Celebrates 70 years in showbiz at CMA Fest
By Preshias Harris
You can often hear some artists described as ‘living legends’ and in a lot of cases that title is somewhat overstated. But there is one living legend whose description as such is indisputable: Pat Boone.
Pat’s career has been phenomenal, beginning in the early 1950s. In fact, had he retired from show business in 1960 he would still be considered an influential star: he was the second-biggest-charting artist of the 1950s (only Elvis Presley was ahead of him) and, beginning at the age of 23, he hosted the nationally-broadcast musical variety show Pat Boone Chevy Showroom on ABC-TV from 1957 to 1960. (By the way, in 1955, Elvis was the opening act for the Pat Boone show in Brooklyn, Ohio!)
He has sold more than 45 million records worldwide including 38 Top 40 hits. Over time he progressed from pop music to both Country and Gospel, finding success in those genres and attracting new generations of fans.
I met up with Pat in Nashville during the 50th Annual CMA Fest and we sat down to catch up with what’s new in his busy life. Now 89 years old, Pat shows no sign of slowing down, continuing to make personal appearances and host his SiriusXM satellite radio show. He is also a best-selling author and an entrepreneur with his own record label. We talked about his latest project, a self-penned song titled “Grits” now released as his new single.
Continue reading “Pat Boone shows he’s got “Grits””