My very first crush was Donny Osmond. Yes, those of you who read this blog already know this because I named my teddy bear after him. I never
missed The Donny and Marie Show and I was definitely a little bit rock ‘n roll. (For those of you old enough...I know you’re singing the song now.) Following Donny, I fell hard for Shaun Cassidy, aka Joe Hardy of The Hardy Boys. Man, Shaun had me with those eyes and “Da Do Run Run.”I then went into a musical swoon that started with Andy Gibb and translated to the Solid Gold dancer, Tony Fields.
Throughout the years, I dabbled with The Outsiders (C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze) more of the brat pack (Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson) and I just loved Christopher Reeve (Hello...Somewhere in Time!), Eric Estrada and many, many NFL players.
Then, in 1981 on a summer day, my life changed. I was watching MTV (a very new thing) and suddenly there was this amazingly gorgeous man with dark hair and hazel eyes singing desperately about how he wished that he had Jessie’s Girl. (Check out the video if you've never seen it.)
Swooooooooon!!
Hello Rick Springfield. Ohhh...and wait, he’s on a soap opera? He’s Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital? Goodbye watching Guiding Light and hello ABC. He had me from that first note and he still holds a major part of my heart today. My room was wall-papered with pictures of him from Tiger Beat and Teen Beat (are those still around?) and I got to see him in concert in 1983 and let me tell you what...a religious experience. I was first in line in 1985 to see his movie, Hard to Hold, and I was devastated when Dr. Drake left General Hospital.
But, I’ve followed Rick’s career ever since. He’s done a lot of made for TV movies, he’s had a couple of series of his own (Human Target, Nick Knight, High Tide) and he
continues to produce albums (of which I have all of them) and tour. Three years ago, I saw him in concert (sorry the pic is blurry). Sat on the third row and screamed like I was still fifteen years old. And check him out, he’s held up pretty darn well to be in his fifties. (Oh, and he’s back from time to time now on General Hospital as Dr. Drake.)
I think my pattern is dark hair and light eyes. That just does it for me. And, I notice that most of my hunky heros I write are also of the same physical build. I guess that’s just how I’m wired.
So...who are you still crazy for and will be until your dying day? (Love you, Rick! -- don't worry, my hubby understands.)
Marley
http://www.marleygibson.com/
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16 comments:
Marley,
I think we're the same age because I had ALL the same crushes you had. I had each and every one of Shaun Cassidy's albums which I prominently displayed and probably still have in my mom's basement somewhere. Oh, and I just found my picture album full of each and every Outsider, including my idol at the time Ralph Macchio.
My first ever concert was Rick Springfield. I was probably 14 at the time. Isn't Jessie's Girl the song you try and sing if you can't get another song out of your head? I swear it works.
You forgot Cha-Chi from Happy Days. Scott Baio was my dream guy because Fonzie was totally hooked on Pinky Tuscadero.
Oh, you brought back so many memories! (some I wished I hadn't remembered)
Wait, can you remember who sang, "You take my breath away?" He was in a teen made-for-tv-movie adapted from a YA novel.
~Simone
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How to Ruin a Summer Vacation in bookstores NOW!
Wait, can you remember who sang, "You take my breath away?" He was in a teen made-for-tv-movie adapted from a YA novel.
Oh, I've got this! Rex Smith and the TV movie was SOONER OR LATER (1979) - Jessie and Michael. Ahhh... He then went on to a stint on AS THE WORLD TURNS and did PIRATES OF PENZANCE. Yes...all useless knowledge! LOL!!
Yes, that's his name. I LOVED Rex Smith. Can you post a picture of him? I can't seem to get the posting thing right. I think SOONER OR LATER was one of the first teen romances I ever read. When the movie came out on TV, I thought it was the best movie ever made (besides Grease, of course)
~Simone
Hmm, my first celebrity crush was the kid from Neverending Story...I heard he killed himself a few years ago. So sad! I was in love with him in Ladybugs, and that submarine show on TV.
And then came...Enrique Iglesias...and that's the last teen crush I had. My love for Enrique caused me to learn Spanish, listen to all his albums and start planning trips to Miami to check out his house on Star Island....I was crazy about him for almost 10 yrs :)
Now that I'm a *mature* adult, my crushes range from Naveen Andrews on LOST, to Josh Holloway on LOST, to the cure Korean guy on LOST....Hmm, I seem to have a thing for the LOST boys ;)
I watched As the World Turns in the early 80's when Meg Ryan was on it as well as Marissa Tomei...all before they went off to become major movie stars! What part did Rex play?
~Simone
Ah, Shaun Cassidy...what a doll! Although I must say that I probably win the "been around the longest" Buzz Girl award because I remember when Shaun's older brother, David, was a teen idol. (Although in comparison, Shaun was more my style).
Rick Springfield lit my imagination too, as did many of The Outsiders.
And Dona, as far as guys today, I'm with you about the guys from "Lost". As a matter of fact, consider this a BIG HINT to check out my blog next weekend...
Tina
www.tinaferraro.com
I was convinced that John Taylor from Duran Duran was destined to be my husband. Remember that khaki hat he used to wear? Yep, I had one. I had a purple pleather purse with a JT pic ironed on it. I would tape their songs off the radio and then make up these cheesy dance routines to them. OMG, way TMI! I saw him in some weird movie a few years ago he's still totally hot!
JT pretty much got bumped when KK himself, Ralph Macchio, came on the scene. I adored that scrawny guy. I could have watched him wax on/ wax off for hours. I don't think my love for him lasted very long though that's about the time I started getting very fickle, like I still am. Did anybody see that episode of Entourage two seasons ago with Pauly Shore and Ralph Macchio going to the party at the Playboy Mansion? Very funny stuff. :)
xo,
Steph
ps- dona, back off sawyer, he's my B/F
I can't get the pic of Rex to post in the comments section. Grrr... Click on the link in my last comment and you can see the "poster" for the TV movie.
Rex played Darryl Crawford from 1991-1993. If I remember correctly, he was obsessed with Kim and kidnapped her and Frannie. He was a good guy, but then turned out to be totally whacked.
OMG, Marley! You sure hit the highlights of my childhood crushes. :)
As for me, I still love Leif Garrett -- even if he did go downhill.
Marley, I think we are the same age. I cried when Andy Gibb died.
Or was that Shaun Cassidy?
Born in '69? Or am I older??
Simone--saw your book announcement in the Windy City RWA Chapter's newsletter! Congrats!
OMG! This is tooo funny...all us mid 60's ladies (except DONA!) revealing our crushes. REX SMITH was to die for! I found You Take My Breath Away on Napster or something a few years back, and was shocked to find it made me teary-eyed all over again. God, I used to sob at that song...mostly after the movie. Sigh.
But, I have to say, Shaun Cassidy was The One (until my real One came along when I was 16!). I got my start in writing creating these very elaborate Hardy Boys Stories in which I was Shaun/Joe's girlfriend. In fact, I still have them kicking around here in a file somewhere!
Thanks for the memories, ladies! Oh, and I had that exact Shaun poster that's in this entry!
Shannon
Manic...yeah...that was Andy Gibb. Very sad when he died. Bawled my eyes out. Shaun's still alive and well and a very influential TV producer. He's done quite well.
I was born in '66 -- hit the big 4-0 at the end of December. Yikes!
We have to be the same age cause you hit everyone of my big crushes. And I went and saw Rick a couple of years ago and OMG... so gorgeous, still.
Teri
Dona, Barret Oliver (Bastian from Neverending Story) is ALIVE AND WELL. He's a photography teacher.
I think you may be thinking of the young man from SeaQuest.
I don't even KNOW most of the people on Marley's list. Patrick Swayze and Andrew McCarthy I appreciated in my 80s teen movie phase... But my crush was first last and always Harrison Ford...
Hey Marley,
I was in an elevator with Rick Springfield not too long ago ... let's see, I can't remember the exact casino/hotel in Vegas but he was performing there that night. (Is my memory that bad or had I enjoyed too many cocktails?) Anyway, I do recall thinking he was a lot shorter than I'd imagined.
I agree w/ Diana on Harrison Ford, the Indiana Jones phase. And my earliest celeb crush was probably Bo Duke. Now (are we going there?) I have to say George Clooney, though Sam Elliot and Sean Connery's voices really do it for me.
Thanks for making me feel (kinda) young! Ha ha!
Wendy Toliver
Okay, I know I'm a bit younger than y'all, but even I remember You Take My Breath Away (I had a major crush on Rex Smith... a la PIRATES OF PENZANCE). Also in love with Scott Baio from his CHARLES IN CHARGE days. It's so funny to see these "histories of crushes" that are kind of through lines in our lives. I wonder, if we added them up, how many crushes we would have had by the time we graduated high school...
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