Where Are They Now? What 8 former-celebs are up to
1. Steve Perry
He was the frontman for probably the greatest guilty pleasure arena rock band of the 70s and on any given Saturday night his voice can be heard lilting out of speakers in countless bars across the country. Although Steve Perry left Journey in the mid-90s, he has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years strictly off the popularity of "Don't Stop Believing." In 2005, the Chicago White Sox adopted the song as their unofficial anthem and Perry traveled with the team as they swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series. Then in 2007, Perry allowed the song to be used in the final episode of The Sopranos. Do you think he knows if Tony got whacked?
Steve Perry sings "Don't Stop Believing" with the world champion White Sox:
2. Little Mikey
Three brothers sit around the breakfast table and watch as the youngest devours a heaping bowl of Life cereal, causing one of the brothers to exclaim, "He likes it! Hey Mikey!" The once-famous Mikey is child actor John Gilchrist, who became the subject of an urban legend shortly after the commercial's debut. A rumor began to circle that Gilchrist had died when his stomach exploded from simultaneously consuming Pop Rocks candy and soda. The myth was quickly debunked, but still resurfaces every few years even though Gilchrist is alive and well. Little Mikey returned to his roots for a 2000 relaunch of the now classic commercial. No word if he still likes Life cereal.
Little Mikey's Life commercial:
3. Pat Benatar
Most people would like to remember Pat Benatar as the voice behind such 80s standards as "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" and "Heartbreaker". But the truth of the matter is that she'll be remembered more for her fashion sense than her music. Her on-stage personal of a spandex-clad temptress actually derived from a vampire costume she had worn to a Halloween party. She found that the audience went wild when she performed her usual cadre of songs in black tights and heavy eyeliner. Thus, the Benatar look was born. Like most of her fellow 80s rockers, Pat Benatar has fallen out of favor with the public in recent decades and reduced to compilation albums and nostalgia tours. She did, however, manage to make this guest spot on The Young and The Restless last year.
Pat Benatar on The Young and the Restless:
4. Shaun Cassidy
He's best known as the half brother of 70s teen sensation David Cassidy, but little brother Shaun was somewhat of a celebrity in his own right"¦ if you measure one's success by the number of bad TV shows they appeared in (The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries and Breaking Away to name a few). Of course today the Cassidy brothers are long forgotten throwbacks to an era that produced Leif Garrett and The Bay City Rollers, yet Shaun managed to find a second career working behind the camera. He has found work as a writer/producer on a series of marginal TV shows, none of which is notable, and in July, his first foray into half hour comedy, Ruby and the Rockits, premiered on the ABC Family network. Lucky for Shaun that his brother David is the show's star.
Here's Shaun Cassidy performing his top ten hit, "Hey Deanie," on an episode of the The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. Look how much fun the audience is having!
5. George Wendt
Aside from Kelsey Grammar, George Wendt is the only cast member who's made a lucrative post-Cheers career off his indelible character Norm Peterson, or as his friends like to call him, "Norm!" He has reprised the character on The Simpsons, Frasier, even an episode of Family Guy. In recent years, Wendt has juggled his time between live theater, he starred in the Broadway production of Hairspray in 2008, and guest roles on some of the most significant pop culture mainstays produced in the last 20 years. Wendt made several appearances as Bob Swerski in the widely popular Chicago "Superfans" sketch on SNL and was the screaming father alongside Macaulay Culkin in the music video for Michael Jackson's "Black or White".
"Black or White" video:
6. Marvin Lee Aday (Meat Loaf)
The portly presence behind Bat Out of Hell and Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, is also an accomplished actor, appearing in over 50 movies and TV shows. He was memorable as Bob, the lovable lump with man boobs, in Fight Club, and even had a small part as a bouncer in Wayne's World (He also played Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but you knew that already). Meat Loaf will always be remembered for his 1977 rock opus, Bat Out of Hell, which consistently sells over 200,000 copies a year, making it the third best selling album worldwide behind Thriller and AC/DC's Back in Black. Meat Loaf made a return to his musical roots, releasing Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose in 2006, but the album received poor reviews and was largely forgotten. Perhaps "The Meat" should stick to doing A1 commercials, which he has done, despite that I can't find them on YouTube.
7. Larry Wilcox (the other CHiP)
The other CHiP, Larry Wilcox, left the popular TV show in 1982 to focus on his production company, Wilcox Productions, and various other business ventures. He briefly ran a pharmaceutical company in the mid-90s and today serves as the CEO of a successful software company out of Nevada. Wilcox twice returned alongside Erik Estrada as Officer Jon Baker; once in 1993's National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 and then again in TNT's ill-fated reunion movie, CHiPs 99.
TV Promo for CHiPs 99:
8. Lisa Whelchel
A born-again Christian since the age of 10, Lisa Whelchel has appeared in few acting roles since her days as the preppy Blair Warner on The Facts of Life. Today, Whelchel devotes her life to her family and faith and has authored several books on mothering. She did, however, briefly return to acting in 2001's made-for-TV movie The Facts of Life Reunion.
Here Whelchel reunites with her Facts of Life co-star Kim Fields on Good Morning Texas: