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‘American Bandstand’s Fabian Forte Looks ‘Fabulous’ at 80 after Marrying Beauty Queen & Becoming Grandpa of 2

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Time to Read:-words
  • Fabian was once a famous teen idol who fans adored for his charming looks. At 80, he continues to look great.
    He found love again at 55 with former Miss Pennsylvania-USA and Miss West Virginia, Andrea Patrick.

  • Patrick is a self-made woman with a publishing business. She and Fabian have lived together in a home she designed herself and remain close to their kids and grandkids.

  • Born Fabian Forte on February 6, 1943, Fabian never imagined being a teen idol in his early years. He had looks resembling Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson, but he definitely wasn’t a singer.

Everyone around Fabian knew of his star quality. At the time, it was the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, and it didn’t hurt him to look like some of the genre’s top stars.

Marcucci, a talent manager, had a friend who lived near Fabian’s family. One day, when Fabian was 14, Marcucci drove by and noticed an ambulance near the property.

Fabian’s father had just suffered a heart attack, and Fabian was sitting on the steps of their front porch, dumbfounded. It was then that Marcucci approached him about becoming a singer.

Initially, Fabian thought nothing of it. After all, he had just watched his father getting rushed to the hospital.

It took weeks for Marcucci to convince Fabian to sign a contract. He was hesitant, but he soon realized his father would no longer be able to work after his medical emergency.

As the oldest of three brothers, Fabian decided to make some money to help his family out. He didn’t think at the time that being a singer would become his life-long career.

“That’s the only thing that motivated me,” he said, referring to his family. Marcucci did not disappoint – he marketed Fabian to the best of his abilities, and he became an instant star.

Thousands of people, mostly young women, flocked to his concerts. At 15, he won the Silver Award for “The Promising Male Vocalist of 1958.”

By the time he was 18, Fabian had eight albums out and dozens of hit singles, including gold records for “Tiger” and “Turn Me Loose” and a gold album for “The Fabulous Fabian.”

Like many teen idols his age, he eventually ventured into the film industry. He had a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox, starring in the films “Hound Dog Man,” “North to Alaska,” “High Time,” “Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation,” and “Dear Bridgette.”

He had several other films as well as a TV show titled “A Lion Walks Among Us.” It was the first TV production to air for an hour without commercials.

Through the years, Fabian remained a staple on television. From 2004 to 2007, he hosted and headlined “The Original Stars of Bandstand,” a hit show stationed at the Dick Clark Theater in Branson, Missouri.

For years, Fabian continued to perform with two of his good friends from Philadelphia, and fellow teen idols, Frankie Avalon and the late Bobby Rydell. They were pegged as “The Golden Boys” and were responsible for one of the longest-running shows of its genre.

After recently turning 80, fans showered Fabian with well-wishes. Several fans called him “fabulous,” an ode to his gold album, “Fabulous Fabian.”

The former teen idol shared a collage of his most recent pictures to mark the occasion. He was all smiles and looked both happy and healthy in all.

Aside from praising him for his good looks at 80, fans constantly make sure to note how great he looked with his second wife, Andrea Patrick.

They often feel comfortable enough to talk to Fabian as if he were a friend, complimenting on his ageless look while inserting tidbits about his personal life.

In one photo posted by Patrick, one fan wondered if they still lived in the same community, the same place the fan’s father grew up in. The fan also made sure to note how great Fabian looked despite his age.

In another photo, a fan called them “true soulmates,” and others couldn’t help but compliment them as a “beautiful couple.”

Fabian married Patrick in 1998. She is a former Miss Pennsylvania-USA and Miss West Virginia.

More than being a beauty queen, Patrick is also the owner and CEO of Patrick Talent Agency. She also has a business of her own as the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the US fashion magazine GLADYS.

Finding Love Again at 55
The third time’s the charm – this proved to be true for Fabian, who married thrice before finding his one true love. He was first married to Kathleen Regan in 1966, during his idol days.

Together, Fabian and Regan share two kids named Christian and Julie. They separated in 1975 after Fabian was accused of hitting his wife. He was put on probation for two years, and their divorce was finalized in 1979.

A year later, he married Kate Netter. They were together for ten years before calling it quits, and they had no children together.

A couple of years later, Fabian married his current wife. They first met in Studio City, California, when Fabian’s small dog nipped at Patrick’s heels.

Patrick is 18 years Fabian’s junior, but that didn’t turn out to be a problem for them. At the time of their first meeting, she had no idea that he was once a teen idol.

She didn’t plan on finding love that day – she just wanted to get going with her jog. So, when Fabian tried to small talk her, she told him to drop her a note, and she’d call him.

The very next day, Fabian showed up at her doorstep and introduced himself. Since then, they’ve been inseparable.

While their marriage has been smooth sailing, there have been a couple of hiccups along the way. Right after their wedding, they were sued by the resort where they held their wedding for unpaid bills. They were also sued by the contractor of their home, claiming the same thing.

Despite everything, Fabian and Patrick have remained hard workers through the years. He continued to perform, while Patrick also has several businesses on her plate.

Together, they live on a 20-acre estate in southwest Pennsylvania. Whenever he isn’t performing, Fabian helps his wife with the magazine GLADYS, where he works as the managing director.

Patrick has been fully supportive of Fabian’s career, often standing alongside him whenever he has public guestings, yet has not lost sight of her own goals as a businesswoman.

But more than the careers they’ve built, Patrick’s love for Fabian trumps all else in their lives. Through the years, she’s been vocal about how much she loves her husband and the life they’ve built together.

 

 

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On his 80th birthday, she posted several tributes to him on her Twitter account. Penning a touching message for him, she wrote:

“I cherish the beautiful marriage we’ve created, and I’m forever grateful to be married to the greatest husband in the world. I’ve loved you for 32 years, and I will love you till [sic] the end of time.”

 

She also made sure to post her favorite photo of her husband, which was taken when he was still a teen idol. In the black and white photo, Fabian leans on a marble desk with his chin on top of his hands. He gazes straight into the camera with his piercing eyes.

While Fabian remains relatively healthy, he underwent heart surgery in 2014. The surgery was supposed to last six hours, but his was done in four.

 

 

“He had an aorta route, valve replacement, and one bypass done,” she explained. Patrick went on to thank Fabian’s doctors and nurses for their effort, as well as their family, friends, and supporters.

The doting wife couldn’t help but praise her husband as well, acknowledging that while he’s been a survivor throughout his entire life and career, seeing him go through surgery made her realize that “he’s not only the love of my life – he is my hero.”

A couple of weeks after surgery, Fabian himself posted an update on Facebook for his fans to see. He snapped a photo of himself after his first outing, where he visited a doctor friend.