Pat Boone
On June 1, 1934, Charles Eugene Patrick Boone, a direct descendant of the American pioneer Daniel Boone was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Growing up in Nashville, Tennessee,Pat Boone wed Shirley Foley, daughter of country music icon Red Foley, they have four daughters, Cherry, Lindy, Laury and Debby Boone whoâs top selling âYou Light Up My Lifeâwas the top selling single of 1977.
Booneâs career began as a multiple winner of the Ted Mack Amateur Hour and the Arthur Godfrey TV show. A recording contract with Dot records followed with âTwo Heartsâ beginning a Hit Parade run of more than 60 recordings over a dozen years that included 6 chart topping #1 hits, 20 top ten hits, 13 certiï¬ed Gold singles, two Gold and one Platinum album.
In the mid 1950âs Patâs popularity equaled that of Elvis Presley who appealed mostly to teens, while Pat Booneâs clean-cut image and white buck shoes was a favorite of both teens and adults.
It was Pat Booneâs recordings of âAinât That A Shame,â âAt My Front Door,â âLong Tall Sally,â âTutti Frutti," âIâll Be Home,â âDonât Forbid Me,â and âI Almost Lost My Mindâ that introduced a wider audience to the music of black performers in an era when their songs were seldom heard on radio. Pat is credited with building the bridge that black artists would cross over into mass appeal acceptance. Pop treatment of R&B songs led to their being played by radio disc jockey's who were largely unaware of them prior to Pat's version reaching the top of the charts. His recordings brought ï¬nancialsuccess to the writers and publishers of R&B music.
Pat Booneâs biggest hits included âLove Letters in the Sand,â âFriendly Persuasion,â âWhy Baby Why,â âRemember Youâre Mine,â âA Wonderful Time Up There,â âItâs Too Soon To Know,â âSugar Moon,â âIf Dreams Came True,â âMoody Riverâ and âSpeedy Gonzales.â Another of Patâs #1 hits, âApril Loveâ not only topped the Hit Parade it was nominated for an Academy Award.
Pat also wrote the theme song for the movie âExodusâ and had a
leading role in 15 motion pictures including the 1960 blockbuster
âJourney to the Center of the Earth.â
Pat Boone is honored with three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his many contributions to music, television and motion pictures.
Pat Boone was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2007.