Pat Boone

Pat Boone was born Charles Eugene Boone in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 1, 1934 and started singing in High School. One of his fellow students at North Texas State College was Roy Orbison who was spurred on to his own singing career following Pat's initial success.

In 1954, Pat sang on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour Show and ended up winning first prize. This was followed by a spot on the famous Arthur Godfry Talent Scout Show  - the springboard to success for so many major recording artists, although Elvis Presley failed the audition to appear in 1954. Boone won the show again and was signed to a contract with Dot Records.

For seven years, Pat Boone was second only in popularity throughout the world to Elvis, and in a four year period from 1955 to 1958 he had the distinction of always having at least one single in the American Hit Parade. During this time he also enjoyed a successful career in movies, including State Fair, April Love, The Main Attraction and Mardis Gras. A devout born-again Christian, Boone refused movie roles that he felt might compromise his standards, including a role opposite the decade's reigning sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. In April Love he refused to give co-star Shirley Jones an on-screen kiss, because the actress was married in real life. He emerged as the all-American golden boy and the "Mr Clean" of show business.

The British Invasion effectively ended Boone's career, though he continued recording throughout the 1960s, and in the 1970s he switched to gospel and country.

TRIVIA NOTES
Pat Boone is the great-great-great-great-grandson of pioneer Daniel Boone. In the early 1990s, Boone joined Amway and spoke at many motivational seminars.