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Leif Garrett

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Template:Wikify-date Leif Per Nervik (born November 8, 1961 in Hollywood, California) is an American singer and actor who was a teen idol. He is of Norwegian descent.

The son of Rik Nervik and an aspiring actress, Carolyn Stellar, Garrett made his acting debut in the film Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice as a young boy. He also starred with his sister Dawn Lyn in the Walking Tall series. He played supporting boyfriend character Zack Russell to Kristy McNichol on the 1970s ABC-TV series Family and went on to star in other movies, and made special guest star appearances in television shows.

In autumn 1976, Garrett signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records, with which he recorded his first album, Leif Garrett released in 1977. In mid-1978 he signed with Scotti Bros for Feel the Need.[[1]] He had ten singles reach the US Hot 100 charts his biggest success being "I Was Made For Dancing" in 1978. Other entries included a cover of the Beach Boys' "Surfin' U.S.A", "Memorise Your Number" and "Feel The Need (In Me)".

He continued to record for several years, but with lesser success. Other Scotti Bros albums include Same Goes For You (1979), Can't Explain (1980), and My Movie of You (1981). With Matt Dillon, he starred in the 1983 Francis Ford Coppola film The Outsiders. In 1985 he starred in both Shaker Run as a mechanic (with Cliff Robertson) and Thunder Alley, playing the role of a pop star. He continued to appear in movies for the rest of the decade including Delta Fever and the horror film Cheerleader Camp.

In 1979, three days before his 18th birthday, Garrett was involved in an automobile accident that paralyzed his best friend, Roland Winkler, who was his passenger. It has since been alleged that both were drinking. Shortly after the accident, a shattered, guilt-plagued Garrett publicly stated that he would look after Winkler (who was already a quadriplegic), but reneged on his promise.

Years later, the Winkler family filed a $25 million negligence lawsuit against Garrett, despite the fact that he was 'being sued for money [he] didn't have'.[2] The suit was eventually settled out of court, resulting in a $7.1 million judgment that left the two completely estranged. [3]

Afterwards, his career quickly began to collapse. His trademark hair receded, his TV work dried up, and his music-recording was all but over. In later years, Garrett made headlines for alcoholism, heroin abuse, cocaine possession, and a stay in a rehabilitation center. He continued to appear in movies throughout the 1980s, with minor success.

In 1995, he appeared in the low-budget horror film Dominion, and toured with The Melvins and sang "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on their album The Crybaby, his first music recording of that decade.

In 1998 a number of his best hit songs were gathered up and placed on an album called The Leif Garrett Collection. On January 10the following year, VH-1 aired an episode of the television series Behind The Music, which chronicled Garrett's rise and fall, and featured his televised emotionally painful reunion with Winkler. Garrett apologized to Winkler, who moments later had revealed that he had long forgiven him and that Garrett's actions following the accident had actually saved his life. Since then, the two have remained in touch.[4]

For the year 1999 he put together a band called Godspeed, along with Christopher Wade Damerst and Michael Scott from the Los Angeles based Deadtime Stories. They recorded a 3 song EP on Tongue and Groove records, an indie label formed by Garrett. The group had its debut on the Rosie O'Donnell show and subsequently disbanded after a few more shows.

In 2003, Garrett appeared as himself in the David Spade film Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. He was one of many child stars who were part of the closing song "Child Stars On Your Television", and co-wrote and sang "Former Child Star", another song on the soundtrack.

File:Leif Garrett Mugshot.jpg
Garrett after being arrested on drug charges

In a 2005 interview published on the website for the band Liberty n' Justice, Garett called his drug addiction the low point of his musical career, with his performance at the Houston Astrodome in front of 35,000 fans one of the high points. He also cited his title role in the made-for-television film Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion as a high point, at least in part because it won a Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

On January 14, 2006, Garrett was arrested on a Metro Red Line subway platform in downtown Los Angeles, California when it was allegedly discovered he didn't have a ticket.[5] The sheriff's deputies said he was also suspected of carrying narcotics, and he was charged with heroin possession. Garrett was held in jail without bail because he had violated his probation for a previous cocaine-related offense in March 2005, and a judge had already issued a bench warrant for his arrest in December. After being sentenced to a live-in drug diversion program, he started it but dropped out because it was too strict. On May 11, 2006, he was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years' probation for leaving the program. He was credited with the time served since March 30, when he was placed in custody for failing a drug test.

Discography

Albums

Chart Singles

  • 1977 Surfin' USA US #20
  • 1978 Put Your Head On My Shoulder US #58
  • 1978 Runaround Sue US #13
  • 1978 The Wanderer US #49
  • 1979 I Was Made For Dancin' US #10, UK #4
  • 1979 Feel The Need US #57, UK #38
  • 1979 When I Think Of You US #78
  • 1980 I Was Looking For Someone To Love US #78
  • 1980 Memorize Your Number US #60
  • 1981 Runaway Rita US# 84

Notes

Garrett has sung on releases by The Melvins (The Crybaby), The Crush Ups ("Betty Ford For X-Mas"), and Liberty n' Justice ("Sight Unseen" on Soundtrack of a Soul), among others.

Garrett was born just five days after another successful juvenile performer, Kari Michaelsen of Gimme A Break! fame, in the same month of the same year.

Garrett's stage work, both on and off-Broadway, includes playing the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Filmography

  1. 2005 Popstar
  2. 2005 American Black Beauty (TV)
  3. 2003 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
  4. 1999 The Art of a Bullet
  5. 1998 I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
  6. 1998 The Next Tenant
  7. 1996 The Whispering
  8. 1995 Dominion
  9. 1995 VH1's 8-Track Flashback (TV)
  10. 1990 The Spirit of '76
  11. 1989 The Banker
  12. 1988 Party Line
  13. 1987 Cheerleader Camp (released in the UK as "Bloody Pom-Poms")
  14. 1987 Delta Fever
  15. 1986 The Road to Freedom: L. Ron Hubbard and Friends (V)
  16. 1985 Thunder Alley
  17. 1985 Shaker Run
  18. 1983 The Outsiders
  19. 1981 Longshot
  20. 1978 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
  21. 1978 Skateboard
  22. 1977 Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion (TV)
  23. 1977 Final Chapter: Walking Tall
  24. 1977 Kid Vengeance
  25. 1976 Flood! (TV)
  26. 1976 Diamante Lobo
  27. 1975 Walking Tall Part II
  28. 1975 Three for the Road (TV)
  29. 1975 The Last Survivors (TV)
  30. 1974 Strange Homecoming (TV)
  31. 1974 Macon County Line
  32. 1974 Devil Times Five
  33. 1973 Walking Tall
  34. 1971 Black Noon (TV)
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