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{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| name        = Pat Boone
| name        = Pat Boone
| image        = File:Pat Boone, Pic, 10.jpg
| image        = 8-15-22 Conversations - Pat Boone (cropped).jpg
| caption      = Boone in 1960
| caption      = Boone in 2022
| birth_name  = Patrick Charles Eugene Boone
| birth_name  = Patrick Charles Eugene Boone
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1934|06|01}}
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1934|06|01}}
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*[[gospel music|gospel]]
*[[gospel music|gospel]]
*[[vocal jazz]]}}
*[[vocal jazz]]}}
| occupation  = {{comma separated entries|Singer|actor|composer}}
| occupation  = {{hlist|Singer|actor|composer}}
| discography  = [[Pat Boone discography]]
| discography  = [[Pat Boone discography]]
| years_active = 1953–present
| years_active = 1953–present
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}}
}}


'''Patrick Charles Eugene Boone'''<ref>{{cite book |title=Current Biography Yearbook |year=1959 |publisher=The H.W. Wilson Company |location=New York}}</ref> (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host and philanthropist. He sold nearly 50 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and has acted in many films.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2024-03-28 |title=Pat Boone {{!}} Biography, Songs, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pat-Boone |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
'''Patrick Charles Eugene Boone'''<ref>{{cite book |title=Current Biography Yearbook |year=1959 |publisher=H.W. Wilson Company |location=New York}}</ref> (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host, and philanthropist. One of the best-selling American recording artists of the 1950s and early 1960s, he has sold nearly 50 million records, charted 38 Top 40 hits in the United States, and appeared in numerous feature films.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web |date=2024-03-28 |title=Pat Boone Biography, Songs, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pat-Boone |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref>


Boone rivalled [[Elvis Presley]]'s popularity in the 1950s<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jango.com/music/Pat+Boone/_full_bio|title=Pat Boone Bio|website=Jango.com}}</ref> and is ranked by ''Billboard'' as one of the biggest charting artists in the period 1955–1995.<ref>{{cite book|title=Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, The|year=1996|page=806|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|author=Joel Whitburn|author-link=Joel Whitburn}}</ref> Boone spent 220 consecutive weeks on the [[Billboard charts|''Billboard'' charts]] with one or more songs each week.<ref>{{cite web |date=2024-05-06 |title=Pat Boone {{!}} Biography, Songs, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pat-Boone |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
Boone rivaled [[Elvis Presley]] in popularity during the 1950s<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jango.com/music/Pat+Boone/_full_bio |title=Pat Boone Bio |website=Jango.com |access-date=2025-08-09}}</ref> and was ranked by ''Billboard'' as one of the top charting artists between 1955 and 1995.<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits |year=1996 |page=806 |publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> He spent 220 consecutive weeks on the [[Billboard charts|''Billboard'' charts]] with one or more songs each week.<ref>{{cite web |date=2024-05-06 |title=Pat Boone Biography, Songs, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pat-Boone |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref>


Through the 1960s, Boone was one of the most popular entertainers in the United States, becoming a [[teen idol]] as an alternative to the perceived [[hedonism]] of rock and roll, due to his activities as singer, writer, actor and religious motivational speaker.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Albrecht |first=Brian |date=February 10, 2019 |title=Headliner Pat Boone recalls 1955 Brooklyn High School rock concert with Elvis.... who? |url=https://www.cleveland.com/news/g66l-2019/02/6c984b606a5172/headliner-pat-boone-recalls-1955-brooklyn-high-school-rock-concert-with-elvis-who.html |access-date=April 8, 2021 |work=The Plain Dealer}}</ref> In 1957, at the age of 23, Boone commenced a half-hour [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] variety television series, ''[[The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom]]'', which aired 115 episodes (1957–1960). Stars including [[Cliff Richard]], [[Nat King Cole]], [[Edie Adams]], [[Andy Williams]], [[Pearl Bailey]], and [[Johnny Mathis]] made appearances.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pat Boone |date=May 29, 2024 |title=Pat Boone |url=https://www.goldlabelartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/PAT-BOONE-BIO.pdf}}</ref> His [[cover version]]s of rhythm and blues hits had a noticeable effect on the development of the broad popularity of [[rock and roll]]. [[Elvis Presley]] opened for Boone in [[Cleveland]] in 1955 and the two later became close friends.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nolasco |first=Stephanie |date=2020-07-23 |title=Pat Boone recalls meeting pal Elvis Presley: 'He was just a scared young kid' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/pat-boone-elvis-presley |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}</ref>
Through the 1960s, Boone remained one of the most popular entertainers in the United States, becoming a [[teen idol]] positioned as an alternative to the perceived [[hedonism]] of rock and roll, owing to his work as a singer, writer, actor, and religious motivational speaker.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Albrecht |first=Brian |date=February 10, 2019 |title=Headliner Pat Boone recalls 1955 Brooklyn High School rock concert with Elvis.... who? |url=https://www.cleveland.com/news/g66l-2019/02/6c984b606a5172/headliner-pat-boone-recalls-1955-brooklyn-high-school-rock-concert-with-elvis-who.html |access-date=April 8, 2021 |work=The Plain Dealer}}</ref> In 1957, at age 23, Boone began hosting the half-hour [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] variety series ''[[The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom]]'', which aired 115 episodes from 1957 to 1960. Guests included [[Cliff Richard]], [[Nat King Cole]], [[Edie Adams]], [[Andy Williams]], [[Pearl Bailey]], and [[Johnny Mathis]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Pat Boone |url=https://www.goldlabelartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/PAT-BOONE-BIO.pdf |website=Gold Label Artists |access-date=2025-08-09}}</ref> His [[cover version]]s of rhythm and blues songs contributed to the mainstream popularity of [[rock and roll]]. [[Elvis Presley]] opened for Boone in [[Cleveland]] in 1955, and the two later became close friends.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nolasco |first=Stephanie |date=2020-07-23 |title=Pat Boone recalls meeting pal Elvis Presley: "He was just a scared young kid" |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/pat-boone-elvis-presley |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}</ref>


As an author, Boone had a number-one bestseller in the 1950s (''[['Twixt Twelve and Twenty (book)|<nowiki/>'Twixt Twelve and Twenty]]'', Prentice-Hall). In the 1960s, he focused on [[gospel music]]. Later, he became a member of the [[Gospel Music Hall of Fame]]. Today, he continues to perform and speak as a motivational speaker, a television personality, and a [[Conservativism in the United States|conservative]] political commentator.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Moore |first1=Scotty |date=2002 |title=Brooklyn School Auditorium |url=http://www.scottymoore.net/brooklynoh.html |access-date=April 8, 2021}}</ref>
As an author, Boone published the 1958 advice book ''[['Twixt Twelve and Twenty (book)|'Twixt Twelve and Twenty]]'', which became a number-one bestseller.<ref>{{cite web |last=Moore |first=Scotty |date=2002 |title=Brooklyn School Auditorium |url=http://www.scottymoore.net/brooklynoh.html |access-date=April 8, 2021}}</ref> In the 1960s, he turned his attention to [[gospel music]] and was later inducted into the [[Gospel Music Hall of Fame]]. He continues to perform, speak as a motivational speaker, and work as a television personality and [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] political commentator.


== Early life ==
== Early life ==
Boone was born June 1, 1934, in [[Jacksonville]], to Margaret Virginia (née Pritchard) and Archie Altman Boone. He grew up in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], where his family moved when he was two years old. He graduated in 1952 from [[Lipscomb Academy|David Lipscomb High School]] in Nashville. His younger brother Cecil (1935–2023), billed as [[Nick Todd]], was born one year later to the day,<ref name="obiNBoone">{{cite web |url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/nashville-tn/nick-boone-11118203|title=Obituary Nick Boone June 1, 1935 – January 20, 2023|date=|access-date=June 10, 2023|publisher=Dignity Memorial }}</ref> and was also a pop singer in the 1950s before becoming a church music leader.<ref name="ParishPitts2003">{{cite book|last1=Parish|first1=James Robert|last2=Pitts|first2=Michael R.|title=Hollywood Songsters: Allyson to Funicello|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GlybVaD6cakC&pg=PA99|access-date=July 23, 2010|date=July 2003|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-94332-1|page=99}}</ref>
Boone was born on June 1, 1934, in [[Jacksonville, Florida]], to Margaret Virginia (née Pritchard) and Archie Altman Boone. When he was two years old, the family moved to [[Nashville, Tennessee]], where he was raised. He graduated in 1952 from [[Lipscomb Academy|David Lipscomb High School]] in Nashville.<ref name="ParishPitts2003">{{cite book |last1=Parish |first1=James Robert |last2=Pitts |first2=Michael R. |title=Hollywood Songsters: Allyson to Funicello |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GlybVaD6cakC&pg=PA99 |access-date=July 23, 2010 |date=July 2003 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-94332-1 |page=99}}</ref> His younger brother, Cecil Boone (1935–2023), who performed under the name [[Nick Todd]], was born exactly one year later on June 1 and became a pop singer in the 1950s before working as a church music leader.<ref name="obiNBoone">{{cite web |url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/nashville-tn/nick-boone-11118203 |title=Obituary: Nick Boone, June 1, 1935 – January 20, 2023 |access-date=June 10, 2023 |publisher=Dignity Memorial}}</ref>


In a 2007 interview on ''[[The 700 Club]]'', Boone claimed to be the great-great-great-great-grandson of the American pioneer [[Daniel Boone]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Woodland |first1=Shannon |last2=Ross |first2=Scott |name-list-style=amp |title=Between the Liner Notes: Pat Boone and the New American Revolution |url=http://www.cbn.com/cbnmusic/interviews/700club_patboone022007.aspx |publisher=[[Christian Broadcasting Network]] |access-date=May 7, 2007}}</ref>
In a 2007 interview on ''[[The 700 Club]]'', Boone stated that he is a great-great-great-great-grandson of American pioneer [[Daniel Boone]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Woodland |first1=Shannon |last2=Ross |first2=Scott |title=Between the Liner Notes: Pat Boone and the New American Revolution |url=http://www.cbn.com/cbnmusic/interviews/700club_patboone022007.aspx |publisher=[[Christian Broadcasting Network]] |access-date=May 7, 2007}}</ref>


Boone primarily attended David Lipscomb College, later [[Lipscomb University]], in Nashville. He graduated in 1958 from [[Columbia University School of General Studies]] ''[[Latin honors|magna cum laude]]''<ref>Gerstenzang, Peter. "Pat 'n Leather", ''Columbia'', Winter 2007–2008.</ref> having previously attended North Texas State University, now known as the [[University of North Texas]], in [[Denton, Texas]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dentonrc.com/local-news/education/higher-education-headlines/20110906-fond-memories-prompt-boone-to-appear-at-unt.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123102744/http://www.dentonrc.com/local-news/education/higher-education-headlines/20110906-fond-memories-prompt-boone-to-appear-at-unt.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 23, 2015|title=Fond memories prompt Boone to appear at UNT – Higher Education|work=Denton Record-Chronicle|date=September 6, 2011}}</ref>
Boone primarily attended David Lipscomb College (later [[Lipscomb University]]) in Nashville. He graduated in 1958 from the [[Columbia University School of General Studies]] ''[[Latin honors|magna cum laude]]'',<ref>Gerstenzang, Peter. "Pat 'n Leather", ''Columbia'', Winter 2007–2008.</ref> having previously attended North Texas State University (now the [[University of North Texas]]) in [[Denton, Texas]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dentonrc.com/local-news/education/higher-education-headlines/20110906-fond-memories-prompt-boone-to-appear-at-unt.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123102744/http://www.dentonrc.com/local-news/education/higher-education-headlines/20110906-fond-memories-prompt-boone-to-appear-at-unt.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 23, 2015 |title=Fond memories prompt Boone to appear at UNT – Higher Education |work=Denton Record-Chronicle |date=September 6, 2011}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
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=== Music ===
=== Music ===
Boone began his career by performing in Nashville's [[Centennial Park (Nashville)|Centennial Park]].<ref name="Kingsport Evans Music City">{{cite news|last1=Evans|first1=Jim|title='Music City' Tour Set Up|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/75318152/?terms=%22centennial%2Bpark%22|access-date=April 22, 2017|work=The Kingsport Times|date=July 16, 1964|page=11|location=Kingsport, Tennessee|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=registration |quote=The folks are shown where Pat Boone attended school and told how Pat got his start with the Sunday concerts in Centennial Park}}</ref> He began recording in April 1953 for Republic Records (not to be confused with [[Republic Records|the current label with that name]]), and by 1955, for [[Dot Records]]. His 1955 version of [[Fats Domino]]'s "[[Ain't That a Shame]]" was a hit. This set the stage for the early part of Boone's career, which focused on covering R&B songs by black artists for a white American market.<ref name="Schoemer">[http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2006/1/2006_1_28.shtml Karen Schoemer] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902150344/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2006/1/2006_1_28.shtml|date=September 2, 2010 }} "More Mr. Nice Guy", ''American Heritage'', Feb/March 2006.</ref> Randy Wood, the owner of Dot, issued an R&B single by the Griffin Brothers in 1951 called "Tra La La-a" — a different song from the later [[LaVern Baker]] song of the same name and was keen to put out another after the original failed. This became the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] of the first Boone single "Two Hearts Two Kisses", originally by the Charms.
Boone began his career performing at Sunday concerts in Nashville’s [[Centennial Park (Nashville)|Centennial Park]].<ref name="Kingsport Evans Music City">{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Jim |title='Music City' Tour Set Up |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/75318152/?terms=%22centennial%2Bpark%22 |access-date=April 22, 2017 |work=The Kingsport Times |date=July 16, 1964 |page=11 |location=Kingsport, Tennessee |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-access=registration |quote=The folks are shown where Pat Boone attended school and told how Pat got his start with the Sunday concerts in Centennial Park}}</ref> He began recording in April 1953 for Republic Records (not to be confused with the modern label of the same name), and in 1955 signed with [[Dot Records]]. That year, his cover of [[Fats Domino]]’s "[[Ain't That a Shame]]" became a hit, setting the tone for the early stage of his career, which often involved covering rhythm and blues songs by Black artists for a predominantly white American audience.<ref name="Schoemer">{{cite magazine |last=Schoemer |first=Karen |title=More Mr. Nice Guy |url=http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2006/1/2006_1_28.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902150344/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2006/1/2006_1_28.shtml |archive-date=September 2, 2010 |magazine=American Heritage |date=February–March 2006}}</ref> Dot’s owner, Randy Wood, had released an R&B single by the Griffin Brothers in 1951 titled "Tra La La-a", unrelated to the later [[LaVern Baker]] song of the same name, and sought to reuse it after the original failed to chart. It became the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] of Boone’s debut single, "Two Hearts Two Kisses", originally recorded by the Charms.
[[File:Pat Boone 50's.png|left|thumb|Pat Boone]]
A number-one single in 1956 by Boone was a cover of "[[I Almost Lost My Mind]]", by [[Ivory Joe Hunter]], which was previously covered by [[Nat King Cole]]. According to an opinion poll of high-school students in 1957, Boone was nearly the "two-to-one favorite over Elvis Presley among boys and preferred almost three-to-one by girls&nbsp;..."<ref>See the statistics in Ennis, Philip H., ''The Seventh Stream: The Emergence of Rocknroll in American Popular Music'' (Wesleyan University Press, 1992), pp. 251–52</ref> During the late 1950s, he made regular appearances on ABC-TV's ''[[Ozark Jubilee]]'', hosted by his father-in-law. He cultivated a safe, wholesome, advertiser-friendly image that won him a long-term product endorsement contract from [[General Motors]] in the late 1950s. He succeeded [[The Dinah Shore Chevy Show|Dinah Shore]] singing the praises of the GM product: "See the USA in your Chevrolet&nbsp;... drive your Chevrolet through the USA, America's the greatest land of all!" GM also sponsored ''The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom''.


Many of Boone's hits were covers from Black artists. Along with "Ain't That a Shame" were "[[Tutti Frutti (song)|Tutti Frutti]]" and "[[Long Tall Sally]]" by [[Little Richard]],<ref name="Show 6">{{cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19752/m1|title=Show 6 – Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll: The rock revolution gets underway|website=Digital.library.unt.edu |date=March 16, 1969|access-date=September 20, 2010}}</ref> "[[At My Front Door|At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)]]" by [[The El Dorados]], and the [[blues ballad]]s "[[I Almost Lost My Mind]]" by [[Ivory Joe Hunter]], "I'll be Home" by [[the Flamingos]] and "[[Don't Forbid Me]]" by [[Charles Singleton (songwriter)|Charles Singleton]]. Boone is known as an example of [[Whitewashing in film|whitewashing]] by taking songs by Black artists and sanitizing them to make them more palatable to a white audience, which denied exposure to the Black artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-whitewashing-of-black-music-five-singles-made-popular-by-white-artists/|title=The whitewashing of Black music: Five singles made popular by white artist|date=August 11, 2021 |work=Far Out magazine|access-date=18 March 2023}}</ref>
[[File:Pat Boone, Pic, 10.jpg|left|thumb|Boone in 1960]]
In 1956, Boone scored a number-one single with his cover of "[[I Almost Lost My Mind]]" by [[Ivory Joe Hunter]], which had previously been recorded by [[Nat King Cole]]. According to a 1957 opinion poll of high school students, Boone was favored nearly two-to-one over [[Elvis Presley]] among boys and almost three-to-one among girls.<ref>Ennis, Philip H. ''The Seventh Stream: The Emergence of Rock ’n’ Roll in American Popular Music''. Wesleyan University Press, 1992, pp. 251–52.</ref> During the late 1950s, he was a regular on ABC-TV’s ''[[Ozark Jubilee]]'', hosted by his father-in-law, [[Red Foley]]. He cultivated a safe, wholesome, and advertiser-friendly image, which earned him a long-term endorsement deal with [[General Motors]]. In the late 1950s he succeeded [[The Dinah Shore Chevy Show|Dinah Shore]] in promoting Chevrolet, singing the company’s advertising jingle "See the USA in your Chevrolet". GM also sponsored Boone’s television program, ''The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom''.


Boone also wrote lyrics for the instrumental theme song for the movie ''[[Exodus (1960 film)|Exodus]]'', which he titled "This Land Is Mine". ([[Ernest Gold (composer)|Ernest Gold]] composed the music.)[[File:Pat Suzuki Pat Boone Chevy Show 1959.JPG|thumb|[[Pat Suzuki]] with Pat Boone during ''The Chevy Showroom Show'' in 1959.]]As a conservative Christian, Boone declined songs or movie roles if they compromised his beliefs, including a film with [[Marilyn Monroe]]. In one of his first films, ''April Love'', the director, [[Henry Levin (film director)|Henry Levin]], wanted him to kiss co-star [[Shirley Jones]]. Since this would be his first onscreen kiss, Boone cleared it with his wife before playing the scene.<ref>{{cite web|last=King|first=Susan|title=A Pat Boone kiss-and-tell|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-aug-11-la-et-classic-hollywood-20100811-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 11, 2010 |access-date=June 15, 2012}}</ref> He had his own film production company, Cooga Mooga Productions.<ref name="Cooga">{{cite news|title=Boone to Expand, Buys Two Stories: West Claims Hugh Marlowe; Big Brother's '1984' to Stage |author=Scheuer, Philip K.|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 11, 1960|page=23}}</ref>
Many of Boone’s most successful recordings were covers of songs first released by Black artists. In addition to "[[Ain't That a Shame]]", he recorded "[[Tutti Frutti (song)|Tutti Frutti]]" and "[[Long Tall Sally]]" by [[Little Richard]],<ref name="Show 6">{{cite web |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19752/m1
He was a regular on ''[[Arthur Godfrey and His Friends]]'' from 1955 until 1957 and later hosted ''The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom'' on Thursday evenings. In 1959, his likeness was licensed to [[DC Comics]], first appearing in ''[[Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane]]'' No. 9 (May 1959) before starring in his own series from the publisher, which lasted five issues from September 1959 to May 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://comicvine.gamespot.com/pat-boone-1/4000-56483/|title=Pat Boone No. 1 (Issue)|website=Comic Vine|access-date=March 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=McAvennie |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |title=DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-8578-6 |page=89}}</ref> In the early 1960s, he began a series of self-help books for adolescents, including ''[['Twixt Twelve and Twenty (book)|'Twixt Twelve and Twenty]]''. The [[British Invasion]] ended Boone's career as a hitmaker, though he continued recording throughout the 1960s. In 1966, he participated in the [[Sanremo Music Festival]] in Italy, performing ''Mai mai mai Valentina'' alongside [[Giorgio Gaber]] and ''Se tu non-fossi qui'' with [[Peppino Gagliardi]]. During his trip to Italy, he visited the headquarters of [[Ferrari]] at [[Maranello]] with the intention of buying a [[Ferrari America|Superamerica Sports Car]], but [[Enzo Ferrari]] dissuaded him from purchasing that model by saying that there would not have been enough room for Boone's four daughters, and sold him a four-door [[Ferrari 330|Ferrari 2+2]] instead. In a 2021 interview, Boone admitted having later sold the "Ferrari (I) didn't like" to [[Tom Smothers]] of the comedic duo [[Smothers Brothers]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pingitore |first=Silvia |date=December 21, 2021 |title=From Elvis Presley to Speedy Gonzales, from Ronald Reagan to cancel culture: the world's longest interview with 1950s superstar Pat Boone |url=https://the-shortlisted.co.uk/pat-boone-speedy-gonzales-interview/ |access-date=December 23, 2021 |website=The Shortlisted |language=en-GB}}</ref>
|title=Show 6 – Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll: The rock revolution gets underway |website=Digital.library.unt.edu |date=March 16, 1969 |access-date=September 20, 2010}}</ref> "[[At My Front Door]]" by [[The El Dorados]], the blues ballad "[[I Almost Lost My Mind]]" by [[Ivory Joe Hunter]], "[[I'll Be Home]]" by [[the Flamingos]], and "[[Don't Forbid Me]]" by [[Charles Singleton (songwriter)|Charles Singleton]]. Boone’s versions were part of a broader trend in the 1950s in which white performers recorded rhythm and blues songs for mainstream audiences. Some critics have cited this practice as an example of [[Whitewashing in film|cultural whitewashing]], arguing that it sanitized the music for white listeners and limited recognition for the original Black artists.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-whitewashing-of-black-music-five-singles-made-popular-by-white-artists/
|title=The whitewashing of Black music: Five singles made popular by white artists |date=August 11, 2021 |work=Far Out Magazine |access-date=March 18, 2023}}</ref>
 
Boone wrote the lyrics to the instrumental theme of the 1960 film ''[[Exodus (1960 film)|Exodus]]'', composed by [[Ernest Gold (composer)|Ernest Gold]], which Boone titled "This Land Is Mine".
[[File:Pat Suzuki Pat Boone Chevy Show 1959.JPG|thumb|[[Pat Suzuki]] with Pat Boone during ''The Chevy Showroom Show'' in 1959.]]
As a conservative Christian, Boone declined songs and film roles that he felt compromised his beliefs, including one with [[Marilyn Monroe]]. In his early film ''April Love'' (1957), director [[Henry Levin (film director)|Henry Levin]] asked him to kiss co-star [[Shirley Jones]]; since it would be his first onscreen kiss, Boone first sought his wife’s approval before filming the scene.<ref>{{cite web|last=King|first=Susan|title=A Pat Boone kiss-and-tell|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-aug-11-la-et-classic-hollywood-20100811-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=August 11, 2010|access-date=June 15, 2012}}</ref> He founded his own production company, Cooga Mooga Productions.<ref name="Cooga">{{cite news|title=Boone to Expand, Buys Two Stories: West Claims Hugh Marlowe; Big Brother's '1984' to Stage|author=Scheuer, Philip K.|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 11, 1960|page=23}}</ref>
 
From 1955 to 1957, Boone was a regular on ''[[Arthur Godfrey and His Friends]]'', and later hosted the Thursday-night variety program ''The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom''. In 1959, his likeness was licensed to [[DC Comics]], appearing first in ''[[Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane]]'' No. 9 (May 1959) before headlining his own five-issue comic series from September 1959 to May 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://comicvine.gamespot.com/pat-boone-1/4000-56483/|title=Pat Boone No. 1 (Issue)|website=Comic Vine|access-date=March 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Cowsill|first1=Alan|last2=Irvine|first2=Alex|last3=Manning|first3=Matthew K.|last4=McAvennie|first4=Michael|last5=Wallace|first5=Daniel|title=DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle|date=2019|publisher=[[DK (publisher)|DK Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-4654-8578-6|page=89}}</ref> One of the artists on the series, [[Bob Oksner]], was a fellow resident of [[Teaneck, New Jersey]] and was acquainted with Boone.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Mark |last=Voger |date=March 2023 |title=Send in the Clowns: Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis in the DC Universe |url=https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_152&products_id=1678&zenid=2hgu5onnn6uguc8o85oh8pf7q6 |magazine=RetroFan |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |location=United States |issue=25 |page=37}}</ref>
 
In the early 1960s, he authored a series of self-help books for adolescents, beginning with ''[['Twixt Twelve and Twenty (book)|'Twixt Twelve and Twenty]]''. The [[British Invasion]] curtailed his run as a hitmaker, though he continued recording throughout the decade. In 1966, Boone competed in the [[Sanremo Music Festival]] in Italy, performing ''Mai mai mai Valentina'' with [[Giorgio Gaber]] and ''Se tu non fossi qui'' with [[Peppino Gagliardi]]. During the trip, he visited [[Ferrari]] headquarters in [[Maranello]], intending to buy a [[Ferrari America|Superamerica]], but was persuaded by [[Enzo Ferrari]] to instead purchase a four-door [[Ferrari 330|Ferrari 2+2]] for his family. Boone later recalled selling the car—“the Ferrari (I) didn’t like”—to comedian [[Tom Smothers]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pingitore|first=Silvia|date=December 21, 2021|title=From Elvis Presley to Speedy Gonzales, from Ronald Reagan to cancel culture: the world's longest interview with 1950s superstar Pat Boone|url=https://the-shortlisted.co.uk/pat-boone-speedy-gonzales-interview/|access-date=December 23, 2021|website=The Shortlisted|language=en-GB}}</ref>


In the 1970s, he switched to [[Gospel music|gospel]] and [[Country music|country]]; he also continued performing in other media. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Boone family toured as gospel singers. The family also made gospel albums, such as ''The Pat Boone Family'' and ''The Family Who Prays''.<ref name="Larkin" />
In the 1970s, he switched to [[Gospel music|gospel]] and [[Country music|country]]; he also continued performing in other media. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Boone family toured as gospel singers. The family also made gospel albums, such as ''The Pat Boone Family'' and ''The Family Who Prays''.<ref name="Larkin" />


In 1973, he released S-A-V-E-D, a gospel-studio album. Two songs of the album were written by his friend [[Johnny Cash]], who said of it:
In 1973, he released ''S-A-V-E-D'', a gospel-studio album. Two songs of the album were written by his friend [[Johnny Cash]], who said of it:
{{Blockquote|text=I'm deeply honored that you would record two of my songs in this album. This is the ultimate for me, that Pat Boone would sing any of my songs|author=Johnny Cash, 1973}}
{{Blockquote|text=I'm deeply honored that you would record two of my songs in this album. This is the ultimate for me, that Pat Boone would sing any of my songs|author=Johnny Cash, 1973}}
In the early 1970s, Boone founded the record label [[Lamb & Lion Records]], with himself, the Pat Boone Family, [[Debby Boone]], [[Dan Peek]], [[DeGarmo and Key]], and Dogwood as the principal artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mymusicway.com/labels/lamblion.html |title=Lamb & Lion Records|website=Mymusicway.com|access-date=September 20, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221183017/http://www.mymusicway.com/labels/lamblion.html|archive-date=December 21, 2007}}</ref> In 1974, Boone was signed to the [[Motown]] country subsidiary Melodyland.<ref>"[https://books.google.com/books?id=swcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3 Motown Unveils a Country Wing: Pat Boone Signs]", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. October 26, 1974. p. 3. Retrieved March 17, 2021.</ref> [[File:Pat & Debby Boone.jpg|thumb|Pat and Debby Boone singing to a fan in Washington, D.C., 1997|260x260px]]In 1978, Boone became the first target in the [[Federal Trade Commission]]'s crackdown on false-claim product endorsements by celebrities. He had appeared with his daughter Debby in a commercial to claim that all four of his daughters had found a preparation called Acne-Statin a "real help" in keeping their skin clear. The FTC filed a complaint against the manufacturer, contending that the product did not really keep skin free of blemishes. Boone eventually signed a consent order in which he promised not only to stop appearing in the ads, but also to pay about 2.5% of any money that the FTC or the courts might eventually order the manufacturer to refund to consumers. Boone said, through a lawyer, that his daughters actually did use Acne-Statin, and that he was "dismayed to learn that the product's efficacy had not been scientifically established as he believed."<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=May 22, 1978|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919667,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130110306/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919667,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 30, 2008|title=Let the Stellar Seller Beware|access-date=December 2, 2007}}</ref>
In the early 1970s, Boone founded the record label [[Lamb & Lion Records]], with himself, the Pat Boone Family, [[Debby Boone]], [[Dan Peek]], [[DeGarmo and Key]], and Dogwood as the principal artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mymusicway.com/labels/lamblion.html |title=Lamb & Lion Records|website=Mymusicway.com|access-date=September 20, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221183017/http://www.mymusicway.com/labels/lamblion.html|archive-date=December 21, 2007}}</ref> In 1974, Boone was signed to the [[Motown]] country subsidiary Melodyland.<ref>"[https://books.google.com/books?id=swcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3 Motown Unveils a Country Wing: Pat Boone Signs]", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. October 26, 1974. p. 3. Retrieved March 17, 2021.</ref> [[File:Pat & Debby Boone.jpg|thumb|Pat and Debby Boone singing to a fan in Washington, D.C., 1997|260x260px]]
In 1978, Boone became the first target in the [[Federal Trade Commission]]'s crackdown on false-claim product endorsements by celebrities. He had appeared with his daughter Debby in a commercial to claim that all four of his daughters had found a preparation called Acne-Statin a "real help" in keeping their skin clear. The FTC filed a complaint against the manufacturer, contending that the product did not really keep skin free of blemishes. Boone eventually signed a consent order in which he promised not only to stop appearing in the ads, but also to pay about 2.5% of any money that the FTC or the courts might eventually order the manufacturer to refund to consumers. Boone said, through a lawyer, that his daughters actually did use Acne-Statin, and that he was "dismayed to learn that the product's efficacy had not been scientifically established as he believed."<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=May 22, 1978|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919667,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130110306/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919667,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 30, 2008|title=Let the Stellar Seller Beware|access-date=December 2, 2007}}</ref>


Boone hosts a weekly radio show, the ''Pat Boone hour'', on the ''50s Gold'' channel on [[SiriusXM]].
Boone hosts a weekly radio show, the ''Pat Boone hour'', on the 50s Gold channel on [[SiriusXM]].


=== Later work ===
=== Later work ===
[[File:Pat Boone Memorial Day concert.png|left|thumb|317x317px|Pat Boone during 2007 [[Memorial Day]] concert in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington D.C]]]]In 1994, Boone played the title role in ''The Will Rogers Follies'' in [[Branson, Missouri|Branson]], Missouri.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1994/voices/columns/showbiz-makes-unlikely-stand-in-branson-mo-1117862463/ |title=Showbiz makes unlikely stand in Branson, Mo |date=April 13, 1994 }}</ref>  In 1997, he released ''[[In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy]]'', a collection of [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] [[cover version|covers]].<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=165/6|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref> To promote it, he appeared at the [[American Music Award]]s in black leather, which resulted in his dismissal from ''Gospel America'', a TV show on the [[Trinity Broadcasting Network]].  After a special appearance on TBN with the president of the network, [[Paul Crouch]], and his pastor, Jack Hayford, his explanation of the leather outfit being a "parody of himself" was accepted. TBN reinstated him, and ''Gospel America'' was back on the air.<ref name="Pat" />
[[File:Pat Boone Memorial Day concert.png|left|thumb|317x317px|Pat Boone during 2007 [[Memorial Day]] concert in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington D.C]]]]In 1994, Boone played the title role in ''The Will Rogers Follies'' in [[Branson, Missouri|Branson]], Missouri.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1994/voices/columns/showbiz-makes-unlikely-stand-in-branson-mo-1117862463/ |title=Showbiz makes unlikely stand in Branson, Mo |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=April 13, 1994 }}</ref>  In 1997, he released ''[[In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy]]'', a collection of [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] [[cover version|covers]].<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=165/6|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref> To promote it, he appeared at the [[American Music Award]]s in black leather, which resulted in his dismissal from ''Gospel America'', a TV show on the [[Trinity Broadcasting Network]].  After a special appearance on TBN with the president of the network, [[Paul Crouch]], and his pastor, Jack Hayford, his explanation of the leather outfit being a "parody of himself" was accepted. TBN reinstated him, and ''Gospel America'' returned on air.<ref name="Pat" />


In 2003, the Nashville [[Gospel Music Association]] recognized his gospel career by inducting him into the [[Gospel Music Hall of Fame]]. In 2006, Boone released ''We Are Family: R&B Classics'', featuring cover versions of 11 R&B hits, including the title track, plus "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "Soul Man", "Get Down Tonight", "A Woman Needs Love", and six other classics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/we-are-family-r-b-classics-mw0000459865|title=We Are Family: R&B Classics – Pat Boone |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref>
In 2003, the Nashville [[Gospel Music Association]] recognized his gospel career by inducting him into the [[Gospel Music Hall of Fame]]. In 2006, Boone released ''We Are Family: R&B Classics'', featuring cover versions of 11 R&B hits, including the title track, plus "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "Soul Man", "Get Down Tonight", "A Woman Needs Love", and six other classics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/we-are-family-r-b-classics-mw0000459865|title=We Are Family: R&B Classics – Pat Boone |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref>
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In 2010, plans were announced for the Pat Boone Family Theater at [[Broadway at the Beach]] in [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/12/31/1895168/boone-boom-set-for-spring.html|title=Pat Boone Family Theater replaces NASCAR café in Myrtle Beach|last=Spring|first=Jake|work=[[The Sun News]]|date=December 31, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204032723/http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/12/31/1895168/boone-boom-set-for-spring.html|archive-date=February 4, 2013}}</ref> but the attraction was never built.<ref name=":2">{{cite news|title=Hollywood Wax Museum on track for summer debut in Myrtle Beach|last=Bryant|first=Dawn|work=[[The Sun News]]|date=January 13, 2014}}</ref>
In 2010, plans were announced for the Pat Boone Family Theater at [[Broadway at the Beach]] in [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/12/31/1895168/boone-boom-set-for-spring.html|title=Pat Boone Family Theater replaces NASCAR café in Myrtle Beach|last=Spring|first=Jake|work=[[The Sun News]]|date=December 31, 2010|access-date=December 31, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204032723/http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/12/31/1895168/boone-boom-set-for-spring.html|archive-date=February 4, 2013}}</ref> but the attraction was never built.<ref name=":2">{{cite news|title=Hollywood Wax Museum on track for summer debut in Myrtle Beach|last=Bryant|first=Dawn|work=[[The Sun News]]|date=January 13, 2014}}</ref>


In 2011, Boone acted as spokesperson for Security One Lending, a reverse mortgage company.<ref name=":3">{{Cite AV media |title=Security One Lending – Innovative Direct Response|date=October 5, 2011|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvUCtEL7kAA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211031/mvUCtEL7kAA| archive-date=October 31, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=February 6, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |title=Swiss America-Free Gold Info w/ Pat Boone|date=September 11, 2007|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASpX9gNkfHs| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211031/ASpX9gNkfHs| archive-date=October 31, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=February 6, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He has also acted as spokesperson for Swiss America Trading Corporation, a broker of gold and silver coins that warns of "America's Economic Collapse".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.swissamerica.com/press.php|title=Investment Market & News Reports {{!}} Swiss America Trading|access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref>
In 2011, Boone acted as spokesperson for Security One Lending, a reverse mortgage company.<ref name=":3">{{Cite AV media |title=Security One Lending – Innovative Direct Response|date=October 5, 2011|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvUCtEL7kAA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211031/mvUCtEL7kAA| archive-date=October 31, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=February 6, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |title=Swiss America-Free Gold Info w/ Pat Boone|date=September 11, 2007|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASpX9gNkfHs| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211031/ASpX9gNkfHs| archive-date=October 31, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=February 6, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He has also acted as a spokesperson for Swiss America Trading Corporation, a broker of gold and silver coins that warns of "America's Economic Collapse".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.swissamerica.com/press.php|title=Investment Market & News Reports|website= Swiss America |access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref>


In 2023 Boone was a guest vocalist on ''[[Born to Be Wild (Ann-Margret album)|Born to Be Wild]]'', an album by [[Ann-Margret]], for a duet, "[[Teach Me Tonight]]".<ref>[https://shorefire.com/releases/entry/ann-margret-returns-with-all-star-collaborators-onborn-to-be-wild-her-first-album-in-over-a-decade-due-out-april-14-on-cleopatra-record] {{dead link|date=June 2024}}</ref>  The following year, at 90, he released a single, "Where Did America Go?"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-26 |title=New Pat Boone Song Encourages Unity in America |url=https://decisionmagazine.com/pat-boone-releases-song-as-a-wake-up-call-for-americans/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Decision Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2023, Boone was a guest vocalist on ''[[Born to Be Wild (Ann-Margret album)|Born to Be Wild]]'', an album by [[Ann-Margret]], for a duet, "[[Teach Me Tonight]]".<ref>[https://shorefire.com/releases/entry/ann-margret-returns-with-all-star-collaborators-onborn-to-be-wild-her-first-album-in-over-a-decade-due-out-april-14-on-cleopatra-record] {{dead link|date=June 2024}}</ref>  The following year, at 90, he released a single, "Where Did America Go?"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-26 |title=New Pat Boone Song Encourages Unity in America |url=https://decisionmagazine.com/pat-boone-releases-song-as-a-wake-up-call-for-americans/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Decision Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>


In 2025 Pat Boone set the record for the longest span between entries on [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart]], achieving this record with his song "''One - Voices for Tanzania''". His initial appearance on the chart was with "[[Moody River]]" on July 17, 1961, and his return after 63 years, 8 months, and 3 weeks.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Stephen |date=2025-04-09 |title=Pat Boone is back on the Billboard charts |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/04/09/nx-s1-5354802/pat-boone-is-back-on-the-billboard-charts |access-date=2025-06-15 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref>  
In 2025, Boone set the record for the longest span between entries on [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|''Billboard'''s Adult Contemporary chart]], achieving this record with his song "One - Voices for Tanzania". His initial appearance on the chart was with "[[Moody River]]" on July 17, 1961, and his return after 63 years, 8 months, and 3 weeks.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Stephen |date=2025-04-09 |title=Pat Boone is back on the Billboard charts |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/04/09/nx-s1-5354802/pat-boone-is-back-on-the-billboard-charts |access-date=2025-06-15 |work=[[NPR]] |language=en}}</ref>


== Personal life ==
== Personal life ==
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Boone has been a close friend to many U.S. presidents, including [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ra9ii3KTdA |title=Pat Boone Reflects on his Long Friendship with Ronald Reagan |date=2021-09-20 |last=Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute |access-date=2024-10-06 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Boone supported [[Barry Goldwater]] in the [[1964 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Critchlow |first1=Donald T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QfHXAAAAQBAJ&q=pat%20boone |title=When Hollywood Was Right: How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Business Remade American Politics |date=October 21, 2013 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781107650282}}</ref>
Boone has been a close friend to many U.S. presidents, including [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ra9ii3KTdA |title=Pat Boone Reflects on his Long Friendship with Ronald Reagan |date=2021-09-20 |last=Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute |access-date=2024-10-06 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Boone supported [[Barry Goldwater]] in the [[1964 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Critchlow |first1=Donald T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QfHXAAAAQBAJ&q=pat%20boone |title=When Hollywood Was Right: How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Business Remade American Politics |date=October 21, 2013 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781107650282}}</ref>


At a 1961 gathering at [[Pepperdine College]], Boone said, "I would rather see my four girls shot and die as little girls who have faith in God than leave them to die some years later as godless, faithless, soulless communists."<ref>{{cite web |title=Kristin Kobes Du Mez > Quotes |url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/20374247.Kristin_Kobes_Du_Mez?page=5 |website=[[Goodreads]] |postscript=,}} quoting from {{cite book |author=Kristin Kobes Du Mez |title=Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation |publisher=WW Norton |year=2020 |isbn=9781631495731 |authorlink=Kristin Kobes Du Mez}}</ref>
At a 1961 gathering at [[Pepperdine College]], Boone said, "I would rather see my four girls shot and die as little girls who have faith in God than leave them to die some years later as godless, faithless, soulless communists."<ref>{{cite book |author=Kristin Kobes Du Mez |title=Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation |publisher=WW Norton |year=2020 |isbn=9781631495731 |authorlink=Kristin Kobes Du Mez}}</ref>


Boone is a staunch supporter of Israel and he shares a close relationship with Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-03 |title=Time for celebration {{!}} The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/magazine/time-for-celebration-553420 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-16 |title=Pat Boone’s gift to Israel {{!}} The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/omg/pat-boones-gift-to-israel-556574 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}}</ref>[[File:Pat Boone by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|right|Boone at [[Conservative Political Action Conference|CPAC]] in February 2011]] In the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Boone campaigned unsuccessfully for incumbent [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Ernie Fletcher]] with a recorded automated telephone message stating that the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] candidate [[Steve Beshear]] would support "every homosexual cause". As part of the campaign, Boone asked, "Now do you want a governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?"<ref>{{cite web |last=Kleefeld |first=Eric |date=November 4, 2007 |title=Kentucky GOP Pushing Anti-Gay Message in Final Days Of Gov Race |url=http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/11/kentucky_gop_pushing_antigay_message_in_final_days_of_gov_race.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105172656/http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/11/kentucky_gop_pushing_antigay_message_in_final_days_of_gov_race.php |archive-date=November 5, 2007 |access-date=November 5, 2007 |work=TPM Election Central}}</ref> In 2009, during [[Barack Obama]]'s first term in office, Boone wrote an article comparing liberalism to cancer, likening it to "black filthy cells".<ref>{{cite web |date=June 26, 2014 |title=Pat Boone: 'Obama's Birth Certificate Will Be Proven As Fake By September' |url=https://uproxx.com/music/pat-boone-obamas-birth-certificate-will-be-proven-as-fake-by-september/ |access-date=January 22, 2019 |website=Uproxx.com}}</ref>  In December 2009, Boone endorsed conservative Republican John Wayne Tucker in [[Missouri's 3rd congressional district]] against incumbent [[Russ Carnahan]] in the 2010 midterm elections.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 15, 2009 |title=Pat Boone Endorses John Wayne Tucker for Congress |url=http://johnwaynetucker.com/congress/campaign_endorsements.html |access-date=January 26, 2011 |website=JohnWayneTucker.com}}</ref> In 2010, Boone endorsed Republican Clayton Trotter in the race for [[Texas's 20th congressional district]] with an ad campaign referencing his song "[[Speedy Gonzales (song)|Speedy Gonzales]]", about [[Speedy Gonzales|the Looney Tunes character]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Greg Jefferson |date=October 28, 2010 |title=Trotter's campaign ad had to be an inside job |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Trotter-s-campaign-ad-had-to-be-an-inside-job-735873.php |journal=San Antonio Express-News |access-date=June 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Kyle Mantyla |date=October 28, 2010 |title=Clayton Trotter: "The Anglo With The Hispanic Heart" |url=https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/clayton-trotter-the-anglo-with-the-hispanic-heart/ |access-date=June 25, 2021 |website=RightWingWatch}}</ref> Boone received a lifetime achievement award at the 38th annual Conservative Political Action Conference held in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 9, 2011 |title=Boone Honored By CPAC Lifetime Achievement Award |url=http://60plus.org/boone-honored-by-cpac-lifetime-achievement-award |access-date=May 4, 2012 |website=60plus.org |publisher=[[60 Plus Association]]}}</ref>
Boone is a staunch supporter of Israel and he shares a close relationship with Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-03 |title=Time for celebration {{!}} The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/magazine/time-for-celebration-553420 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-16 |title=Pat Boone's gift to Israel {{!}} The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/omg/pat-boones-gift-to-israel-556574 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}}</ref>[[File:Pat Boone by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|right|Boone at [[Conservative Political Action Conference|CPAC]] in February 2011]] In the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Boone campaigned unsuccessfully for incumbent [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Ernie Fletcher]] with a recorded automated telephone message stating that the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] candidate [[Steve Beshear]] would support "every homosexual cause". As part of the campaign, Boone asked, "Now do you want a governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?"<ref>{{cite web |last=Kleefeld |first=Eric |date=November 4, 2007 |title=Kentucky GOP Pushing Anti-Gay Message in Final Days Of Gov Race |url=http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/11/kentucky_gop_pushing_antigay_message_in_final_days_of_gov_race.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105172656/http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/11/kentucky_gop_pushing_antigay_message_in_final_days_of_gov_race.php |archive-date=November 5, 2007 |access-date=November 5, 2007 |work=TPM Election Central}}</ref> In 2009, during [[Barack Obama]]'s first term in office, Boone wrote an article comparing liberalism to cancer, likening it to "black filthy cells".<ref>{{cite web |date=June 26, 2014 |title=Pat Boone: 'Obama's Birth Certificate Will Be Proven As Fake By September' |url=https://uproxx.com/music/pat-boone-obamas-birth-certificate-will-be-proven-as-fake-by-september/ |access-date=January 22, 2019 |website=Uproxx.com}}</ref>  In December 2009, Boone endorsed conservative Republican John Wayne Tucker in [[Missouri's 3rd congressional district]] against incumbent [[Russ Carnahan]] in the 2010 midterm elections.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 15, 2009 |title=Pat Boone Endorses John Wayne Tucker for Congress |url=http://johnwaynetucker.com/congress/campaign_endorsements.html |access-date=January 26, 2011 |website=JohnWayneTucker.com}}</ref> In 2010, Boone endorsed Republican Clayton Trotter in the race for [[Texas's 20th congressional district]] with an ad campaign referencing his song "[[Speedy Gonzales (song)|Speedy Gonzales]]", about [[Speedy Gonzales|the Looney Tunes character]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Greg Jefferson |date=October 28, 2010 |title=Trotter's campaign ad had to be an inside job |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Trotter-s-campaign-ad-had-to-be-an-inside-job-735873.php |journal=San Antonio Express-News |access-date=June 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Kyle Mantyla |date=October 28, 2010 |title=Clayton Trotter: "The Anglo With The Hispanic Heart" |url=https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/clayton-trotter-the-anglo-with-the-hispanic-heart/ |access-date=June 25, 2021 |website=RightWingWatch}}</ref> Boone received a lifetime achievement award at the 38th annual Conservative Political Action Conference held in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 9, 2011 |title=Boone Honored By CPAC Lifetime Achievement Award |url=http://60plus.org/boone-honored-by-cpac-lifetime-achievement-award |access-date=May 4, 2012 |website=60plus.org |publisher=[[60 Plus Association]]}}</ref>


In 2016, Boone, with [[Mike Huckabee]] and executive producer Troy Duhon, all of whom were involved in the film ''[[God's Not Dead 2]]'', sent a letter to California Governor [[Jerry Brown]] in opposition to Senate Bill 1146,<ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Text – SB-1146 Discrimination: postsecondary education. |url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB1146 |access-date=January 22, 2019 |website=Leginfo.legislature.ca.gov}}</ref> which "prohibits a person from being subjected to discrimination" at California colleges. Other than schools that train pastors and theology teachers, schools "might no longer be allowed to hire Christian-only staff, teach religious ideas in regular classes, require attendance at chapel services, or keep bathrooms and dormitories restricted to either males or females".<ref>{{cite web |last=Bond |first=Paul |date=June 30, 2016 |title=''God's Not Dead 2'' Filmmakers Wade into California Politics |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gods-not-dead-2-filmmakers-907838 |access-date=August 24, 2016 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>
In 2016, Boone, with [[Mike Huckabee]] and executive producer Troy Duhon, all of whom were involved in the film ''[[God's Not Dead 2]]'', sent a letter to California Governor [[Jerry Brown]] in opposition to Senate Bill 1146,<ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Text – SB-1146 Discrimination: postsecondary education. |url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB1146 |access-date=January 22, 2019 |website=Leginfo.legislature.ca.gov}}</ref> which "prohibits a person from being subjected to discrimination" at California colleges. Other than schools that train pastors and theology teachers, schools "might no longer be allowed to hire Christian-only staff, teach religious ideas in regular classes, require attendance at chapel services, or keep bathrooms and dormitories restricted to either males or females".<ref>{{cite web |last=Bond |first=Paul |date=June 30, 2016 |title=''God's Not Dead 2'' Filmmakers Wade into California Politics |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gods-not-dead-2-filmmakers-907838 |access-date=August 24, 2016 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>
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=== Popularity ===
=== Popularity ===
It is estimated that over the course of his career, he has recorded more than 2,600 official tracks, making him one of the most prolific artists in music history.<ref name=":5">{{cite news |author=Hopper, Hedda |date=November 16, 1956 |title=Bidding is hot as Pat Boone signs multi-movie contract |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |page=A4}}</ref>  He has 38 hits on the U.S. Top 40, securing the number one spot six times. Until the 2010s, he held the record for the most consecutive weeks in the U.S. charts with at least one single in the [[Billboard Hot 100|Top 100]], totaling 220 weeks.<ref name=":4" />
It is estimated that over the course of his career, he has recorded more than 2,600 official tracks, making him one of the most prolific artists in music history.<ref name=":5">{{cite news |author=Hopper, Hedda |date=November 16, 1956 |title=Bidding is hot as Pat Boone signs multi-movie contract |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |page=A4}}</ref>  He has 38 hits on the U.S. Top 40, securing the number one spot six times. Until the 2010s, he held the record for the most consecutive weeks in the U.S. charts with at least one single in the [[Billboard Hot 100|Top 100]], totaling 220 weeks.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2024-03-28 |title=Pat Boone {{!}} Biography, Songs, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pat-Boone |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>


'''No. 1 singles in the United States ([[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]):'''
'''No. 1 singles in the United States ([[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]):'''
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In the early 1970s, the Boones hosted [[Bible study (Christianity)|Bible]] studies for such celebrities as [[Doris Day]], [[Glenn Ford]], [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]], and [[Priscilla Presley]]. The Boones attended [[The Church on the Way]] in [[Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California|Van Nuys]], a [[International Church of the Foursquare Gospel|Foursquare Gospel]] megachurch pastored by [[Jack Hayford]].<ref name="Pat">{{cite magazine|last=Gilbreath|first=Edward|title=Why Pat Boone Went 'Bad'|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/october4/9tb056.html|magazine=Christianity Today|access-date=October 4, 2009}}</ref>
In the early 1970s, the Boones hosted [[Bible study (Christianity)|Bible]] studies for such celebrities as [[Doris Day]], [[Glenn Ford]], [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]], and [[Priscilla Presley]]. The Boones attended [[The Church on the Way]] in [[Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California|Van Nuys]], a [[International Church of the Foursquare Gospel|Foursquare Gospel]] megachurch pastored by [[Jack Hayford]].<ref name="Pat">{{cite magazine|last=Gilbreath|first=Edward|title=Why Pat Boone Went 'Bad'|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/october4/9tb056.html|magazine=Christianity Today|access-date=October 4, 2009}}</ref>


On a 2016 broadcast of [[Fox News Radio]]'s ''[[The Alan Colmes Show]]'', Boone discussed an episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' that included a sketch entitled ''God Is a Boob Man''; the sketch parodied the film ''[[God's Not Dead 2]]'', in which Boone had a role.<ref name="Fox News Colmes 2016-04-22">[http://radio.foxnews.com/2016/04/22/pat-boone-the-fcc-should-punish-blasphemy Pat Boone: The FCC Should Punish Blasphemy], on ''[[The Alan Colmes Show]]''; published April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016</ref> Boone described the sketch as "[[blasphemy]]", stating that the [[Federal Communications Commission]] should forbid such content and revoke the broadcast licenses of any "network, or whoever is responsible for the shows".<ref name="Fox News Colmes 2016-04-22" />
On a 2016 broadcast of [[Fox News Radio]]'s ''[[The Alan Colmes Show]]'', Boone discussed an episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' that included a sketch entitled ''God Is a Boob Man''; the sketch parodied the film ''[[God's Not Dead 2]]'', in which Boone had a role.<ref name="Fox News Colmes 2016-04-22">[http://radio.foxnews.com/2016/04/22/pat-boone-the-fcc-should-punish-blasphemy Pat Boone: The FCC Should Punish Blasphemy]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, on ''[[The Alan Colmes Show]]''; published April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016</ref> Boone described the sketch as "[[blasphemy]]", stating that the [[Federal Communications Commission]] should forbid such content and revoke the broadcast licenses of any "network, or whoever is responsible for the shows".<ref name="Fox News Colmes 2016-04-22" />


== Film ==
== Film ==
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[[Category:American male writers]]
[[Category:American male writers]]
[[Category:American members of the Churches of Christ]]
[[Category:American members of the Churches of Christ]]
[[Category:Boone family (show business)]]
[[Category:Boone family (show business)|Pat]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:Columbia University School of General Studies alumni]]
[[Category:Columbia University School of General Studies alumni]]
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[[Category:Male actors from Jacksonville, Florida]]
[[Category:Male actors from Jacksonville, Florida]]
[[Category:Male actors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Male actors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Male actors from Leonia, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Members of the Foursquare Church]]
[[Category:Members of the Foursquare Church]]
[[Category:Motown artists]]
[[Category:Motown artists]]
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[[Category:Singers from Jacksonville, Florida]]
[[Category:Singers from Jacksonville, Florida]]
[[Category:Singers from Nashville, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Singers from Nashville, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Actors from Leonia, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Musicians from Teaneck, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Musicians from Teaneck, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Traditional pop music singers]]
[[Category:Traditional pop music singers]]

Latest revision as of 21:41, 12 November 2025

Script error: No such module "Distinguish". Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherTemplate:Main otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other

Patrick Charles Eugene Boone[1] (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host, and philanthropist. One of the best-selling American recording artists of the 1950s and early 1960s, he has sold nearly 50 million records, charted 38 Top 40 hits in the United States, and appeared in numerous feature films.[2]

Boone rivaled Elvis Presley in popularity during the 1950s[3] and was ranked by Billboard as one of the top charting artists between 1955 and 1995.[4] He spent 220 consecutive weeks on the Billboard charts with one or more songs each week.[5]

Through the 1960s, Boone remained one of the most popular entertainers in the United States, becoming a teen idol positioned as an alternative to the perceived hedonism of rock and roll, owing to his work as a singer, writer, actor, and religious motivational speaker.[6] In 1957, at age 23, Boone began hosting the half-hour ABC variety series The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, which aired 115 episodes from 1957 to 1960. Guests included Cliff Richard, Nat King Cole, Edie Adams, Andy Williams, Pearl Bailey, and Johnny Mathis.[7] His cover versions of rhythm and blues songs contributed to the mainstream popularity of rock and roll. Elvis Presley opened for Boone in Cleveland in 1955, and the two later became close friends.[8]

As an author, Boone published the 1958 advice book 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty, which became a number-one bestseller.[9] In the 1960s, he turned his attention to gospel music and was later inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He continues to perform, speak as a motivational speaker, and work as a television personality and conservative political commentator.

Early life

Boone was born on June 1, 1934, in Jacksonville, Florida, to Margaret Virginia (née Pritchard) and Archie Altman Boone. When he was two years old, the family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was raised. He graduated in 1952 from David Lipscomb High School in Nashville.[10] His younger brother, Cecil Boone (1935–2023), who performed under the name Nick Todd, was born exactly one year later on June 1 and became a pop singer in the 1950s before working as a church music leader.[11]

In a 2007 interview on The 700 Club, Boone stated that he is a great-great-great-great-grandson of American pioneer Daniel Boone.[12]

Boone primarily attended David Lipscomb College (later Lipscomb University) in Nashville. He graduated in 1958 from the Columbia University School of General Studies magna cum laude,[13] having previously attended North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) in Denton, Texas.[14]

Career

File:Pat Boone's handprints, footprints, and signature in cement.JPG
Boone's handprints and shoe prints in front of The Great Movie Ride at Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios

Music

Boone began his career performing at Sunday concerts in Nashville’s Centennial Park.[15] He began recording in April 1953 for Republic Records (not to be confused with the modern label of the same name), and in 1955 signed with Dot Records. That year, his cover of Fats Domino’s "Ain't That a Shame" became a hit, setting the tone for the early stage of his career, which often involved covering rhythm and blues songs by Black artists for a predominantly white American audience.[16] Dot’s owner, Randy Wood, had released an R&B single by the Griffin Brothers in 1951 titled "Tra La La-a", unrelated to the later LaVern Baker song of the same name, and sought to reuse it after the original failed to chart. It became the B-side of Boone’s debut single, "Two Hearts Two Kisses", originally recorded by the Charms.

File:Pat Boone, Pic, 10.jpg
Boone in 1960

In 1956, Boone scored a number-one single with his cover of "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Ivory Joe Hunter, which had previously been recorded by Nat King Cole. According to a 1957 opinion poll of high school students, Boone was favored nearly two-to-one over Elvis Presley among boys and almost three-to-one among girls.[17] During the late 1950s, he was a regular on ABC-TV’s Ozark Jubilee, hosted by his father-in-law, Red Foley. He cultivated a safe, wholesome, and advertiser-friendly image, which earned him a long-term endorsement deal with General Motors. In the late 1950s he succeeded Dinah Shore in promoting Chevrolet, singing the company’s advertising jingle "See the USA in your Chevrolet". GM also sponsored Boone’s television program, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom.

Many of Boone’s most successful recordings were covers of songs first released by Black artists. In addition to "Ain't That a Shame", he recorded "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard,[18] "At My Front Door" by The El Dorados, the blues ballad "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Ivory Joe Hunter, "I'll Be Home" by the Flamingos, and "Don't Forbid Me" by Charles Singleton. Boone’s versions were part of a broader trend in the 1950s in which white performers recorded rhythm and blues songs for mainstream audiences. Some critics have cited this practice as an example of cultural whitewashing, arguing that it sanitized the music for white listeners and limited recognition for the original Black artists.[19]

Boone wrote the lyrics to the instrumental theme of the 1960 film Exodus, composed by Ernest Gold, which Boone titled "This Land Is Mine".

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

As a conservative Christian, Boone declined songs and film roles that he felt compromised his beliefs, including one with Marilyn Monroe. In his early film April Love (1957), director Henry Levin asked him to kiss co-star Shirley Jones; since it would be his first onscreen kiss, Boone first sought his wife’s approval before filming the scene.[20] He founded his own production company, Cooga Mooga Productions.[21]

From 1955 to 1957, Boone was a regular on Arthur Godfrey and His Friends, and later hosted the Thursday-night variety program The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom. In 1959, his likeness was licensed to DC Comics, appearing first in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane No. 9 (May 1959) before headlining his own five-issue comic series from September 1959 to May 1960.[22][23] One of the artists on the series, Bob Oksner, was a fellow resident of Teaneck, New Jersey and was acquainted with Boone.[24]

In the early 1960s, he authored a series of self-help books for adolescents, beginning with 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty. The British Invasion curtailed his run as a hitmaker, though he continued recording throughout the decade. In 1966, Boone competed in the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy, performing Mai mai mai Valentina with Giorgio Gaber and Se tu non fossi qui with Peppino Gagliardi. During the trip, he visited Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, intending to buy a Superamerica, but was persuaded by Enzo Ferrari to instead purchase a four-door Ferrari 2+2 for his family. Boone later recalled selling the car—“the Ferrari (I) didn’t like”—to comedian Tom Smothers.[25]

In the 1970s, he switched to gospel and country; he also continued performing in other media. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Boone family toured as gospel singers. The family also made gospel albums, such as The Pat Boone Family and The Family Who Prays.[26]

In 1973, he released S-A-V-E-D, a gospel-studio album. Two songs of the album were written by his friend Johnny Cash, who said of it:

<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

I'm deeply honored that you would record two of my songs in this album. This is the ultimate for me, that Pat Boone would sing any of my songs

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". In the early 1970s, Boone founded the record label Lamb & Lion Records, with himself, the Pat Boone Family, Debby Boone, Dan Peek, DeGarmo and Key, and Dogwood as the principal artists.[27] In 1974, Boone was signed to the Motown country subsidiary Melodyland.[28]

File:Pat & Debby Boone.jpg
Pat and Debby Boone singing to a fan in Washington, D.C., 1997

In 1978, Boone became the first target in the Federal Trade Commission's crackdown on false-claim product endorsements by celebrities. He had appeared with his daughter Debby in a commercial to claim that all four of his daughters had found a preparation called Acne-Statin a "real help" in keeping their skin clear. The FTC filed a complaint against the manufacturer, contending that the product did not really keep skin free of blemishes. Boone eventually signed a consent order in which he promised not only to stop appearing in the ads, but also to pay about 2.5% of any money that the FTC or the courts might eventually order the manufacturer to refund to consumers. Boone said, through a lawyer, that his daughters actually did use Acne-Statin, and that he was "dismayed to learn that the product's efficacy had not been scientifically established as he believed."[29]

Boone hosts a weekly radio show, the Pat Boone hour, on the 50s Gold channel on SiriusXM.

Later work

File:Pat Boone Memorial Day concert.png
Pat Boone during 2007 Memorial Day concert in Washington D.C

In 1994, Boone played the title role in The Will Rogers Follies in Branson, Missouri.[30] In 1997, he released In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, a collection of heavy metal covers.[26] To promote it, he appeared at the American Music Awards in black leather, which resulted in his dismissal from Gospel America, a TV show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. After a special appearance on TBN with the president of the network, Paul Crouch, and his pastor, Jack Hayford, his explanation of the leather outfit being a "parody of himself" was accepted. TBN reinstated him, and Gospel America returned on air.[31]

In 2003, the Nashville Gospel Music Association recognized his gospel career by inducting him into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2006, Boone released We Are Family: R&B Classics, featuring cover versions of 11 R&B hits, including the title track, plus "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "Soul Man", "Get Down Tonight", "A Woman Needs Love", and six other classics.[32]

In 2010, plans were announced for the Pat Boone Family Theater at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,[33] but the attraction was never built.[34]

In 2011, Boone acted as spokesperson for Security One Lending, a reverse mortgage company.[35][36] He has also acted as a spokesperson for Swiss America Trading Corporation, a broker of gold and silver coins that warns of "America's Economic Collapse".[37]

In 2023, Boone was a guest vocalist on Born to Be Wild, an album by Ann-Margret, for a duet, "Teach Me Tonight".[38] The following year, at 90, he released a single, "Where Did America Go?"[39]

In 2025, Boone set the record for the longest span between entries on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, achieving this record with his song "One - Voices for Tanzania". His initial appearance on the chart was with "Moody River" on July 17, 1961, and his return after 63 years, 8 months, and 3 weeks.[40]

Personal life

File:Shirley and Pat Boone, Debbie Reynolds and Harry Karl, 1960.jpg
Shirley and Pat Boone with Debbie Reynolds and her husband Harry Karl, 1960

In 1953, Boone married Shirley Lee Foley,[41] the daughter of Red Foley and Judy Martin. The Boones had four daughters: Cheryl "Cherry" Lynn, Linda "Lindy" Lee, Deborah "Debby" Ann, and Laura "Laury" Gene.

In the late 1950s, Boone and his family were residents of Teaneck, New Jersey.[42] Shirley Boone was also a recording artist and television personality, though less known than her husband. She founded a hunger-relief Christian ministry that evolved into Mercy Corps.[41] She died in 2019, aged 84, at the couple's Beverly Hills home.[41]

Politics

Boone has been a close friend to many U.S. presidents, including Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.[43] Boone supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election.[44]

At a 1961 gathering at Pepperdine College, Boone said, "I would rather see my four girls shot and die as little girls who have faith in God than leave them to die some years later as godless, faithless, soulless communists."[45]

Boone is a staunch supporter of Israel and he shares a close relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[46][47]

File:Pat Boone by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Boone at CPAC in February 2011

In the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Boone campaigned unsuccessfully for incumbent Republican Ernie Fletcher with a recorded automated telephone message stating that the Democratic Party candidate Steve Beshear would support "every homosexual cause". As part of the campaign, Boone asked, "Now do you want a governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?"[48] In 2009, during Barack Obama's first term in office, Boone wrote an article comparing liberalism to cancer, likening it to "black filthy cells".[49] In December 2009, Boone endorsed conservative Republican John Wayne Tucker in Missouri's 3rd congressional district against incumbent Russ Carnahan in the 2010 midterm elections.[50] In 2010, Boone endorsed Republican Clayton Trotter in the race for Texas's 20th congressional district with an ad campaign referencing his song "Speedy Gonzales", about the Looney Tunes character.[51][52] Boone received a lifetime achievement award at the 38th annual Conservative Political Action Conference held in 2011.[53]

In 2016, Boone, with Mike Huckabee and executive producer Troy Duhon, all of whom were involved in the film God's Not Dead 2, sent a letter to California Governor Jerry Brown in opposition to Senate Bill 1146,[54] which "prohibits a person from being subjected to discrimination" at California colleges. Other than schools that train pastors and theology teachers, schools "might no longer be allowed to hire Christian-only staff, teach religious ideas in regular classes, require attendance at chapel services, or keep bathrooms and dormitories restricted to either males or females".[55]

Basketball

Boone is a basketball fan and had ownership interests in two teams. He owned a team in the Hollywood Studio League called the Cooga Moogas, which included Bill Cosby, Rafer Johnson, Gardner McKay, Don Murray, and Denny "Tarzan" Miller.[56] When the American Basketball Association launched in 1967, Boone was the majority owner of the league's team in Oakland, California.[56] The team was first named the Oakland Americans, but was soon renamed the Oakland Oaks, the name under which it played from 1967 to 1969.[56] The Oaks won the 1969 ABA championship.[57]

Despite their success on the court, the team had severe financial problems. In 1969, Bank of America threatened to foreclose on a $1.2 million loan,[58] and Boone sold the team to a Washington, D.C.-based investment group, and the team became the Washington Caps.[59]

Boone later played for the Virginia Creepers, an 80–84 age group Senior Olympics team that narrowly lost to the gold medal-winning team; Boone aged out at 85 in 2019.[60]

Philanthropy

Boone and his wife have been active in charitable endeavors. Together, they supported the founding of Mercy Corps in 1981, a global humanitarian organization focused on crisis response and development in over 40 countries. This initiative stemmed from an earlier project, Save the Refugees, which Shirley launched in 1979, during the Cambodian crisis.[61]

The Boones also contributed to the creation of the Shirley and Pat Boone Life Center in Tanzania[62] which provides clean drinking water, medical care, and education to local communities. The couple also created, through a multi-million dollar donation, the Shirley and Pat Boone Center for the Family at Pepperdine University, which educates students on building moral and healthy relationships.[63][64]

Artistry and influence

Boone has performed in many musical genres such as pop, country music, rock and roll, R&B, gospel, and soul.[35]

Popularity

It is estimated that over the course of his career, he has recorded more than 2,600 official tracks, making him one of the most prolific artists in music history.[65] He has 38 hits on the U.S. Top 40, securing the number one spot six times. Until the 2010s, he held the record for the most consecutive weeks in the U.S. charts with at least one single in the Top 100, totaling 220 weeks.[66]

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

  • "I'll Be Home" (1956)

Religion

Boone grew up in the Church of Christ.[67] In the 1960s, Boone's marriage to Shirley Foley nearly came to an end because of his use of alcohol and his predilection to attend parties. However, after coming into contact with the Charismatic Movement, Shirley focussed on her religion and eventually influenced Pat and their daughters to have a similar religious focus.[68] At the time they attended the Inglewood Church of Christ in Inglewood, California.

In 1964, Boone spoke at a "Project Prayer" rally at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The gathering, which was hosted by Anthony Eisley, a star of ABC's Hawaiian Eye series, sought to flood the United States Congress with letters in support of mandatory school prayer, following two decisions in 1962 and 1963 of the United States Supreme Court that struck down mandatory prayer as conflicting with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.[69] Joining Boone and Eisley at the Project Prayer rally were Walter Brennan, Lloyd Nolan, Rhonda Fleming, Gloria Swanson, and Dale Evans. Boone declared, "(W)hat the communists want is to subvert and undermine our young people... I believe in the power of aroused Americans, I believe in the wisdom of our Constitution.... the power of God."[69] It was reported that Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Mary Pickford, Jane Russell, Ginger Rogers, and Pat Buttram endorsed the goals of the rally and would have attended had their schedules not been in conflict.[69]

In the early 1970s, the Boones hosted Bible studies for such celebrities as Doris Day, Glenn Ford, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Priscilla Presley. The Boones attended The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, a Foursquare Gospel megachurch pastored by Jack Hayford.[31]

On a 2016 broadcast of Fox News Radio's The Alan Colmes Show, Boone discussed an episode of Saturday Night Live that included a sketch entitled God Is a Boob Man; the sketch parodied the film God's Not Dead 2, in which Boone had a role.[70] Boone described the sketch as "blasphemy", stating that the Federal Communications Commission should forbid such content and revoke the broadcast licenses of any "network, or whoever is responsible for the shows".[70]

Film

File:Pat Boone, Peter Ronson, James Mason, Arlene Dahl, Journey to the Center of the Earth, 1959.jpg
Pat Boone, during a scene from the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth, 1959

In 1956, Boone was one of the biggest recording stars in the US. Several studios pursued him for movies. He went with 20th Century Fox, which had made Elvis Presley's first movie.[65] Fox reworked a play he had bought, Bernardine, into a vehicle for Boone. It was a hit, earning $3.75 million in the US.[71]

Even more popular was April Love (1957), a remake of Home in Indiana. Boone regards it as one of his favourites, "the kind of movie I wish I could have made 20 more of: a musical, appealing characters, some drama, a good storyline, a happy ending, it's the kind of film which makes you feel good. I never wanted to make a depressing or immoral film."[72]

Less popular was a musical comedy Mardi Gras (1958), which was the last movie directed by Edmund Goulding. However, Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959), a science fiction adventure tale, was a huge hit. Boone had been reluctant to do it, and needed to be persuaded by being offered the chance to sing several songs and getting a percentage of the profits, but was glad he did.[73]

He produced and starred in a documentary, Salute to the Teenagers (1960), but did not make a film for a while, studying acting with Sanford Meisner. He returned with a military comedy, All Hands on Deck (1961), a mild hit.[74]

He was one of several names in another remake, State Fair (1962), which disappointed at the box office. Musicals were becoming less fashionable in Hollywood, so Boone took on a dramatic role in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-distributed The Main Attraction (1962) for Seven Arts Productions, his first movie outside Fox. It was an unhappy experience for Boone as he disliked the implication his character had sex with Nancy Kwan's and he got into several public fights with the producers.[75] He had a deal with Fox to make three films at $200,000 each with his production company. This was meant to start with a thriller, The Yellow Canary (1963), in which Boone would play an unsympathetic character. New management came in at the studio, which was unenthusiastic about the picture but because Boone had a pay or play deal, it was made, but with a much-reduced budget. Boone paid some money out of his own pocket to help complete it.[76]

Boone's next movie at Fox was another low-budget effort, The Horror of It All (1963), shot in England. He made a comedy in Ireland, Never Put It in Writing (1964), for Allied Artists. Boone's third film for Fox was an "A" production, Goodbye Charlie (1964), but he was supporting Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis. He was one of the many names in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and appeared in The Perils of Pauline (1967), a pilot for a TV series that did not eventuate, which was screened in some theatres. Boone's last film of note was The Cross and the Switchblade (1970).

Discography

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Filmography

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Box-office ranking

Boone was considered one of the top box-office stars in the U.S. as judged by the Quigley Poll of Movie Exhibitors in its Annual "Top Ten MoneyMakers Poll":[77]

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

Bibliography (works published by Boone)

  • 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty: Pat talks to Teenagers (1958) Prentice Hall
  • "Between You, Me and the Gatepost" (1960) Prentice Hall
  • The Solution to Crisis-America (1970) F. H. Revell Co, Template:ISBN
  • A Miracle Saved My Family (1971) Oliphants, Template:ISBN
  • The Real Christmas (1972) F. H. Revell Co, Template:ISBN
  • Joy! (1973) Creation House, Template:ISBN
  • My Brother's Keeper? (1975) Victory Press, Template:ISBN
  • My Faith (1976) C. R. Gibson Co, Template:ISBN
  • To Be or Not to Be an SOB: A Reaffirmation of Business Ethics (1979) Wordware Publishing, Incorporated, Template:ISBN
  • The Honeymoon Is Over (1980) Creation House, Template:ISBN
  • Marrying for Life: A Handbook of Marriage Skills (1982) HarperCollins Publishers, Template:ISBN
  • Pray to Win (1982) Putnam Pub Group, Template:ISBN
  • Pat Boone's Favorite Bible Stories (1984) Creation House, Template:ISBN
  • Pat Boone's Favorite Bible Stories for the Very Young (1984) Random House of Canada, Limited, Template:ISBN
  • A Miracle a Day Keeps the Devil Away (1986) Revell, Template:ISBN
  • New Song (1988) Impact Books, Template:ISBN
  • Miracle of Prayer (1989) Zondervan, Template:ISBN
  • The Human Touch: The Story of the National Easter Seal (1990) Certification Review, Template:ISBN
  • Jesus Is Alive (1990) Thomas Nelson Inc, Template:ISBN
  • Double Agent (2002) Publish America, Incorporated, Template:ISBN
  • Goodnight, Whatever You Are!: My Journey with Zacherley, the Cool Ghoul (2006) Tradeselect Limited, Template:ISBN
  • Pat Boone's America: A Pop Culture Treasury of the Past Fifty Years (2006) B&H Publishing Group, Template:ISBN
  • Culture-Wise Family: Upholding Christian Values in A Mass-Media World (2007) Gospel Light Publications, Template:ISBN
  • The Marriage Game (2007) New Leaf Press, Inc., Template:ISBN
  • Questions About God: And the Answers That Could Change Your Life (2008) Lighthouse Publishing, Template:ISBN
  • Pat Boone Devotional Book (2009) G. K. Hall, Template:ISBN
  • If: The Eternal Choice We All Must Make: Pat Boone, Template:ISBN

Bibliography

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Pat Boone Template:UK best-selling singles (by year) 1952–1969 Template:Authority control

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  13. Gerstenzang, Peter. "Pat 'n Leather", Columbia, Winter 2007–2008.
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  28. "Motown Unveils a Country Wing: Pat Boone Signs", Billboard. October 26, 1974. p. 3. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
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  42. Staff. "Kings for A Day", The Boston Globe, June 16, 1958. Retrieved March 30, 2011. "Singer Pat Boone and family leave Leonia, NJ home for church. Front, Cherry, 3 1/2; Debbie, 1 1/2, and Linda, 2 1/2."
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  70. a b Pat Boone: The FCC Should Punish BlasphemyTemplate:Dead link, on The Alan Colmes Show; published April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016
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  76. Mark Thomas McGee, Talk's Cheap, Action's Expensive: The Films of Robert L. Lippert, Bear Manor Media, 2014, pp. 271–72
  77. Quigley Top 10 Box Office stars Template:Webarchive accessed August 31, 2014