I鈥檓 pretty sure it was the hair. The impossibly perfect smile, the lilting voice and, well, everything else probably had something to do with it, but it was that giant, tousled halo that set her apart.
My first, and really only, 鈥榗elebrity鈥� crush was a familiar one to those of us of a certain vintage.
Like millions of other kids across North America, I was fascinated with all things Farrah Fawcett. (Of course, I was the only nine-year-old who actually had a shot).
The first non-sports poster that ever adorned the walls in my room was the iconic one-piece bathing suit pic of Farrah that sold approximately eleventy zillion copies. Somewhere, in a box in the crawlspace, is that very poster.
While over the decades I鈥檝e jettisoned a dizzying array of childhood memorabilia, the Farrah poster has survived every move and spring-cleaning purge.
It will never hang on my wall again. I鈥檒l probably never even take it out of the box ever again. But it will always be there.
There鈥檚 just something innocent and nostalgic about it that makes me smile, to this day.
I鈥檝e certainly cast an admiring eye at other celebs over the years, but there鈥檚 only one Farrah. She passed away in 2009, but as long as that poster is around, a bit of my childhood will remain.
So who was your celebrity crush?
Did you have one? More than one? Have they spanned generations? Can you have them at any age? (My mom loved Elvis and later had a thing for Ray Parker, Jr., of 鈥楪hostbusters鈥� song fame).
Mention 鈥楽haun Cassidy鈥� and my sister will still grin. (Feathered hair has magical powers over everyone, apparently).
She does deny, however, having any type of crush on Abe Vigoda. I don鈥檛 buy it.
I asked a few other friends on Facebook who were their childhood crushes, and got some great responses.
Here鈥檚 a few (names withheld in case of public shame):
鈥淐orey (Hart) and Bryan Adams were rivals and I always felt that Corey鈥檚 vision was very different, therefore he was more of the underdog. I have always been an advocate for the underdog. Plus he鈥檚 super cute!鈥�
鈥淒avid Cassidy (6/7 years old), Christopher Lambert (teenager), The Rock (adult).鈥�
鈥淪haun Cassidy, Andy Gibb, Scott Baio, Leif Garrett and Bryan Adams. And don鈥檛 laugh, John Denver.鈥�
(I apologized for chuckling at John Denver)
鈥淟arry Robinson, lol. He鈥檚 such a hottie!鈥�
(I had no response for that)
鈥淢ick Jagger. I鈥檓 so old that I used to go to the pub to see them play before they were famous.鈥�
鈥淚 knew I didn鈥檛 have a chance with Farrah as she was older but Kristy (McNicol)? (sighs)鈥︹��
(He knew he had no shot with Farrah because she was mine)
鈥淚 had a couple, Faith Hill, Topanga from Boy Meets World, and Kelly Kapowski from 鈥楽aved by the Bell鈥�, among others. Also Beverly Mahood.鈥�
鈥淒avid Cassidy, Davy Jones, Andy Gibb, James Dean and James Garner.鈥�
鈥淒avid Cassidy (teenage years), David Bowie and Bryan Ferry (adulthood), and lots of movie stars: Richard Burton, Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck and more recently Gerard Butler (鈥�300鈥�, oh dear!), Javier Bardem, Daniel Craig. Who I don鈥檛 like might be a shorter list.鈥�
What celeb made your heart flutter?
鈥� Philip Wolf is the managing editor of the VI Free Daily. He can be reached at philip.wolf@blackpress.ca.
