Teen idol Fabiano Anthony Forte, better known to his fans as Fabian, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1943, to a police officer. His father took ill and died when Fabian was young and the boy was forced to find work to help pay the family bills. With no experience but good looks, he was discovered one day by record promoters and groomed for rock 'n' roll stardom. Given singing lessons and a complete visual makeover, Fabian was marketed with a rebel image and snarling baritone unlike the other clean-cut heartthrobs. After a couple of false starts, Fabian zoomed to stardom on the strength of Dick Clark's American Bandstand. From 1959-1960, he recorded a number of Top 10 hits.
Fabian was able to parlay his pop success into an acting career in the early 60s; he was trained by Sanford Meisner. Among his more notable films were North to Alaska with John Wayne, High Time with Bing Crosby and the all-star war epic The Longest Day. Most of his other films, however, were geared toward the young, and he found himself trapped in cheap beach or biker films.
The invasion of The Beatles in the mid-60s left Fabian and many of his contemporaries by the musical wayside.
