Pat Boone

Pat Boone served as an antidote to the hedonism of rock & roll during the genre's birth in the 1950s. Effectively functioning as the anti-Elvis Presley, Boone sanitized raucous blues and R&B for pop audiences, taming the rhythm and intent of hit singles from Fats Domino ("Ain't That a Shame") and Little Richard ("Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally"), among other Black rockers. For a while, this was a booming business for Boone: he was second only to Presley in terms of commercial success in the late 1950s and early '60s. Boone dabbled in country but he gravitated toward easy list...