Nadine Wark
Listening to a popular music service recently brought back memories of my teen idols from the 1960s.
As a young girl, I could appreciate the music of my parents’ generation, including the vocalists and orchestra musicians on their old 78-rpm records.
And many of them have endured. I still enjoy hearing songs like Old Cape Cod by (the singing rage) Miss Patti Page, and Doris Day performing Que Sera Sera. Crooners like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett also remain popular. Tony is still around, like a well-aged wine, at age 95.
But the teen idols of the 1960s had their own distinct sound. Bobby was a popular name then and all of them seemed to have ducktail haircuts slicked back with Brylcreem: Bobby Vinton, Bobby Darin, Bobby Vee, and Canada’s own Bobby Curtola.
Curtola visited Sarnia one year and played a Friday night record hop at the old Rose Gardens and joined the Canada Day Parade. He was a real charmer who smiled a lot. In fact, all of them smiled a lot ($$!).
Teen idols the Everly Brothers followed their first big hits ‘Bye Bye Love’ and ‘All I Have To Do is Dream,’ with many more.
In the early ‘60s I attended their concert at the Sarnia Arena. The two brothers were ‘cute,’ had great harmonies and the old Brock Street Barn shook with adoring girls in bobby sox and blue jeans. It was a huge thrill for a 13-year-old! Sadly, Phil passed away in 2014 and Don just last year at the age of 84.
Other big ‘60s teen idols included Frankie Avalon and Fabian. A favourite of mine was Ricky Nelson, seen regularly on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, a U.S. television sitcom. The fact Ricky could sing and play guitar added to the show’s popularity. When the camera moved in to showcase his dreamy eyes, my friends and I would swoon.
Ricky Nelson had many Top 10 hits featured on the show, including sad tunes like Lonesome Town and Poor Little Fool, and more upbeat numbers including Hello Mary Lou and Travellin’ Man.
Ozzie and Harriet ran from 1952 to 1966 and gave viewers 14 years to watch ‘The Perfect Family’ grow up while Ricky became, simply, Rick Nelson.
Elvis was another teen idol, although I would put him in a league of his own. Through the ‘50s and ‘60s competitors tried hard but couldn’t match his good looks and swiveling hips.
Elvis, unfortunately, was a performer who ‘left the building’ too soon.
Nadine Wark is a retired office administrator and freelance writer in Sarnia