Icons, Idols and Idiots of Hollywood - My Adventures in America's First Boy Band - Bruce Belland - Bog

The son of fundamentalist preacher sings his first solo in front of an audience at age four. The congregation's enthusiastic response inspires his dream of becoming a singer. That dream comes true as front man of America's first "Boy Band", Capitol Records vocal group The Four Preps, whose classic hit "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)" lands them in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. One bandmate will later create TV's Knight Rider and another the rock classic "Tainted Love." This is their story too.

Set against the backdrop of vintage Hollywood in the Fab 50's, "ICONS, IDOLS and IDIOTS of Hollywood" recounts adventures with greats from Ozzie and Harriet to Elvis, Sinatra to the Beatles, Bob Hope to the Beach Boys, as four pals from Hollywood High get dropped into the fast lane of Pop music stardom while still in their teens. Riveting tales one reviewer called ". . .wild, ribald, at times poignant and always hugely entertaining."

"The song '26 Miles' put Catalina on the map and made the Four Preps household name."
- NBC Today Show

"'26 Miles', it was California, the ocean and girls-hell it was everything I wanted to be or do."
- Jimmy Buffet

"You could call it the first surfer hit."
- Dick Clark