Pat Boone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pat Boone
Boone in 1960
Background information
Birth name	Patrick Charles Eugene Boone
Born	(1934-06-01) June 1, 1934 (age 91) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Pop traditional pop Country Gospel vocal jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer, actor, composer
Years active	1953–present
Labels	Republic Dot London Stateside Tetragrammaton Melodyland (Motown) Lamb & Lion Records Hip-O MCA

Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, actor, and author. He is also known for hosting TV shows and for his charity work. During his music career, Pat Boone sold nearly 50 million records. He also had 38 songs that reached the Top 40 on the music charts. He appeared in many Hollywood movies too.

During the 1950s, Pat Boone was one of the most popular singers. Billboard magazine said he was the only singer who could compete with Elvis Presley in popularity. He even held a record for staying on the Billboard charts for 220 weeks in a row! Pat Boone was a teen idol because of his clean-cut image. He hosted his own TV show, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, from 1957 to 1960. Many famous singers like Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis appeared on his show.

Pat Boone also wrote a best-selling book for teens called 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty. Later in his career, he focused on gospel music and was even added to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Today, he still performs, speaks, and shares his views as a conservative commentator.

Pat Boone's Early Life

Pat Boone was born on June 1, 1934, in Jacksonville, Florida. His family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when he was two years old, and he grew up there. He finished high school in Nashville in 1952. His younger brother, Nick Todd, also became a pop singer in the 1950s.

Pat Boone believes he is a great-great-great-great-grandson of the famous American pioneer Daniel Boone.

In November 1953, when he was 19, Pat Boone married Shirley Lee Foley. She was also 19 years old. Shirley was the daughter of country music star Red Foley. Pat and Shirley had four daughters: Cheryl, Linda, Deborah (who became the famous singer Debby Boone), and Laura. The Boone family lived in Teaneck, New Jersey, starting in the late 1950s. Shirley Boone was also a singer and TV personality, but not as famous as Pat. She started a Christian charity called Mercy Corps, which helps people who are hungry. Shirley passed away in 2019 at the age of 84.

Pat Boone went to college at David Lipscomb College and later Lipscomb University in Nashville. He also attended the University of North Texas and graduated from Columbia University School of General Studies in 1958.

Pat Boone's Music Career

Pat Boone started his singing career by performing in Centennial Park in Nashville. He began recording music in 1953. By 1955, he was recording for Dot Records. His version of Fats Domino's song "Ain't That a Shame" was a big hit in 1955.

Many of Pat Boone's early hit songs were covers of rhythm and blues (R&B) songs originally sung by Black artists. He would often sing these songs in a style that was popular with white audiences at the time. Some of these songs included "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard and "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Ivory Joe Hunter. Some people felt that by covering songs by Black artists, it made it harder for the original artists to get famous.

In 1956, his song "I Almost Lost My Mind" became a number-one hit. A survey in 1957 showed that high school students liked Pat Boone more than Elvis Presley. Pat Boone often appeared on his father-in-law's TV show, Ozark Jubilee. He was known for his clean and wholesome image. This helped him get a long-term deal with General Motors to promote their cars. He sang the famous jingle: "See the USA in your Chevrolet..."

Pat Boone also wrote the lyrics for the theme song of the movie Exodus, which he called "This Land Is Mine." As a Christian, he sometimes turned down songs or movie roles if he felt they went against his beliefs. He even had his own film company called Cooga Mooga Productions.

In the early 1960s, Pat Boone started writing self-help books for teenagers, like 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty. When bands from Britain, like The Beatles, became very popular in the mid-1960s (this was called the British Invasion), it changed the music scene. Pat Boone continued to record music, but he had fewer big hits.

In the 1970s, he started singing gospel and country songs. The Boone family even toured together as gospel singers and released albums like The Pat Boone Family. In 1973, he released a gospel album called S-A-V-E-D. He also started his own record label, Lamb & Lion Records, which featured his family and other artists.

In 1978, Pat Boone appeared in a TV commercial with his daughter Debby. They said that a product called Acne-Statin helped his daughters' skin. Later, a government group called the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) looked into the product's claims. Pat Boone agreed to stop appearing in the ads and said he was surprised to learn the product's claims had not been fully proven.

Today, Pat Boone hosts a weekly radio show called the Pat Boone Hour on SiriusXM.

Later Work and Special Projects

In 1994, Pat Boone starred in a show called "The Will Rogers Follies" in Branson, Missouri.

In 1997, he released a surprising album called In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy. On this album, he sang famous heavy metal songs in his own style. To promote the album, he wore a black leather outfit at the American Music Awards. This caused some talk, and he was even temporarily removed from a TV show called Gospel America. However, after explaining that his outfit was a joke, he was brought back to the show.

In 2003, the Gospel Music Association honored Pat Boone by adding him to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame for his gospel music. In 2006, he released another album of cover songs called We Are Family: R&B Classics, where he sang R&B hits.

Since 2007, Pat Boone has also been a spokesperson for companies that deal with gold and silver coins.

Pat Boone's Personal Life

Pat Boone married Shirley Lee Foley in November 1953. They were both 19 years old. Shirley was the daughter of famous country singer Red Foley. They had four daughters: Cheryl, Linda, Deborah, and Laura. The Boone family lived in Teaneck, New Jersey. Shirley Boone also worked in music and television. She started a Christian charity called Mercy Corps that helps people around the world. Shirley passed away in 2019 at the age of 84.

Pat Boone's Views and Activities

Pat Boone has been friends with many U.S. presidents, including Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.

He has often shared his conservative political views. In 1961, he said he would rather see his daughters die with faith in God than become "godless" people. He supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election.

In 2007, during an election in Kentucky, Pat Boone made a recorded phone call for a candidate. He said that the other candidate would support "every homosexual cause" and asked if people wanted Kentucky to be "another San Francisco." In 2009, he wrote an article comparing American political liberalism to "black filthy cells."

He has also supported other Republican candidates in elections. In 2011, he received a lifetime achievement award at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a big meeting for conservatives. In 2016, he spoke out against a bill in California that would prevent colleges from discriminating against students or staff based on certain beliefs.

Pat Boone and Basketball

Pat Boone is a big basketball fan and even owned parts of two teams. He had a team in the Hollywood Studio League called the Cooga Moogas. Famous people like Bill Cosby and Rafer Johnson played on his team.

When the American Basketball Association (ABA) started, Pat Boone became the main owner of the team in Oakland, California, in 1967. The team was first called the Oakland Americans, but then became the Oakland Oaks. The Oaks won the ABA championship in 1969!

Even though the Oaks were successful, the team had money problems. In 1969, the team was sold and moved to Washington, D.C., becoming the Washington Caps.

Later, Pat Boone played basketball himself for a team called the Virginia Creepers. This team was for players aged 80–84 in the Senior Olympics.

Pat Boone's Charity Work

Pat Boone and his wife Shirley were very active in helping others. They helped start Mercy Corps in 1981. This is a global organization that helps people in need, especially during crises. Shirley started an earlier project called Save the Refugees during a crisis in Cambodia in 1979.

Pat and Shirley also helped create the Shirley and Pat Boone Life Center in Tanzania, Africa. This center provides clean water, medical care, and education to local communities. They also gave a large donation to help create the Shirley and Pat Boone Center for the Family at Pepperdine University. This center teaches students about building healthy relationships.

Pat Boone's Music Style

During his career, Pat Boone sang many types of music. These included pop, country music, rock and roll, R&B, gospel, and soul. His singing style was similar to other popular singers of his time, like Frank Sinatra. Pat Boone had a tenor voice, which means he could sing high notes. He was also known for his wide vocal range.

Pat Boone is one of the most active recording artists ever. He has recorded nearly 2,600 songs!

Pat Boone's Popularity

Pat Boone had an incredibly long career. He reached the U.S. Top 40 charts 38 times, and six of his songs became number one hits. He held the record for the most weeks in a row (220 weeks) with at least one song in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 100.

Billboard magazine said that Pat Boone was the only artist who could truly compete with Elvis Presley on the national music charts in the late 1950s.

No. 1 songs in the United States (Billboard Hot 100):

• "Ain't That a Shame" (1955)
• "I Almost Lost My Mind" (1956)
• "Don't Forbid Me" (1957)
• "Love Letters in the Sand" (1957)
• "April Love" (1957)
• "Moody River" (1961)

No. 1 songs in the United Kingdom (UK Singles Chart):

• "I'll Be Home" (1956)

Pat Boone's Religious Beliefs

Pat Boone grew up in the Churches of Christ. In the 1960s, his marriage to Shirley Foley almost ended. However, Shirley became more focused on her religion and later influenced Pat and their daughters to also become more religious.

In 1964, Pat Boone spoke at a "Project Prayer" rally in Los Angeles. This event wanted to encourage people to support prayer in schools. Pat Boone said that he believed in the power of Americans and the power of God.

In the early 1970s, the Boones hosted Bible studies at their home in Beverly Hills. Many celebrities, like Doris Day and Priscilla Presley, attended these studies. The family later attended a large church called The Church on the Way.

Pat Boone's Movies

In 1956, Pat Boone was one of the biggest music stars in the U.S. Many movie studios wanted him to be in films. He chose to work with 20th Century Fox. His first movie, Bernardine (1957), was a success.

His next movie, April Love (1957), was even more popular. Pat Boone says it's one of his favorite movies. He wanted to make movies that made people feel good.

Another big hit was Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). This was a science fiction adventure movie. Pat Boone was not sure about doing it at first, but he was glad he did.

He also produced and starred in a documentary called Salute to the Teenagers (1960). He then took a break from movies to study acting. He returned with a comedy called All Hands on Deck (1961).

He was in State Fair (1962), but it was not as popular. Since musicals were becoming less popular, Pat Boone took on a serious role in The Main Attraction (1962). He also appeared in The Yellow Canary (1963) and The Horror of It All (1963).

His last major film was The Cross and the Switchblade (1970).

Pat Boone's Box-Office Popularity

Pat Boone was considered one of the most popular movie stars in the U.S. Here's how he ranked in a poll of movie theater owners:

• 1957: 3rd most popular star
• 1958: 11th most popular
• 1959: 22nd most popular
• 1960: 22nd most popular

Pat Boone's Discography

Studio albums

Pat Boone's Filmography

Images for kids

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  Pat Boone's handprints and shoe prints in front of The Great Movie Ride at Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios

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  Pat Suzuki with Pat Boone during The Chevy Showroom Show in 1959.

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  Shirley and Pat Boone with Debbie Reynolds and her husband Harry Karl, 1960

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  Pat Boone at CPAC in February 2011

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  Pat Boone, during a scene from the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth, 1959

See Also

In Spanish: Pat Boone para niños