Who could forget tearing open their Tiger Beat magazine to see their picture-perfect heartthrob back in the 1970s? From David Cassidy to Rick Springfield, every girl had their favorite boy covering their bedroom walls and ceilings in posters. The tear-out centerfolds, the hotlines, and addresses to send fan-mail. The silly products in the back of the magazine …
Our first ’70s heartthrob… David Cassidy
Undoubtedly one of the hottest on this list, we can’t forget David Cassidy. He starred in The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974 and became an instant fan-favorite. How can you help but remember his sweet smile and those eyes that just look right into the soul? He also has some pretty big hits that still get played to this day. “I Think I Love You” and “Come On Get Happy” are some notable hits that allowed him to tour pretty much until the end of his life in 2017.
David Cassidy / Barry Talesnick-Ipol-Globe Photos, inc.
But behind the bright lights and celebrity glamour, David was severely depressed. It became increasingly apparent that he had a serious issue with alcohol. From 2010 to 2014 he was arrested three times for driving drunk and In 2017 he revealed on Dr. Phil that he was diagnosed with dementia, but it later came out that this dementia was actually alcohol-induced. Not much later he sadly died of liver failure. But his legacy lives on through his music, “I Think I Love You” has over 10 million streams on Spotify.
Leif Garrett
We’re sure you remember Leif Garrett! He had a role on the TV show Three for the Road and was instantly on the cover of teen magazines for the rest of the decade. We can definitely see why he was a heartthrob! In addition to acting, he had a solid music career as well that fell off once the ‘80s began. That’s why he’s a solid ’70s idol. He also gained a lot of publicity when his drug use and legal trouble came to light, including being arrested for possession of cocaine in 1997, which would happen again in 2004.
Garrett, 62, has been quiet in recent years, his last on-screen credit actually being Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2010. A piece actually came out in January 2020 where Garrett talks about his drug use and rise to fame as a teen idol. He says, “Hard drugs are a difficult thing, especially if you’ve done it for a while. I play music because I love it. I will always love it. But I’m not in a rush to do more with it unless it’s absolutely right. It has to be as real as possible.” We’re glad to hear Leif Garrett is feeling better these days!
Donny Osmond
If there’s anyone we would place up there with David Cassidy, it’s the one and only Donny Osmond. Girls loved him for not only his adorable boyish charm and good looks, but also because his vocals were incredible! Music has been a lifelong constant for him, as he recently ended his long-running Las Vegas residency with sister Marie Osmond. The residency began in 2008 and ran until the end of 2019! The show would earn three of the Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Best of Las Vegas Awards in 2012 in the categories “Best Show”, “Best All-Around Performer” (Donny & Marie), and “Best Singer.”
Most recently, the 66-year-old appeared on the TV game show Generation Cap in 2023. We also saw him appear on 2020’s Disney Family Singalong with his grandkids during the start of the pandemic. Donny still keeps people in the loop on his life via Instagram, so fans can head to his social media for their daily dose of Donny! Most mind-blowing of all is the fact that Donny Osmond is the father of five and grandfather of 14.
Barry Williams
We all remember Barry Williams from when he starred as the eldest son on the legendary sitcom The Brady Bunch, from 1969 to 1974. No one could forget his dreamy blue-green eyes and that dashing smile! Barry Williams, now 68, never stopped working. Today, he still sings, acts, and makes public appearances, one of his most recent and notable being on A Very Brady Renovation in 2019.
Not only does the 69-year-old run a popular fan-site called The Greg Brady Project, but fans can also find him on the app Cameo — a video-sharing site where celebrities can make customized videos for their fans! We most recently saw him reunite with his Brady Bunch co-stars in the TV movie Blending Christmas and, in 2022, he appeared with Brady Bros Christopher Knight and Mike Lookinland on The Masked Singer, the trio playing “Mummies,” while in 2023 he competed on Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars.