# Famous musicians who had hits before they were 18. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314 "2011-05-18T13:54:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/1 "2011-05-18T13:54:22Z")
What famous musicians from any time period had hits before they turned 18? Off the top of my head I can only think of Frankie Lymon, Shirley Temple, the Jacksons and the Osmonds…oh and all of those 80s Boy Bands. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/2 "2011-05-18T13:57:49Z")
Paul Anka was 16 when he wrote and recorded his #1 hit “Diana.” ETA: I’ve notified the Mods to move this thread to Cafe Society ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/3 "2011-05-18T14:02:19Z")
Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood and Alex Chilton come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/4 "2011-05-18T14:07:33Z")
Mozart. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/5 "2011-05-18T14:18:20Z")
Richie Valens? ---
**Author:** ![WreckingCrew](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wreckingcrew/32/4080_2.png) [@WreckingCrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WreckingCrew)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/6 "2011-05-18T14:19:08Z")
Booker T Jones was still 17 when “Green Onions” hit the charts. Carl and Dennis Wilson were under 18 for the first few Beach Boys albums, and the David Marks who was with the band for 2 years was 14-15 during that span. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/7 "2011-05-18T14:19:42Z")
Hanson 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/8 "2011-05-18T14:22:00Z")
Tanya Tucker was 13 when she had her first hit, _Delta Dawn_. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/9 "2011-05-18T14:23:20Z")
Debbie Gibson and Tiffany (Darwish), both at about the same time. Gibson actually wrote her #1-charting song “Only in my Dreams”; Tiffany did cover versions (“I Think We’re Alone Now” and “I Saw Him Standing There”). Both were 16 when they launched their careers. Billie Piper (later of _Doctor Who_ fame) had a UK #1 at age 15, “Because We Want To” and followed up with another #1, “Girlfriend”. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/10 "2011-05-18T14:26:05Z")
Whatshername – that scrunchy-faced country chick who slept with the married guy… LeAnn Rimes! The song was “Blue” and she was 13. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/11 "2011-05-18T14:30:18Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Hanson 🙂 You laugh, but Justin Bieber is still only 17. I also hesitate to mention the horrorshow that was [Blazin’ Squad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blazin%27_Squad) but I think they were all about 16 when they started. And what was the deal with Menudo? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/12 "2011-05-18T14:30:21Z")
Ritchie Valens was 17 when he died. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/13 "2011-05-18T14:30:36Z")
Judy Garland, certainly – principally a singer, though she made many movies. Aaron Carter – say what you will about his talent, he’s a “professional” in the sense show business personalities use the term in praise of each other. All three of the Hansens for their first album, and the two younger ones for the early part of their career. (I think a strong case can be made that they moved from boyband to competent serious musicians as they matured in their trade.) Niggling at the back of my mind are several instrumentalists who started young, but no names come quickly to mind. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/14 "2011-05-18T14:39:16Z")
Vanessa Paradis was 14 when _Joe le Taxi_ was a hit. Doesn’t count for the OP due to her age at release, except for people to go “wow”, but Kate Bush was 19 when _The Kick Inside_ was released, but she’d written most of the songs between the ages of 16 and 18. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/15 "2011-05-18T14:41:07Z")
Shirley Temple sold a half of million copies of the sheet music (yes sheet music!) at age 6 for “On the Good Ship Lollypop”. How much sheet music has Bieber sold? ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/16 "2011-05-18T14:44:53Z")
Johnny Lang’s “Still Raining” hit #8 on the US charts when he was 17. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/17 "2011-05-18T15:03:52Z")
Moving to Cafe Society from GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/18 "2011-05-18T15:04:26Z")
Rick Derringer was 17 when The McCoys hit #1 with “Hang On Sloopy.” ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/19 "2011-05-18T15:14:35Z")
It depends on what you mean by “hit” but I think Taylor Swift qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/20 "2011-05-18T15:16:38Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Shirley Temple sold a half of million copies of the sheet music (yes sheet music!) at age 6 for “On the Good Ship Lollypop”. How much sheet music has Bieber sold? I think all of Justin Bieber’s music has been sheet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314.md?page=2)