Your backstage pass to the DFW music scene and beyond.
The Jonas Brothers kick off their world tour at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on Saturday. (Special to the Star-Telegram/Rachel Parker)
Back in 1977, teen idol Shaun Cassidy wrote a song called Teen Dream, one of the tracks on his second album, Born Late. "Caught in a hurricane," he sang, "now we're getting the scene/Baby, caught in a teen dream."
Thirty-three years later that tune could be Justin Bieber's or the Jonas Brothers' anthem.
Bieber, 16, is the latest teen dream. The Canadian sends a new generation of female pop-music fans into a screaming frenzy while his face is plastered on posters, CD covers, T-shirts, coffee mugs, bracelets, an upcoming comic book and even fingernail decals.
And Westlake's super-stylish band of brothers is still going strong, too, with their Disney Channel TV series JONAS L.A., their made-for-TV musical Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, which premiered Labor Day weekend on the Disney Channel and, of course, the tour promoting that movie, which rocks into Dallas' Superpages.com Center at 7 p.m. Sunday, sure to ignite yet another 'tween/teen screaming frenzy.
In honor of the Jonas' upcoming concert, we take a look at some of the teen dreams through the decades, their span of fame, their sound and what made them heartthrobs.
Fabian
The span: 1959-1960.
The sound: Mild-mannered rock 'n' roll as heard in a series of hit singles penned by the golden-touch team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.
The swoon: Matinee-idol good looks and a stylish image that oozed suave sexuality without ever skidding into innuendo.
The swan song: With his final Top 40 tune, 1960's String Along, Fabian's music career abruptly ended. He was identified as one of the singers benefiting from payola, and he further buried his credibility when he testified that his records were electronically tinkered with to enhance his voice.
Ricky Nelson
The span: 1957-1962, then a comeback in 1963 and again in 1972.
The sound: A singer-songwriter with a classic rock 'n' roll sound, an easygoing style and a smooth tenor that convincingly conveyed emotions, he is perhaps the most revered teen idol, having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The swoon: He had boy-next-door charm, a clean-cut image and intense eyes that cast a brooding stare.
The swan song: Nelson's second and final resurgence came with 1972's Garden Party, a gold-selling Top 10 hit. Sadly, on Dec. 31, 1985, he was killed in a plane crash in DeKalb, Texas, while en route to a Dallas New Year's Eve concert.
David Cassidy
The span: From late 1970 to mid-1974, which is his run on the TV show The Partridge Family as well as the musical act of the same name, and then a quick comeback in 1990.
The sound: Melodic, singalong hooky AM-radio pop with the Partridge Family and solo, then rhythmic pop of the day with 1990's comeback single Lyin' to Myself.
The swoon: The flowing, freshly styled hair, the puka-shell necklace, the suave yet slightly goofy demeanor all made him a quintessential teen dream.
The swan song: Cassidy hasn't given up recording, with releases into the 2000s. But his last album to get any significant attention was 1990's David Cassidy.
Donny Osmond
The span: From 1971-1976 solo as well as with the Osmonds; 1974-1978 as half of a duet with sister Marie Osmond; and then a brief comeback from 1989-1991.
The sound: Early on, Osmond sang syrupy pop ballads such as Puppy Love and Go Away Little Girl that were aimed squarely at pubescent females. But with his brothers he ventured into rock (Crazy Horses), while solo and with sis Marie he tried disco (C'mon Marianne, On the Shelf). With 1989's Soldier of Love and his subsequent comeback singles, he delved into pop-R&B.
The swoon: The perfect coif, the wistful eyes, the glistening teeth ... Osmond was the poster child for cute, innocent and wholesome, helped along by his Mormon upbringing. But he wasn't afraid to experiment later in his career. Stubble and leather crept into the late '80s look, and then he buffed up for his long-running Broadway starring role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
The swan song: Osmond probably will never have another pop-radio hit. Yet he's hardly disappeared. He still records -- his last solo studio album was 2007's Love Songs of the 70s -- and last year he rode the pop-culture wave by winning TV's Dancing With the Stars. He and Marie have a successful Las Vegas show scheduled to run through late 2012.
Shaun Cassidy
The span: 1977-1979, which not coincidentally is the run of his co-starring role in TV's The Hardy Boys.
The sound: At first it was '60s pop recycled as late '70s fare. But Cassidy steadily turned toward pop-rock, culminating in full-on rock for his ill-fated 1980 album, Wasp.
The swoon: California blond pin-up looks coupled with an androgynous swagger, and of course hair that was always just right.
The swan song: Wasp, produced by Todd Rundgren, ended his recording career. Cassidy eventually concentrated more on acting in films, Broadway plays and later found acclaim as a television series writer-producer.
Leif Garrett
The span: Roughly from 1977 to 1979.
The sound: Forgettable, largely anonymous covers of '60s pop hits, and then a disco-pop guilty pleasure with the catchy Top 10 hit I Was Made For Dancin', from late 1978.
The swoon: Garrett always seemed to ride the wave of pandemonium without ever revealing much of a personality, even though he began acting much earlier than the singing career. But let's say he played up the So-Cal surfer image.
The swan song: His final album of the period, 1981's My Movie of You, was an immediate flop. Since 1979 he reportedly has been in an endless on-and-off cycle of drug abuse. Attempts to revive his career have been futile.
New Edition
The span: From 1983 to 1989, then a resurgence in 1996.
The sound: Conceived as a Boston-formed, more urbanized version of the Jackson 5, the quintet started with bubblegum R&B-pop, then surely moved into more adult R&B territory.
The swoon: Early on, the appeal was cute and colorful with dashes of inner-city hipness. But by the time Johnny Gill had replaced Bobby Brown as lead singer in 1988, the look and attitude was all grown-up tailored suits.
The swan song: None yet. Plenty of stops and starts, though. But there was a studio CD as recently as 2004's One Love.
New Kids on the Block
The span: 1988-1990, and then a successful reunion album and tour in 2008.
The sound: Put together by Maurice Starr, the same man that helmed New Edition, the New Kids were aiming to appeal to a more Anglo audience while still retaining the streetwise combo of R&B and pop.
The swoon: Clearly Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre were the photogenic ones, with the screaming female fans to prove it. As a unit they were a strategic merger of teen-dance dreamy and back-alley savvy.
The swan song: 1990's Step By Step ended the reign, but 2008's The Block did respectable business.
Menudo
The span: Hazy in the U.S., although let's say 1984-1985, then briefly in 2007.
The sound: Best known as the Puerto Rican group that gave us Ricky Martin, Menudo was unique because members had to leave once they turned 16 so as to always keep the look and chirpy Latin pop sound of the group freshly pubescent.
The swoon: Spandex and hair spray, with just enough Latino looks to make it slightly exotic, at least in these parts. They sang in Spanish mostly, but had a handful of English-language albums.
The swan song: Menudo as we knew it died in 1997. In 2007, MTV aired Making Menudo, a reality series putting together five new guys to relaunch the group. A four-song EP was released, 2007's More Than Words, before the band called it quits in 2009.
'N Sync
The span: 1998-2002
The sound: Combine modern dance music with hip-hop, R&B and dashes of a capella harmonizing.
The swoon: Scrubbed yet seductive was the aim, with just enough facial hair and body movements to create a sensually chaste stir.
The swan song: 2001's Celebrity was the final album, right before breakout star Justin Timberlake jumped ship to become a ubiquitous and eventually sought-after solo phenomenon.
Backstreet Boys
The span: 1997-2000, however, subsequent albums have enjoyed modest success.
The sound: Close to that of 'N Sync, if a tad more rock 'n' R&B-oriented.
The swoon: A little less polished and a little more street corner than 'N Sync -- tattoos and exposed torsos were actually part of the look -- but still very much teen magazine-worthy.
The swan song: The B-Boys keep going without original member Kevin Richardson, who left in 2006. The group's CDs still chart well, 2009's This Is Us debuted at No. 9, but the monster sales are history.
Hanson
The span: 1997-2000 as a major-label act. Now they are a cool indie band.
The sound: Pure, unadulterated pop with plenty of nods to Jackson 5-era exuberance. Then, as the Hanson brothers matured, they became a groovy indie pop-rock outfit.
The swoon: The talent was the main attraction here, as the three siblings wrote all their material. Although in 1997 a then 12-year-old Zac Hanson had plenty of pre-teen allure. But even with MMMBop, the huge debut hit, you could hear the musicality that was to come.
The swan song: None yet. Hanson regularly records and releases discs on their own 3CG label, including the new Shout It Out.
Justin Bieber
The span: 2009-present
The sound: A teen dream version of hip-hop-pop epitomized on Baby, his Top 5 radio hit featuring rapper Ludacris.
The swoon: It's all about the hair, which can swoosh and swing yet still land in perfect place. Bieber is proactive and fan-driven. He communicates directly with his admirers through Twitter and has said he would consider dating a fan. That dramatically ups the approachable superstar quotient. What he may lack in his limited vocal ability, he's handily compensating for by being accessible and relatable.
The swan song: Not even close. Two million-selling CDs, 2009's My World EP and this year's My World 2.0 full-length disc, an upcoming comic book, memoir and a biopic. He was discovered on YouTube, and that makes him the everyman idol.
Jonas Brothers
The span: 2007-present
The sound: Take crunchy, modern pop, add a smidgen of indie-rock energy, and then toss in the occasional nod to hip-hop. Every once in a while, Nick Jonas will deliver an emotional piano ballad.
The swoon: Three distinct personalities -- Nick is the brooding thinker, Kevin is the amiable smiler and Joe is the pretty-boy attraction. Put them together and you have Tiger Beat madness.
The swan song: The machine is still cranking. However, after a pair of million-selling albums, 2007's Jonas Brothers and 2008's A Little Bit Longer, 2009's Lines, Vines and Trying Times hasn't been a sales force even though it debuted at No. 1. The future may not be so rosy, but the creative garden isn't barren yet.
