As we continue celebrating 1950 and the release of the 1950 US Census, let’s highlight 3 1950s celebrities and their connections to the decade.
Stevie Wonder
It’s easy to toss around the term "icon," but few musicians deserve it quite like the legendary Stevie Wonder. Born in 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, Wonder began performing at age 11 and is credited with being a pioneer in genres ranging from rhythm and blues to gospel and nearly everything in between.
Though he has been blind since just a few weeks old, Wonder started playing instruments early, picking up piano, harmonica, and drums. Still just 11, he sang his own original song to artist Ronnie White. The founding member of The Miracles saw potential in the young man, and Berry Gordy immediately signed Stevie under the name Little Stevie Wonder.
By 13, Stevie was already topping the charts. His single “Fingertips” hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the youngest person to do so. As Wonder’s voice changed, it was time for a name change too. He dropped Little and began crafting songs for Motown artists. He had a hand in many hits, including Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' song “The Tears of a Clown.”
Later, as Stevie's popularity and influence grew, he ventured into social activism. Among his passions was working to make the birthday of civil rights titan Martin Luther King Jr. a federal holiday.
All these years later, Wonder’s impact is everywhere. His dear friend Elton John said he never leaves home without Wonder’s album, Songs in the Key of Life. And Kanye West (Ye), said he’s dedicated to the high-bar standard of Wonder’s music.
James Dean
Actor James Dean’s connection to 1950 came with his big career break. Dean lived with his parents in Santa Monica, California, until age 9. When his mother passed away from uterine cancer, Dean was sent to Indiana to live with his aunt and uncle. After graduating from high school, he returned to California for college.
Although he started in pre-law, Dean soon switched to theater and was cast in the production of Hamlet at UCLA. But the real break came in 1950 when a fraternity brother invited him along to a Pepsi commercial. Dean was just an extra, but he lit up the camera and the commercial's producer cast Dean in a television special, Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration.
Although he only had a few lines as John the Apostle, the appearance launched his very first fan club and he soon landed the role that set in stone his reputation as the poster boy for teenage disillusionment, Rebel Without a Cause.
Dean starred in just 2 additional movies, Giant and East of Eden, before a tragic car crash took his life in 1955. He was posthumously awarded a special achievement award by the Golden Globes and remains the only person ever to receive 2 posthumous Academy Award nominations.
A life and career cut far too short, and it began with a simple commercial in 1950.
Alan Hale, Sr.
After a successful career on both sides of the camera, actor and director Alan Hale, Sr., died in January of 1950. The prolific entertainer began in silent movies in 1911 and 10 years later played Little John in the 1922 film Robin Hood, with Douglas Fairbanks and Wallace Beery.
He became a highly acclaimed and sought-after character actor, appearing often with his friend, Errol Flynn. In fact, Hale reprised his Little John role alongside Flynn in the 1938 film, The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Over the decades Hale also worked with the likes of Clark Gable, Marlene Dietrich, James Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart. In 1943 he appeared in This Is the Army with George Murphy and Ronald Reagan. In total, he worked on 248 theatrical films as an actor and 8 movies as director. In 1950, in his last film, he played Little John one more time in Rogues of Sherwood Forest with Bo Derek's soon-to-be husband John Derek.
His son Alan Hale, Jr., was also a success on screen and won millions playing the role of the Skipper on television's Gilligan's Island.
While their stories are interesting, these aren’t the only ones with connections to 1950. Did you know millions of famous and everyday Americans can be found in the 1950 Census? Learn more about FamilySearch’s celebration of the 1950 Census and how you can search for your own family members in the historic records.
Read More about the 1950s in the U.S.
At FamilySearch, we care about connecting you with your family, and we provide fun discovery experiences and family history services for free. Why? Because we cherish families and believe that connecting generations can improve our lives now and forever. We are a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To learn more about our beliefs, click here.
