FIFTIES POP STARS? - Television star to pop star - not a new idea

With all the hub-bub about Hannah Montana/Mylie Cyrus I got to thinking about how many TV stars had made a record at one time or another. Turning a television star into a pop singer is not a new phenomenon. There was a whole bunch of actors from the 50s and 60s who took their turns cutting a 45 or even an album. There's a long list but a few stand out in my mind because - nerd that I was - I had these particular 45s:

• Shelley Fabares, Mary on The Donna Reed Show - Johnny Angel
• Paul Peterson, Jeff on The Donna Reed Show - She Can't Find Her Keys. (He also sang "My Dad" on the show, but I don't think it was ever made into a single.)
• Johnny Crawford, Mark on The Rifleman - Cindy's Birthday
• Richard Chamberlain singing "Three Stars", the theme song from Dr. Kildare.
• Annette Funicello, Annette from The Mickey Mouse Club - Tall Paul
  

Just for a giggle and a little musical nostalgia, brought on by my earlier posts about Ricky Nelson, here's a few videos that you might enjoy: