# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/21 "2011-05-18T15:29:41Z")
> [@FoundWaldo](#): > > It depends on what you mean by “hit” but I think Taylor Swift qualifies. #1 country album and #6 country single when she was 17, so I agree that she qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/22 "2011-05-18T15:37:01Z")
[The amazing 17 year old Lesley Gore.](http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/lesley_gore/ill_cry_if_i_want_to/) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/23 "2011-05-18T15:59:02Z")
Wynnona Judd was the youngest person to be signed to her record label since Elvis. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/24 "2011-05-18T16:07:45Z")
Björk recorded her first album when she was ten. (She turned eleven just before its release.) She sounded exactly the same, it’s pretty amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/25 "2011-05-18T16:19:05Z")
> [@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? Are you serious? That’s a ridiculous comparison, as when Shirley Temple was a child, sheet music sales were a big deal and since then recorded music sales (wax cylinders, 45s, LPs, CDs, digital downloads, etc.) are the vast majority of music sales. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/26 "2011-05-18T16:21:28Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Ritchie Valens was 17 when he died. And the only person below the age of majority to be inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/27 "2011-05-18T16:22:39Z")
Brenda Lee ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/28 "2011-05-18T16:22:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Are you serious? That’s a ridiculous comparison, as when Shirley Temple was a child, sheet music sales were a big deal and since then recorded music sales (wax cylinders, 45s, LPs, CDs, digital downloads, etc.) are the vast majority of music sales. I… I think that was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/29 "2011-05-18T16:23:05Z")
At 13, Frankie Lymon sang lead on the aptly named Teenagers’ #6 hit “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” had a handful of other hits, and was dead by 25 of a heroin overdose. And he was damn good. ETA: Oh, crap, that was in the OP! Oh well. I’ll take any chance to give him props. I love Frankie. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/30 "2011-05-18T16:24:16Z")
I thought for sure Wayne Newton would qualify with Danke Shoen but, born in '42, that became a hit in '63. He sure sounded _and_ looked a fair bit younger. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/31 "2011-05-18T16:24:51Z")
> [@beartato](#): > > I… I think that was a joke. OK, that makes sense. As to the OP, how about Charlotte Church? ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/32 "2011-05-18T16:29:09Z")
In addition to those already mentioned: Kris Kross hit with “Jump” in 1992 when both members were 12 Little Peggy March hit with “I Will Follow Him” in 1963 when she was 15 Janis Ian hit with “Society’s Child” in 1967 at age 15 Little Eva hit with “The Loco-Motion” in 1962 when she was 16 Fabian hit with “I’m A Man” in 1959 when he was 16 Ricky Nelson hit with “A Teenager’s Romance”/“I’m Walkin’” in 1957 at age 17 Charlie Sexton hit with “Beat’s So Lonely” in 1986 when he was 17 ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/33 "2011-05-18T17:03:22Z")
In the classical field, ‘hit’ is a little more difficult to nail down. There are composers like Mozart, Bizet, Mendelssohn who were composing at a very young age. Hit, though? Hmm. In all three of their cases, they are remembered much more for works they wrote in their maturity. Their early works are remarkable for the age at which they were written, but they aren’t generally held up as great compositions in their own right. What about classical performers who made their debuts at young ages? Granted, they may not be performing their own compositions, and a lot of their success is based on how well they did throughout their careers. It’s hard to ignore, however, that Yo-Yo Ma performed for JFK at the age of 7, or that Akim Kamera performed with Andre Rieu at Radio City Music Hall at the age of 5. Wiki has a list of [musical prodigies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_music_prodigies) of many different genres that is quite interesting to wade your way through. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/34 "2011-05-18T17:44:01Z")
Rebecca Black ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/35 "2011-05-18T17:52:02Z")
Erich Brann (sp?), Iron Butterfly guitarist, 17 years old when _In A Gadda Da Vida_ hit the charts. And I am mildy irritated that it took all of four posts for someone to beat me to Mozart. I thought I was going to be so clever. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/36 "2011-05-18T17:54:29Z")
Not exactly a “hit”, but Shuggie Otis was all of 16 when he played bass on “Peaches En Regalia” (Frank Zappa’s _Hot Rats_ album). ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/37 "2011-05-18T17:56:13Z")
Moon Zappa, “Valley Girl”, age 14. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/38 "2011-05-18T17:59:48Z")
Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera both had their first hits at age 17. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/39 "2011-05-18T18:00:29Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > In the classical field, ‘hit’ is a little more difficult to nail down. There are composers like Mozart, Bizet, Mendelssohn who were composing at a very young age. Hit, though? Hmm. In all three of their cases, they are remembered much more for works they wrote in their maturity. Their early works are remarkable for the age at which they were written, but they aren’t generally held up as great compositions in their own right. > > What about classical performers who made their debuts at young ages? Granted, they may not be performing their own compositions, and a lot of their success is based on how well they did throughout their careers. It’s hard to ignore, however, that Yo-Yo Ma performed for JFK at the age of 7, or that Akim Kamera performed with Andre Rieu at Radio City Music Hall at the age of 5. > > Wiki has a list of [musical prodigies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_music_prodigies) of many different genres that is quite interesting to wade your way through. Without consulting the lst I nominate Camille Saint Saens, who reportedly was an astonishing prodigy at the piano. Capable of playing all of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas, from memory, at age ten. (If _my_ memory is correct.) And now I’ll enjoy that list you linked. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314/40 "2011-05-18T18:09:38Z")
Jordy. “Dur dur être bebe.” …what do I win? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-musicians-who-had-hits-before-they-were-18/582314.md?page=3)