Before there was Elvis, or Ricky Nelson, there was teenage heartthrob Pat Boone. Born Charles Eugene Boone, in 1934, in Jacksonville, Florida, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of two. He is a direct descendant of frontier Daniel Boone. He is also a cousin of “Have Gun Will Travel” star Richard Boone and Randy Boone, star of the television western “The Virginian.”

When Pat won in “The Ted Mack Amateur Hour” and “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” in 1954, his career took off. He first recorded with Republic Records in 1954 and then with Dot Records in 1955.

In 1955, Pat recorded a cover of Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That A Shame” and it reached number one on the Billboard charts. Thanks to white artists like Pat Boone and Ricky Nelson covering R&B songs, many black artists who failed to get broadcasts on “white market” stations were eventually recognized.

While his music career was in full swing, Pat attended and graduated from Columbia University in New York in 1958. Between 1957 and 1960, he hosted his own television show, “The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom” and appeared in fifteen films.

A devout Christian, Pat turned down songs and film roles that might have compromised his religious standards, including a starring role in a movie opposite Marilyn Monroe. Although, in the 1960s, Pat’s marriage to Shirley Lee Foley, daughter of country music legend Red Foley, almost came to an end when he took up drinking and partying. Shirley ended up leading him back on his Christian path.

On the charts, Pat had 38 songs on Billboard’s weekly Top 40 charts between 1955 and 1962 and reached number one a total of six times. Here are the top twenty hits of Pat Boone, according to Billboard’s weekly Top 40 charts.

1. Love Letters In The Sand – 1957 – Inspired by an 1881 composition, Pat took this song to number one for seven weeks.

2. April Love – 1957 – from the film of the same title, starring Pat Boone and Shirley Jones.

3. I Almost Lost My Mind – 1956 – a cover of Ivory Joe Hunter’s 1950 hit.

4. Ain’t That A Shame – 1955 – Although Pat’s suggestion to change the title of the Fats Domino classic to “Isn’t That A Shame” was rejected, it gave Pat his first number one single.

5. Don’t Forbid Me – 1957 – The other side of the coin “Anastasia” was Top 40 for Pat and was included in the film of the same title starring Ingrid Bergman.

6. Moody River – 1961 – Pat’s last number one single was also covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty and the Blue Ridge Rangers in 2009.

7. I’ll Be Home – 1956 – a number 5 R&B hit for The Flamingoes.

8. A wonderful time up there – 1958

9. It’s too early to tell – 1958 – the flip side of “A Wonderful Time Up There” (see # 8), a song originally performed by The Orioles and considered by some to be the first “rock and roll” song.

10. Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) – 1956 – from the film of the same title, about a Quaker family, starring Gary Cooper.

11. Why Baby Why – 1957 – the flip side, “I’m Waiting For You” was Top 40 for Pat and was a # 5 R&B hit for Lucky Millinder in 1951.

12. Sugar Moon – 1958

13. Remember You’re Mine – 1957 – Side “B”, “There’s a Gold Mine in the Sky” went to # 14 on Pat’s weekly charts.

14. Speedy Gonzales – 1962 – Pat’s latest Top 40 hit featured the background song (La-la-la) by Robin Ward, who had a 1963 hit, “Wonderful Summer.” It also featured Mel Blanc, voicing his popular Warner Brothers cartoon character Speedy Gonzales.

15. At My Front Door (Crazy Mama) – 1955 – On the other hand, “No Arms Can Ever Hold You” was also Top 40 on the weekly charts.

16. If dreams came true – 1958 – “That’s how much I love you, the” B “side made it to the Top 40.

17. Long Tall Sally – 1956 – A cover version of Little Richard’s hit, who also helped write it, the song was originally titled, “The Thing.”

18. Chains Of Love – 1956 – The flip side of “Friendly Persuasion” this song reached # 10 on the weekly charts and was a # 2 R&B hit in 1951 for Ivory Joe Turner.

19. Tutti ‘Frutti – 1956 – a cover of Little Richard’s first hit from 1955.

20. Bernardine – 1957 – The flip side of “Love Letters In The Sand”, both songs appear in the Pat Boone movie “Bernardine”.

In the mid-1960s, Pat recorded gospel music and toured with his four daughters Cherry, Linda Lee, Deborah Anne, and Laura Gene. Daughter Deborah (Debby) recorded solo in 1977 and had the number one song of that year, “You Light Up My Life,” which reached number one on the Billboard singles chart for ten weeks. That year he won three Grammy Awards, including the 1977 Best New Artist.

Pat was the subject of controversy in 1997, with his religious counterparts, when he recorded an album of “heavy metal” covers and appeared at the American Music Awards in black leather.

Pat and his family continue to record today and released an album of R&B classics in 2006.