TV stars recording music

[rnigma1]

We've mentioned a lot of singers/tv stars from the 1950s-60s but we've neglected one of the biggest from the '80s. Michael Damian began recording in 1981 with a remake of Eric Carmen's She Did It. His tv appearances led to him being added to the cast of The Young & The Restless, playing Danny Romalotti from 1981 to 1998. In 1989 Damian had a number-one hit with a remake of the David Essex song Rock On.

Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears were members of the Mouseketeers during the 1989-95 run of The Mickey Mouse Club. Four amazing success stories: From "M-I-C...K-E-Y..." to Sexyback, Bye Bye Bye, Genie In A Bottle and Oops I Did It Again.

Don't forget Ryan Gosling, but his adult success has been as an actor.

Michael Damian's cover of "She Did It" was recorded on LEG Records, owned by Ed Laufer, the publisher of Tiger Beat and 16 ... and Laufer was grooming Damian to be the next hot teen idol that he could exploit; there was an offer on the back of the record sleeve to join the "Michael Damian Fan Club."

As for John Schneider, I recall his first single was a cover of Elvis' "It's Now or Never" - his producers at Scotti Brothers were uncertain of his talent and buried his vocal with plenty of background singers and orchestration. When he moved to MCA his vocals were front and center.

 

[Thomps2525]

Mister rnigma, did you join the Michael Damian Fan Club? I know of only one person that was a member, and that was Michael Damian.

David Faustino played Bud Bundy on Married With Children (1987-97). In 1992, calling himself D Lil, he released a rap album, Balistyx. If you haven't heard the album, be thankful.

 

[Thomps2525]

Tina Yothers, who played Jennifer Keaton on Family Ties (1982-89), was lead singer for Jaded, a rock band that included her brother Cory on keyboards. They released two albums, Jaded in 1998 and Confessions in 2000. (There is a Boston-based female heavy-metal quartet also known as Jaded---definitely not the same group!)

 

[rnigma1]

Mister rnigma, did you join the Michael Damian Fan Club? I know of only one person that was a member, and that was Michael Damian.

Two if you count Ed Laufer. I think Ed tried once before to promote his own star and that was Tony DeFranco.

Dunno if Laufer's still alive but Tiger Beat's still published, with pics aplenty of Bieber and One Dimension, er, Direction.

 

[Thomps2525]

You're confusing One Dimension with the Fifth Direction.

In 2012, Rare Rockin Records put out a CD, Singing TV Stars Of The 1960s. Two of the 32 songs are by Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olsen on the 1952-58 tv series The Adventures Of Superman. (Larson is alive and well---he'll be 85 next month. Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane, is 92.)

http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Stars-1960s-Various-Artists/dp/B003JNGDZG

 

[unitron]

If there's a way to search a thread I haven't found it so forgive me if I'm not first, but Sheb Wooley may or may not qualify.

He did movies and some TV guest shots, but it wasn't until after Purple People Eater came out that Rawhide debuted with him in a regular role.

 

[rnigma1]

If there's a way to search a thread I haven't found it so forgive me if I'm not first, but Sheb Wooley may or may not qualify.

He did movies and some TV guest shots, but it wasn't until after Purple People Eater came out that Rawhide debuted with him in a regular role.

And he recorded dozens of song parodies under the name "Ben Colder."

 

[Thomps2525]

Sheb Wooley qualifies. His first tv appearance was on The Gentlemen From LePorte, the April 3 1951 episode of NBC's dramatic anthology series, Fireside Theatre. That one appearance may not have been enough for him to be considered a "tv star" but he probably thought he was.