Teen Idols Through

the ages
 Elvis
Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was born in the southern town of Tupelo,
Mississippi on January 8th, 1935. His family was extremely
poor. During his childhood, he sang in church with his
parents. He also listened to music that influenced his later
singing, including country, rhythm and blues, and religious
music. Elvis and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee
when he was thirteen.
After high school, he had several jobs, including driving a
truck. In nineteen fifty-three, he made his first recording of
this song, "My Happiness":
By the middle of the 50’s, Elvis Presley was known around the world as
the young man who moved his hips in a sexual way as he sang rock and
roll music. Many adults said he and his music were bad influences on
young people. Young women loved him. Huge crowds attended his
performances.
He made his first movie in nineteen fifty-six. It was "Love Me Tender."
The title song was a big hit.
Elvis Presley was one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood for a
number of years in the 50’s. He acted in thirty-one movies.
Elvis Presley died on August 16th, 1977. First reports said he had a heart
attack, but later tests showed many drugs in his body. Experts agree
that these drugs probably caused his death.
 John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon is one of the most famous musical
artists ever. He shot to fame as one of The Beatles. He co-wrote
most of the band’s songs, the majority of which are now rock
classics. He also helped shape the social revolution of the
1960s. His solo career further elevated him as a music legend.
Lennon also achieved fame as a peace activist.
Lennon was born in Liverpool in 1940, he met Paul
McCartney in 1957 at a church hall concert. They became
friends and began writing songs together. They formed a
band called The Beatles. Then they became the most
successful and influential act in music history. Lennon
famously said The Beatles were more popular than Jesus.
Lennon left The Beatles in 1970. On 8th December 1980,
Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York apartment
by a deranged fan.
 Donna
Donna Summer Summer
was born Donna Adrian Gaines on
December 31, 1948, in Boston, Massachusetts. Summer
released two albums in 1976: A Love Trilogy and Four Seasons
of Love, both of which were enormous successes. After that,
she had a successful career in music, especially during the
seventies, when she was known as the queen of disco. Summer
died on May 17, 2012 at age 63, after a years-long battle with
cancer. Known as the "Queen of Disco," Summer will be
remembered as perhaps the greatest singer in disco history.
 Maddon
a most successful singers ever. She
Madonna is one of the
exploded onto the music scene in 1983 and has rarely been out
of the headlines since.
Madonna is in fact her real name. She was born in the US state
of Michigan in 1958 and moved to New York City as a teenager
to seek her fame and fortune. She started there a huge career.
Hundreds of songs have followed. Her hit singles include rock
and dance classics and timeless love songs. She is also famous
for her sexy dance routines in her music videos.
Madonna has had a sparkling and varied career. She has
acted in hit Hollywood movies and won a Golden Globe award
for her role in Evita. She has also appeared on stage in
London’s West End and published a children’s book.
Madonna has been married twice. First to actor Sean Penn.
The couple had a child, Lourdes Maria Leon, in 1996. She
married again in 2000, to British film director Guy Ritchie. In
October 2006 she adopted a baby boy from Malawi. She now
lives with her family in a British castle.
 Britney Spears
Britney Spears was born in Mississippi, USA in 1981. She is
one of the world’s best-selling singers, having sold over 80
million records worldwide. She also writes songs and acts. She
led a revival of teen pop in the late 1990s, which helped her
become a star. She is also famous for her problems with drugs
and alcohol.
She sang and danced in her local church shows. When she
was 11, she appeared in the Disney Channel’s New Mickey
Mouse Club. She signed a recording contract at the age of 16.
Spears released her debut single "Baby One More Time” in
1998. It was an instant international success . The album of
the same name sold 28 million copies and is the best selling
album for a teenager. Spears broke many records and won
many awards.
She released four more albums, which cemented her status as
a superstar. Her personal life has been less successful. Her
four-year relationship with Justin Timberlake ended in 2002.
She married dancer Kevin Federline in 2004 and divorced him
in 2007. She is currently fighting for custody of their two sons.
 Lady Gaga
She was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on March
the 28th, 1986. Lady Gaga is her stage name. She is an
American singer-songwriter who has become one of the
biggest names in music. She became famous in 2008 and just
two years later was included in Time magazine's list of the 100
most influential people in the world.
She learned to play piano from the age of four and was
singing in public by the time she was 14. She concentrated on
songwriting and singing in New York clubs. She got her name
from the Queen song “Radio Gaga”.
Gaga was inspired by David Bowie, Blondie and Madonna.
She hit the big time following the release of her debut album
The Fame in 2008. The singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face"
became international hits. The album reached number one on
the record charts in six countries. Her second album Born
This Way (2011) also enjoyed spectacular success.
She has spoken at military meetings in support of gays and
lesbians in the US Army and shocked the world by wearing a
dress made from meat, to draw attention to human rights.
She is also a philanthropist and raised $500,000 for the Haiti
earthquake from a concert performance.