To me, it feels like teenage heartthrob Leif Garrett does not get enough credit as an artist and performer. He deserved so much more!
Throughout his career, the former teen idol experienced extreme highs and lows, but the highs he sought through drug addiction, which he used as a crutch, resulted in him sinking his career…
Before you see him today, at 62, it might be good to hold your breath…
What a babe he was….. Leif Garrett started as a child actor, and in the 1970s, he set the hearts of young women to fluttering when he became a musician.
My mom told me that when she went to the grocery store with her parents, she could see Leif’s face on all of the teen magazine covers at the checkout lanes.
The American singer-actor, born in Hollywood, California, was 5 years old when he first appeared in the movie Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice in 1969, which became the sixth highest-grossing film of the year.
Following that role, the sleepy-eyed, flaxen-haired heartthrob featured in the film Walking Tall, along with its two sequels. In 1983 he joined a number of fellow teen heartthrobs, including Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze and Tom Cruise, in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders.
Some might also recognize him from his performances in TV series, like Family, The Odd Couple (1974), Wonder Woman (1978) and CHiPs (1979).
In 1977, he released his first album Leif Garret, and fans went wild when he performed covers of popular songs like The Wanderer (Dion), Surfin’ USA (The Beach Boys) and Paul Anka’s Put Your Head on My Shoulder.
Garrett was on top of the world. The blond, shaggy-haired singer toured worldwide, and his fans (mostly young girls) went crazy as soon as they saw him.
”I was on a public appearance tour in Sydney, Australia, and they had to fly me in by helicopter and then I jumped into an armored car and drove into the theater by back door. I’ve tried using a lim there before, but the fans almost tipped it over. I guess it’s an adrenalin push for them. They just freak out. It’s very weird,” Garrett told New York Daily News in 1979.
But even though his music was close to topping the charts, he struggled with management that made him feel like a “fraud.” The crossover to adulthood was also a challenge for Garrett.
“I think I was a good performer from the get-go but I wish they had offered me singing lessons before ever making a record and doing the typical punching in a sentence here or there or words or whatever,” Garret said in an interview.
“There’s a particular track (I Was Looking for Someone to Love) that doesn’t even sound like me at all. I would even possibly say I wasn’t even on that track. And to me, that IS fraud. That’s like a Milli Vanilli situation, the difference being, of course, mine was blended many times with myself and somebody else.”
Garrett’s career started to go downhill in 1979 when, drunk and drugged, he crashed a car and sent it tumbling down a hillside in North Hollywood, leaving his then-close friend Ronald Winkler a paraplegic.
But that wasn’t enough for Garret, whose life continued its negative spiral.
In 1980, a time he describes in his book as “the apex of pinup fame,” Garret revelled in sex, drugs and rock and roll with the legendary frontman of Queen, Freddie Mercury, who was at the time recording the hugely successful album The Game, which featured the hits “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Another One Bites the Dust.” Garrett said he became friends with the band, who showed him a real rock star life with girls and drugs.
In an interview with Fox for the release of his memoir, Idol Truth, Garrett said:“I don’t think I was a very mature 16-year-old. I became mature very quickly because I was always surrounded by adults who were drinking and doing coke. I was a child, but being treated as an adult… And all of this was coming out of my pocket.”
He continued: “You know, I probably have the greatest fan base that I could ever imagine for myself. They have stuck with me through thick and thin. And as you know, I’ve gotten myself in plenty of bad situations. There was a lot of bad decision-making. But at the same time, I didn’t have the parental guidance that I should have at that time.”
Garret’s tally of charges is extensive. He dropped out of rehab and had numerous run-ins with the police, including whilst trying to buy drugs from undercover cops and trying to hide heroin in his shoe.
Despite making very effort at clawing his way back to the top, Garrett ultimately returned to his old habits. Because of his laughable experiences with the law, Garrett was selected to provide commentary on the comedy show World’s Dumbest, which chronicles the “most amazingly stupid” criminals.
The show also used other celebrities known for personal misadventures, like Todd Bridges, Tonya Harding, Gary Busey and Danny Bonaduce.
Then Garrett landed a starring role on VH1’s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, a show he did not want to appear on. Garrett accused the show of having him relapse for drama, a claim emphatically denied by VH1.
In an interview the LA Times, Garrett said: “They asked to get some footage of me using, and I said, ‘I haven’t been using. They said, ‘We really have to get footage of you using.’ Anyway, I was easily talked into showing them.”
When a counselor with the production called him out, suggesting he was still using, Garrett walked off the show saying: “This is insanity and quite honestly I don’t appreciate it.”
Fortunately, Leif Garrett is sober today.
”I had a 90-day sentence in county jail. I was in court-ordered rehab before that, and then my mom visited and told me she had stage IV lung cancer. I said, ‘I’m leaving to take care of her—nobody lives with her.’ So dealing with that, I started using again. So it was like, ‘Cuff him, bring him in,’ and I did the 90 days, and that was it,” he says.
According to the former teen idol, he’s still very grateful for all his fans.
”I’ve kept every photo or letter that a young lady sent, telling me about being on their walls and kissing me good night before they went to bed,” Garrett told Closer. “It’s very surreal and a bit embarrassing, but how flattering! I can’t thank [my fans] enough, because I’m still able to do something I enjoy and get paid for it.”
We’re rallying behind Leif’s recovery and hope he can enjoy his life now!
We’d love you to share your thoughts on the former teen idol and his attempts at getting sober.
My Son Approached Me, Pale and Holding My Husband’s Laptop – The Discovery He Shared Next Completely Shattered My Reality
Lana always considered herself a grounded person. As a 35-year-old mother and an avid reader of celebrity gossip, she enjoyed the escapism it offered, always with a light-hearted chuckle about how distant those stories were from her own life. Married to Jimmy, her college sweetheart, and mother to their 12-year-old son, Seth, Lana’s days were filled with the ordinary joys and challenges of family life.
However, one seemingly normal Thursday afternoon, Lana’s world was turned upside down, echoing the very gossip narratives she indulged in for entertainment. It all started when Seth, needing to finish a school project, asked to use Jimmy’s laptop because his own was updating. Jimmy, usually meticulous about his personal and work boundaries, had left his laptop at home that day, which Lana thought little of at the time.
As Seth worked at the dining table, he stumbled upon something unexpected. He found a folder not protected by the usual business-related passwords—a folder filled with personal photos that would ignite a storm of betrayal and disbelief within Lana. Concerned by what he saw, Seth called Lana over, his voice tinged with confusion and worry.
The photos Seth uncovered showed Jimmy and Lana’s sister, Maya, in a series of intimate moments—laughing over coffee, an affectionate kiss on the hand, too-close-for-comfort during family gatherings—each image a blow to Lana’s heart. Trying to maintain her composure, Lana assured Seth she would handle the situation and asked him to focus on his homework.
Over the next couple of days, Lana wrestled with her emotions and the crumbling image of her marriage. She decided to keep up appearances until she could confront Jimmy and Maya together, searching for the right moment to seek the truth.
The opportunity came when Maya, unaware of Lana’s discovery, suggested they spend a Saturday together at the spa. Throughout the day, Lana observed Maya, looking for any sign of guilt or confession, but none came. Maya was her usual bubbly self, chatting about work and future plans as if nothing was amiss.
My Son Approached Me, Pale and Holding My Husband’s Laptop – The Discovery He Shared Next Completely Shattered My Reality
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Lana always considered herself a grounded person. As a 35-year-old mother and an avid reader of celebrity gossip, she enjoyed the escapism it offered, always with a light-hearted chuckle about how distant those stories were from her own life. Married to Jimmy, her college sweetheart, and mother to their 12-year-old son, Seth, Lana’s days were filled with the ordinary joys and challenges of family life.
However, one seemingly normal Thursday afternoon, Lana’s world was turned upside down, echoing the very gossip narratives she indulged in for entertainment. It all started when Seth, needing to finish a school project, asked to use Jimmy’s laptop because his own was updating. Jimmy, usually meticulous about his personal and work boundaries, had left his laptop at home that day, which Lana thought little of at the time.
As Seth worked at the dining table, he stumbled upon something unexpected. He found a folder not protected by the usual business-related passwords—a folder filled with personal photos that would ignite a storm of betrayal and disbelief within Lana. Concerned by what he saw, Seth called Lana over, his voice tinged with confusion and worry.
The photos Seth uncovered showed Jimmy and Lana’s sister, Maya, in a series of intimate moments—laughing over coffee, an affectionate kiss on the hand, too-close-for-comfort during family gatherings—each image a blow to Lana’s heart. Trying to maintain her composure, Lana assured Seth she would handle the situation and asked him to focus on his homework.
Over the next couple of days, Lana wrestled with her emotions and the crumbling image of her marriage. She decided to keep up appearances until she could confront Jimmy and Maya together, searching for the right moment to seek the truth.
The opportunity came when Maya, unaware of Lana’s discovery, suggested they spend a Saturday together at the spa. Throughout the day, Lana observed Maya, looking for any sign of guilt or confession, but none came. Maya was her usual bubbly self, chatting about work and future plans as if nothing was amiss.
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That evening, back at Lana’s house, as they sat down for a family dinner—with Jimmy joining after what he claimed was a long day at the office—the tension was palpable to Lana. After the meal, while she was getting dessert, she overheard Maya and Jimmy in the kitchen discussing their situation. Maya’s words, “We can’t keep this from her anymore. It’s wrong,” confirmed the betrayal.
Confronting them then and there, Lana demanded the truth. The explanations that followed were fraught with excuses and apologies. Maya and Jimmy tried to justify their actions, claiming a deep connection that had unintentionally evolved beyond familial bonds. Lana, devastated yet resolute, realized the depth of their betrayal and decided it was time to reevaluate her marriage and her relationship with her sister.
In the weeks that followed, Lana and Jimmy attended counseling sessions, but the trust that had once underpinned their marriage was irreparably damaged. They agreed on a temporary separation, giving each other space to reflect on their future. Seth, deeply hurt by the revelations, struggled to interact with his father, feeling betrayed by the role model he had looked up to.
As Lana navigated through the aftermath of the discovery, she was forced to confront the reality that life could indeed be as unpredictable and dramatic as the stories in her gossip columns. She focused on healing and finding a path forward for herself and Seth, believing in the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of honesty and communication in mending the wounds of betrayal.
This poignant episode in Lana’s life serves as a stark reminder that no one is immune to life’s unexpected turns and that strength often comes from facing harsh truths head-on.
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