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Fabian (entertainer)

Fabiano Anthony Forte (born February 6, 1943), better known as Fabian, is a former American teen idol of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He rose to national prominence after performing several times on American Bandstand. In total, he charted 11 hit singles in the Billboard Hot 100.

Biography

Early life

Fabian was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Josephine and Domenic Forte. His father was a policeman and had ill health. Fabian was discovered in 1957 by Bob Marcucci and Peter DeAngelis, owners of Chancellor Records. At the time, record producers were looking to the South Philadelphia neighborhoods in search of teenage talents with good looks, and Frankie Avalon, also of South Philly, suggested Fabian as a possibility. Fabian was sitting on the front steps of his house crying because he had just seen his father taken away in an ambulance. He was spotted and, due to his good looks, Marcucci and DeAngelis asked him if he wanted to get into the record business.

Fabian's father could not work any longer and since Fabian was the oldest of three brothers, he took a chance at making some money in the music business to help his family out. He never thought of singing and recording as a career, only as a way of stepping in for his father at the time. And yet, before he knew it, Fabian's popularity soared, and soon thousands rushed to his concerts. At fifteen, Fabian won the Silver Award as "The Promising Male Vocalist of 1958".

Career

With songwriters Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, Fabian released a series of hit singles for Chancellor Records including "I'm a Man", "Hound Dog Man", a #9 hit in the U.S., "Turn Me Loose" (U.S. #9), and his biggest hit, "Tiger", which reached number 3 in the U.S. charts. His career in music basically ended with the payola scandal of the 1960s, when it was alleged that his records were doctored significantly to improve his voice.

The 1980 film The Idolmaker, written by Edward Di Lorenzo and directed by Taylor Hackford, was a thinly-disguised biography of Fabian (called "Caesare" in the film), as well as songwriter/producer Marcucci (called "Vinnie Vacarri" in the film) and Frankie Avalon (called "Tommy Dee" in the film). In the movie version, singer Caesare - a pretty boy with very little singing talent - goes through a whirlwind of success in a short time, and in a fit of pique, he abruptly fires his songwriters and quits his record label. The real-life Fabian threatened a lawsuit at the time of the film's release, though the filmmakers insisted that the film presented only fictional characters (though Marcucci was a paid consultant on the film).

Fabian went on to appear in more than 30 films, including Five Weeks in a Balloon, High Time, North to Alaska, The Longest Day and Ride the Wild Surf (1964) (with Tab Hunter). Most of his early films were comedies, and cast him as a restless teenager with a penchant for singing. After 1965, his film and singing career began to fade, along with his popularity as a teen idol. Fabian also appeared in a 1982 TV record commercial, for The Idols of Rock n' Roll.

He never regained his former stature, but has continued performing for more than 40 years. He was one of the few celebrities to pose with semi-frontal nudity during the late 1970s, posing for Playgirl magazine in its September 1973 issue. Recently he has been appearing with Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell to perform concerts as The Golden Boys.

The lead characters on the hit television show, "Laverne and Shirley", frequently mentioned Fabian as their favorite star. When they said his name, they would sigh, and say his name slowly. The girls would eventually stalk the actual Fabian, entering his high-rise hotel room via a window ledge. They harass him until he meets their demands for a picture.

He appeared in the 2005 documentary film The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania.

In his latest endeavor, Fabian hosts and headlines in the hit show, "The Original Stars of Bandstand" at The Dick Clark Theater in Branson, Missouri. The show stars Fabian and Bobby Vee and features The Chiffons, Brian Hyland, Chris Montez and rare footage of the performers and Dick Clark. Former First Lady and Presidential Candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton was once President of the Fabian Forte Fan Club.

Personal life

Fabian has been married twice — to Kate Netter Forte from 1980 to 1990 and to his current wife Andrea Patrick, a former Bituminous Coal Queen and Miss Pennsylvania USA, whom he married in 1998. He has a son Christian and a daughter Julie from his first marriage. Christian is a screenwriter with the 1996 movie Albino Alligator starring Matt Dillon, Faye Dunaway, and Gary Sinise and directed by Kevin Spacey, to his credit. He is also the co-screenwriter for The Monkey Wrench Gang, which is scheduled for release in 2007. Christian and his wife are the parents of Fabian's granddaughter, Ava Josephine.

Fabian and his wife are actively involved in the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association and Fabian has helped raise money for veterans with his Celebrity Golf Tournament in North Carolina. Andrea and Fabian live on 20 acres in Southwestern Pennsylvania with their dog Max in a home that Andrea designed.

Fabian has always said that he went into show business because his family needed the money and that his biggest regret is that he started too soon and hit too big too early.