Leif Garrett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leif Garrett
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Garrett in 1978
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leif Per Nervik |
| Born | November 8, 1961 |
| Origin | Hollywood, California, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | 20th Century, Atlantic, Scotti Brothers, Tongue and Groove, Cleopatra, Golden Lane |
Leif Garrett (born Leif Per Nervik on November 8, 1961) is an American actor, singer, and television star. He became a famous teen idol in the 1970s. After his time as a teen star, he faced some personal challenges that were widely covered in the news.
Contents
Early Life
Garrett was born in Hollywood, California. His mother, Carolyn Stellar, was an actress. He began his career in entertainment when he was only five years old. He graduated from high school when he was 15.
Career
Garrett started his career as a child actor and later became a successful pop singer.
Acting Career
Garrett and his sister, Dawn Lyn, both worked as actors. They appeared together in an episode of the TV show Gunsmoke and also on Wonder Woman.
Some of Garrett's most famous roles include:
- Jimmy Henderson in the movie Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969).
- Mike Pusser in the Walking Tall movies.
- Zack Russell in the TV series Family.
- Leonard Unger, the son of Felix Unger, on the TV show The Odd Couple.
His appearance on the TV series Three for the Road in 1975 made him very popular with teenagers. Soon, his face was on the cover of teen magazines like Tiger Beat. He also starred in the TV movie Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion and the film Skateboard.
In 1983, he acted in the movie The Outsiders, based on the famous novel by S. E. Hinton. He worked with a cast of other young stars, including Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, and Patrick Swayze.
Music Career
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In 1976, Garrett signed a record deal with Atlantic Records. His first album, Leif Garrett, came out in 1977. He had several hit songs that were covers of popular songs from the 1950s and 1960s, like "Runaround Sue".
His biggest hit came in 1978 with the song "I Was Made for Dancin'". The song was a top 10 hit in the United States and reached number 4 in the United Kingdom. This song made him an international star.
He released more albums, including Same Goes for You (1979) and Can't Explain (1980). In 1979, he even hosted his own TV special, called Leif, with famous guests like Bob Hope and Brooke Shields.
In his 2019 book, Idol Truth, Garrett shared a secret about his music. He said that on some of his early songs, his producers had another singer, Jim Haas, record the vocals instead of him. They did this to make the songs sound smoother. Sometimes, Haas would even sing for Garrett from behind a curtain during live concerts.
Later Work
Garrett continued to act and make music throughout his career. In the 1990s, he hosted the VH-1 show 8-Track Flashback. He also appeared as himself in the 2003 movie Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.
In 2006, he won $50,000 on the celebrity version of the TV show Fear Factor. He has also appeared on many other reality and talk shows over the years. He continues to perform his music for fans around the world, including tours in South Korea.
Personal Life
During his teen idol years, Garrett was in the public eye for his relationships. He dated actress Nicollette Sheridan for five years. He also dated other celebrities like Kristy McNichol, Tatum O'Neal, and Justine Bateman.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Record label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS |
|||
| 1977 | Leif Garrett | 37 | 2 | Atlantic Records |
| 1978 | Feel the Need | 34 | 8 | Scotti Brothers Records |
| 1979 | Same Goes for You | 129 | — | |
| 1980 | Can't Explain | — | — | |
| 1981 | My Movie of You | 185 | — | |
| 1998 | The Leif Garrett Collection | — | — | Rock 'n Roll Records |
| 2003 | F8 | — | — | |
| 2007 | Three Sides of... | — | — | Cleopatra Records |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
Record label | B-side | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC |
AUS |
UK | JPN | GER | |||||
| 1977 | "Come Back When You Grow Up" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20th Century Records |
"Young World" | |
| "Surfin' USA" | 20 | — | 2 | — | — | 6 | Atlantic Records |
"Special Kind of Girl" | Leif Garrett | |
| "Runaround Sue" | 13 | 48 | 8 | — | — | 19 | "I Wanna Share a Dream with You" | |||
| 1978 | "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" | 58 | — | 24 | — | — | — | "Kari" | ||
| "The Wanderer" | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | "Love on the Run" | |||
| "I Was Made for Dancin'" | 10 | 38 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 10 | Scotti Brothers Records |
"Living Without Your Love" | Feel the Need | |
| 1979 | "Sheila" | — | — | 63 | — | — | — | "Fun, Fun, Fun" | ||
| "Feel the Need" | 57 | — | 97 | 38 | 72 | 43 | "New York City Nights" | |||
| "When I Think of You" | 78 | 11 | — | — | — | — | "New York City Nights" | |||
| "Memorize Your Number" | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | "Moonlight Dancin'" | Same Goes for You | ||
| 1980 | "I Was Looking for Someone to Love" | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | "Little Things You Do" | ||
| "You Had to Go and Change on Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | "Roweena" | Can't Explain | ||
| "New York City Nights" | — | — | — | — | 56 | — | "I Was Made For Dancin'" | |||
| 1981 | "Uptown Girl" | — | — | — | — | — | 74 | "Just Like a Brother" | My Movie of You | |
| "Runaway Rita" | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | "Just Like a Brother" | |||
Filmography
- Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)
- Walking Tall (1973)
- Macon County Line (1974)
- Walking Tall Part 2 (1975)
- God's Gun (1976)
- Kid Vengeance (1977)
- Walking Tall: Final Chapter (1977)
- Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion (1977)
- Skateboard (1978)
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
- Longshot (1981)
- The Outsiders (1983)
- Shaker Run (1985)
- Thunder Alley (1985)
- Delta Fever (1987)
- The Spirit of '76 (1990)
- Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003)
- Popstar (2005)
Television Work
- Nanny and the Professor (1970)
- Cannon (1971)
- Family Affair (1971)
- The F.B.I. (1972)
- The Odd Couple (1974)
- Three for the Road (1975)
- Flood! (1976)
- Family (1978)
- Wonder Woman (1978)
- CHiPs (1979)
- Family Guy (2001)
- Celebrity Fear Factor (2006)
See also
In Spanish: Leif Garrett para niños
