Our world is blessed with amazing seniors all around us. We all know a few, but only a few are known to all of us. One of those rare people is Mr. Pat Boone, an icon of American music, movies, and television. It is inspiring to know that Pat Boone, now almost 89 years old, is still active in many enterprises, including two new movies, a book and an album.
Do you remember your first date or dance? There is a good chance that Pat Boone supplied the background music for those memories. That date might have been the movie “April Love,” starring Pat Boone and Shirley Jones. Pat’s recording of the song, “April Love,” became a number-one hit in the United States, spent 26 weeks on the US pop music charts and was the #1 single for 6 weeks.
Pat’s music career flourished for many years and he continues to record new music. According to Billboard Magazine, only Elvis Presley ranked higher in the music charts of that era. He describes himself as a “recording machine,” an entertainer who loves to perform and to hear and feel the audience’s reaction. All told, Pat Boone produced 6 # 1 hits, 13 gold single records, and a platinum album of “Pat’s Great Hits.” He still holds the record for the number of appearances in the single record charts: 220 weeks! That’s over 4 years of contiguous consecutive charted records.
That singing career alone would have been enough to make Pat Boone one of our Amazing Seniors, but he has been much, much more. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, his family moved to Nashville when he was a young boy. Pat’s parents were expecting a girl who they planned to name Patricia, but when the new baby boy surprised them, they just shortened the name to Pat. His father, an architect and contractor, moved the family so that he could work with a relative in the building industry. His Dad, Archie Boone, created a lot of beautiful schools, homes and businesses in Nashville. Pat worked with his brother, Nick, digging ditches and pouring concrete, but maybe it was fate that Music City acquired Pat Boone at a young age.
His early performances began not as a career, but just singing for fun at family gatherings, sometimes with brother Nick singing harmony. His first stage performance was at a Nashville movie theatre where mothers brought their children on Saturday afternoons to be entertained by family films. It was a talent show on stage and the winning singers received an ice cream treat from the drugstore next door. The ice cream kept him repeating performances until friends and acquaintances took note of his singing ability and began to call on him when a performer was needed. He was soon called “Blue Moon Boone” because of his ability to voice the song “Blue Moon” without accompaniment.
He was encouraged to audition for the Ted Mack Amateur Hour on national TV and won the competition 3 times in consecutive weeks. Shortly after, he appeared on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts Show, which he won. Those two wins on national talent shows led to his becoming a regular on the Godfrey show and to a recording contract with Dot Records.
From then on, it was one success followed soon after another. In the mid-1950s, the name Pat Boone began to appear on record charts with regularity, and he began his acting career in movies like “Bernardine” and “April Love.” At age 22, Pat became the youngest performer ever to have his own network musical variety show. The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom was a music and variety show that attracted guests like Nat ‘King’ Cole, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, and others appearing and singing with Pat as host. He has been a successful singer, actor, and TV personality.
We have told you that this Amazing Senior is more than a performer and entertainer. More than anything else in his life, Pat is proud of his wonderful marriage at 19 years old to Shirley Foley for 65 years, who passed away in 2019, and their four daughters. He is the grandfather of 16 and a great-grandfather of 17 and counting! A stable, successful marriage was not easy while living in Beverly Hills and Hollywood. He credits their strong faith and church connections with this accomplishment. Pat Boone was a protective and involved father to his girls, and it has paid off, resulting in the most lasting joys he has known. Despite his huge success, family is still the most important thing in his life.
Mr. Boone has constantly been involved in church and civic organizations and activities. He has served as a Deacon and an Elder in his churches, is a past chairman of the National Federation of the Blind, and hosted the Easter Seals Telethon for 18 years, raising over 600 million dollars for childhood disease research. Today, he is on the board of 2 Christian universities, one of which is Pepperdine. You might think that this Amazing Senior would be thinking about taking a rest, but you would be wrong! Approaching 89 on June 1, he is still going strong.
Pat is still swimming, playing singles tennis with a younger guy (he is 82), golfing and hosting golf tournaments, working out at the gym, recording and considering doing a final tour. Right now, 2 new projects are being added to his long list.
His starring role in “The Mulligan” is a 2023 movie about getting a second chance. Golfers will know what the term “Mulligan” means, and who has not said to themselves, “I think I’ll take that shot over”?
Pat is extremely proud of his new book, “IF.” Years ago, Pat and Shirley Boone experienced what they call the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is the infilling of God’s spirit to motivate one’s life. ”IF” tells you how that happened, and how it can happen for anybody who wants to have a seriously important life. Pat reminds us that a relationship with God is the surest path to health and successful living. He says he knows because that’s his story.
Mr. Boone also has a new Album release which is Pat Boone Country Jubilee: 25 All-Time Country Classics, which features a duet with guest artist Crystal Gayle, and Pat’s NEW song, “GRITS,” with featured guest artists Ray Stevens, Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers, Lorrie Morgan, Deborah Allen and Dean Miller. The 2-vinyl/2-CD album is set to be release on 8/25.
Pat Boone certainly deserves the title. “Amazing Senior.” Thank you, Mr. Boone, for your life’s work in so many areas. You are a great example and an important part of the soundtrack of our lives. OurSeniors.Net happily recommends that readers take advantage of the new additions to Pat’s collection of entertainment and life-changing accomplishments. You can find them here-
You can stream Pat’s new movie, “The Mulligan,” on https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B74H6N4D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r or order a DVD copy here: https://www.goldlabelartists.com/product/the-mulligan-movie-dvd/. Pat’s new inspirational book, “IF,” is available here: https://www.goldlabelartists.com/product/if-the-eternal-choice-we-all-must-make-hardcover/.
