of rhythm and blues hits had a noticeable
effect on the development of the broad popularity of rock and roll.
During his tours in the 1950s, Elvis Presley was one of his opening
acts.
As a prolific author, Boone had a No. 1 bestseller in the 1950s
(Twixt Twelve and Twenty, Prentice-Hall). In the 1960s, he focused on
gospel music and is a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
The Best of Pat Boone (Hallmark Rerods, 1996)