David Cassidy on the Web
Big Time Rush following in footsteps of a long line of made-for-TV bands
July 5, 2013
By Tom Szaroleta
http://jacksonville.com
If there is one lesson the guys in Big Time Rush should take from the history of made-for-TV bands, it's that they should strike while the iron is hot.
The band, which plays a concert Saturday at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, is the latest in a long line of musical acts created for a TV show that tried to grow beyond the TV and take their act on the road.
And, other than the Monkees (who also play the St. Augustine Amphitheatre later this month), it's never really worked.
There have been loads of cases where an attractive young TV star (Leif Garrett, Shaun Cassidy) has been groomed for a music career. There have been cases where a previously established musical act (the Osmonds, for instance) used TV as a launching pad for a bigger career. There have also been cases where a TV teen idol singing star turned out to have genuine musical skills (Ricky Nelson) and cases where a TV talent show found a really big star (Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson of "American Idol," Miranda Lambert of "Nashville Star"). There have even been cases where a completely fictional band made up of cartoon characters (The Archies) had a huge hit.
But there aren't really any cases of musical acts that were put together specifically for a TV show that went on to significant success after the show went off the air.
That's not to say Big Time Rush — Carlos Pena Jr., Logan Henderson, James Maslow and Kendall Schmidt, who star in Nickelodeon's "Big Time Rush" and just released their third album, "24/Seven" — can't make it big in the long term. But the odds are stacked against them.
Here are some of their notable predecessors:
¦ Ricky Nelson ("The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett) put 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, is widely recognized as a pioneer in country rock and was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
¦ Shelley Fabares ("The Donna Reed Show") had a No. 1 hit in 1962 with "Johnny Angel," but she was always more of an actress than a musician. She was in three Elvis movies and made a big comeback in the '90s with a role on "Coach."
¦ Annette Funicello ("The Mickey Mouse Club") had hit singles in the early '60s but concentrated more on movies than music. She passed away earlier this year.
¦ Bobby Sherman ("Shindig!," "Here Come the Brides") had seven gold singles and five gold albums in the late '60s and early '70s — he's best known for "Julie (Do Ya Love Me)" — but as his TV career waned, so did his recording career.
¦ The Monkees ("The Monkees") were put together by TV producers for a wacky show meant to capitalize on Beatlemania. They were highly successful for the run of the show, but lost steam when it was canceled. They've regrouped over the years and are still a popular touring act.
¦ David Cassidy ("The Partridge Family") became a cultural phenomenon in the early and mid-'70s, selling out six shows at London's Wembley Stadium in 1973. He's still on the road, playing casinos and fairs.
¦ Shaun Cassidy ("The Hardy Boys Mysteries") followed in the footsteps of his half-brother, David, and earned a Grammy nomination for his first record. He's now a TV writer and producer.
¦ Leif Garrett ("Family," "Three for the Road") had big hits with "Runaround Sue" and "I Was Made for Dancin'" in the the late '70s. A 1979 car crash that left his friend paralyzed derailed his career.
¦ O-Town ("Making the Band") was a boy band put together on a reality TV show in 2001. When the show was canceled, the band's career tanked and they were dropped by their record label in '03.
¦ The Disney Channel kids: Disney Channel has a long history of casting talented kids in its shows, then creating musical careers for them. Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana"), Bridgit Mendler ("Good Luck Charlie"), Demi Lovato ("Camp Rock"), Ashley Tisdale ("The Suite Life of Zack & Cody"), the Jonas Brothers ("Jonas"), Selena Gomez ("The Wizards of Waverly Place") and Raven-Symone ("That's So Raven") have all had hit singles. The Cheetah Girls, a foursome put together for a Disney Channel movie based on a series of books, twice headlined concerts at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
¦ The Nickelodeon kids: Nickelodeon has followed Disney Channel's formula for success. Victoria Justice ("Victorious") and Miranda Cosgrove ("iCarly") have led national tours (Justice plays the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in August).
