This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need, from storm warnings to pollen levels, right at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are.
It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the App Store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. Get ready for the wildest sight your lawn has ever seen. Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.
This spring, unleash soil science like never before. Witness your custom lawn plan and the transformation to a soft green paradise.
Sorry, just trying to get your attention. Sunday is a boringly simple way to get a green, healthy yard. No harsh stuff, no big trucks, no chaos. Order today and get your custom Sunday yard plan for the season ahead. Sunday, Smarter Lawn Care for Less.
GetSunday.com. Hi, I'm Julianne Moore. I learn a lot from every role. But some things stay with me more than others. like the impact of Alzheimer's disease.
It's important to think about brain health now. Because there's so much we want to do. Acting early to protect brain health may help reduce the risk of dementia from conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Ask your doctor about your risk factors and for a cognitive assessment. Learn more at brainhealthmatters.com.
This is a paid partnership with Lilly. Mm-hmm. Spring is starting at the Home Depot and bringing you everyday low prices so you can wake up your yard this season. Shape up your lawn with top-brand outdoor power tools like Ryobi 40-volt mowers that have up to 50 minutes of runtime. Bring in a splash of color with spring blooms and fresh plants from the Home Depot Garden Center.
Then refresh your garden beds and keep them clear of weeds with Earth Grow mulch. Five bags for $10 to make your yard feel like new. Start your spring with low prices now through April 2nd, only at the Home Depot. Exclusions apply. See HomeDepot.com slash pricematch for details.
Shop now. Big adventures, family chaos, untethered exploration. The Nissan Pathfinder is built for it. Powered by a lauded V6 engine and smooth nine-speed automatic transmission, the new Nissan Pathfinder is adventure on wheels. With seating for up to eight, a premium interior, and available second-row captain's chairs, it's adventure in comfort.
And with 284 horsepower and 6,000 pounds of towing capacity, Pathfinder is adventure unlimited. The new Nissan Pathfinder, Power Your Adventure. Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner's Manual for additional information. Always secure cargo.
And we return to our American stories. Up next, a story from the only man to have ever competed on the top 40 charts routinely with Elvis Presley. We're talking about Pat Boon. He's had six top 40 hits to be precise. spending a total of twenty-one weeks on the charts.
And today he's here to talk about his life in music. and the love of his life. His bride, Sharon. Shirley Boone. Let's get into the story.
Take it away, Pat. Mm. That's a screen. When I met her. Under the grandfather clock in Old Harding Hall, the main building of our high school, I walked up to the captain of the basketball team.
I was on the basketball team. and asked him, uh, who is this girl you're you're talking to, Pop. I called him He said, Well, this is Shirley Foley, the daughter of Red Foley, the Country Music Hall of Fame. He wasn't then, but he was hosting the Grand Ole Opry, having replaced Roy Acuff after many years. And then for nine years, Red Foley was the host.
And I was not a big country music fan until I met Shirley Foley. She came to our high school. Our mom was not well and so she had to be in the dorm at Lipscomb. And we shook hands and All I can say is I felt a tingle. Yeah.
And she did too. From then on through high school, right through when she was homecoming queen in the senior year, and I was president of the little student body, we were just teenage. Sweethearts. We were already starting to talk about getting married and having kids and how many we wanted and I was a product of two boys and two girls. We thought that would be great.
We were talking like that when her mom died. Then Red Foley went to Springfield to start the Ozark Jubilee. He was taking his three widowed daughters. Yeah. I knew what a desirable beautiful, rare.
Girl, she was, and I couldn't stand for her to be off in Springfield, Missouri, and I'm in Nashville. and s some guys are going to flock around her and somebody's going to take her away. And she was protesting, no, she would She wouldn't let anybody take her away, but I said, Look, why don't we get married? Mm-hmm. We're nineteen, we're capable.
And let's ask your dad. I was not going to ask my folks because they said, oh no, you graduate from college first and then you get married.
Well we were independent enough and in love enough that we asked her dad. and tearfully because He was now a widower twice. His first wife died when giving birth to Shirley's older sister. And then he married her mom, who was part of a trio, singing trio, Three Sisters in the WS Barn Dance in Chicago. And her mom was only like 17 when Red married her.
And so she was like 18 when Shirley was born, and then she was like 37 or 8. when she died and Shirley was 17.
So when we ask Red, her dad, for his permission for me for us to marry. Tears rolled down his nose into his coffee and And and he said uh You gonna take care of my girl. And I said, Yes, Mr. Redd. Naive I was, but I said, Yes, I'm going to take care of her.
Is this what you want, Shirley? She said, Yes, Daddy. He um sniffled and he said, I'll buy your rings. And he bought our rings And he said, well, he did, he said he would buy them. He said, now, when are you planning?
This was Saturday. We said, Tomorrow And so we married the next day. by our high school principal of minister and since the license hadn't come in in Davidson County yet, we went over to another county, Springfield, Tennessee, and were married a second time that day, so by a justice of the peace.
So we were married twice that day. and then soon after that we moved to Texas on our own. and I was in college there. and I began preaching in a little country church in Slidell as a student. little one room church out in a wheat field.
I graduated from college. Magna cum laude. And the cover of TV Guy Hide in My Cap and Gown at 23. You open up the cover, and there's my wife Shirley and four little girls. This all happened so fast.
I had won, seemed like incidentally I had won the TED Mac amateur hour three weeks in a row while I was still in Nashville. and it was the forerunner of shows like, you know, The Voice, and America's Got Talent. The winners were selected by the viewers with cards and letters. The show would appear on Saturday night and by Thursday the votes were counted and if you won one week you would come back for another. And I won three weeks in a row.
Well, I was thinking of being a singer at that point, but nothing came up. No contracts, no offers. I just had one, I could say. In my resume I had won the Dead Mac Amateur Hour, but nothing seemed to happen from it. And I get a call from New York and they're assembling all the three-time winners.
to come back and compete with each other.
Well, I was one. And so I was on that show and they told me I was winning, but while I was having to wait in New York, I couldn't afford to go back to Texas. and then ho back to New York again.
So I waited in a seedy little hotel off Times Square. Until they let me know if I was winning or not.
So while I was waiting, I went on Arthur Godfrey's talent show on a Monday. after being on the talent show Saturday. And auditioned for the Arthur Godfrey Show, which was a Monday night. And they put me on that Monday night, and I won.
Well That disqualified me from the TED Mac amateur hour because you can't be a professional winner on Monday and then be declared an amateur winner the following Saturday. And I blew it. It was over. I came that close to being having a career in music, but it hadn't happened. I get a call from Randy Wood of Dot Records outside Nashville.
He'd seen all of this. I was a homeboy, you know, winning these national contests. And he thought that I could make some hit records. And he asked if I'd like to come to Chicago and record. And of course, I did.
not knowing what to expect, and he had me sing a rhythm and blues song. Call two hearts two kisses, make one love And I didn't know what R and B was, but I listened to that record and I picked up on the flavor of one heart's not enough, baby. Two hearts make you feel crazy One kiss makes you feel so nice Two kisses but you went Paradise to hard. Hearts? Two kisses make one love And that song that we recorded immediately sold a million records.
And I had to do a follow-up record, so in May of 55 I recorded Fat's Domino's Ain't That a Shame. His had been Number one R and B, which was a separate genre called race music.
Sold 150,000. I did his song. My way you made me cry when you said goodbye. Ain't that a shame? and I did my version, rock and roll as we were calling it.
Mine sold a million and a half ten times what Fats had sold with his own song. And he was thrilled and he said many times, I made more money. with Pat Boone's record of my song than from my own record. But from that time, March of 55, for four and a half years, I was never off the single chart. I hold that record of the record business.
41 chart records. Elvis had forty. And he was my opening act the first time we met. Every man Yeah. The kids didn't know who he was, but they liked the way he looked.
They didn't like the way his song sounded. Because it was a Bill Monroe bluegrass song, Blue Moon of Kentucky, keep on shining. I say Blue Moon Moon. I'm not sure if I can do it. China, my best goal at 11.
And he got lots of applause when he left the stage that night. And then I went on and I got all the screams 'cause I had three million sellers. And you've been listening to Pat Boone share his story. And my goodness, his rise, his meteoric rise in the music business, it was extraordinary. But my goodness, what he did with his love, the love of his life, going on his knees not just to her, but to her father, and seeking her hand at the age of 19 and having four kids.
By the age of 23.
Now that's audacious. When we come back. More of Pat Boone's story. Here. on our American stories.
All right, quick quiz for the hiring managers out there. What's worse, being understaffed or being poorly staffed?
Well, that's a trick question, because both are recipes for chaos. Either way, just say to yourself, This is a job for indeed sponsored jobs. You'll get matched with candidates that meet the skills, certifications, and everything else you're looking for. Or go a different way and get no traction. Seriously, sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed are 95% more likely to report a higher than nonsponsored jobs.
It really is a no-brainer. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. When you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help your job get the premium status it deserves at indeed.com slash podcast.
Just go to indeed.com slash podcast right now. Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs.
No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need, from storm warnings to pollen levels, right at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence.
Download the free weather bug app from the App Store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. Get ready for the wildest sight your lawn has ever seen. Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. This spring, unleash soil science like never before. Witness your custom lawn plan and the transformation to a soft green paradise.
Sorry, just trying to get your attention. Sunday is a boringly simple way to get a green, healthy yard. No harsh stuff, no big trucks, no chaos. Order today and get your custom Sunday yard plan for the season ahead. Sunday, smarter lawn care for less.
GetSunday.com. Big adventures, family chaos, untethered exploration. The Nissan Pathfinder is built for it. Powered by a lauded V6 engine and smooth nine-speed automatic transmission, the new Nissan Pathfinder is Adventure on Wheels. With seating for up to eight, a premium interior, and available second-row captain's chairs, it's adventure in comfort.
And with 284 horsepower and 6,000 pounds of towing capacity, Pathfinder is adventure unlimited. The new Nissan Pathfinder, power your adventure. Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner's Manual for additional information. Always secure cargo.
Eczema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with Evglis, a once-monthly treatment for moderate to severe eczema. After an initial four-month or longer dosing phase, about 4 in 10 people taking EBGLIS achieve itch relate and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks. And most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing. EBGLIS, Librikizumab, LBKZ, a 250 milligram per 2 milliliter injection, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies. EBGLIS can be used with or without topical corticosteroids.
Don't use if you're allergic to EBGLIS. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with EBGLIS.
Before starting EBGLIS, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask your doctor about EBGLIS and visit ebglis.lily.com or call 1-800-LILIRX or 1-800-545-5979. And we return to our American stories and the story of Pat Boone and his wife, Shirley. When we last left off, Pat had shot into stardom rather unexpectedly. Let's return to the story here again.
is Pat Boone. Mm. So this all happened, I wasn't seeking it. It all just fell on me. I thought it was a fluke.
I didn't think this career thing was going to last, even though I was having one hit record after the other, but I was also having one child after the other. And I knew I had to plan on something I could count on, which would be teaching.
Well, the day I took my last class at Columbia, I thought I was going to look for a teaching job. I lay down on the grass in Central Park by myself and thought, wait a minute, I've got a seven-year movie deal at Twentieth Century Fox, I've got the record contract, I guess I'm going to have to wait before I apply for a teacher job. But I always had the sense from that time on that it was for a reason. That I was going to be a teacher-preacher originally, and I was being given a different kind of platform. And as a rock and roll singer.
Not as a preacher and a teen idol. The weird thing. is I became a literal teen idol, Elvis's only competition. And he was single and theoretically, romantically available, and the girls all swooning over him. But everywhere I appeared around the world.
they were swooning and over me, and yet I was married with four kids. I mean, it didn't seem likely. There's never been anybody in show business. with that kind of a life. It was a hectic life.
It was, you know, my folks have been very leery of me being an entertainer. They thought that if I entered the entertainment world, I would be swept away and I would lose my faith.
Well, my faith was a real part of who I am.
So I wasn't losing my faith, but I was enjoying. being invited to all the soires, the parties. the premieres, and I did some drinking. I was never drunk. They made a lot of jokes about me, of course, Dean Martin, over and over again in his shows.
For some reason, he'd bring my name up, that bad boon. He's so religious. I shook hands with that boy the other day. My whole right side, so did I. You all know Pat Boone, I guess you all know Pat Boone.
What are you putting me off to you? He's a beautiful guy. He doesn't drink, doesn't go to nightclubs. Does stay out late, lives a nice, clean, monotonous life. I brought those straws because I hear you sip a little.
Oh, I sip Leah. You know, his idea of a big night of staying home drinking cocoa and rinsing out his shoes. Why did you do this? That's good. And then on Phil on the Andy Williams show, Phil Harris, the...
Comedian band leader, he said, Pat, you drink something sometime, don't you? I said, No. I knew he meant alcoholic. I said, No. He don't drink nothing, never, and I just went with it.
I said no. He said to Andy, Can you imagine waking up in the morning knowing that's as good as you're gonna feel all day long? And then he said, oh, Boone, we kid you, pal. But we love you. If I've had a son, I'd want him to be just like Pat Boone.
till he's about three years old. And you know those jokes just I repeat them in my shows. But I just would show that I could be a part of the party like anybody else. I would go and surely be home with the girls, and I'd go and I'd have fun. And that was without my realizing it, it was pulling us.
somewhat apart because I was obviously having a Part of my life was something she wasn't really as much a part of anymore. She's home taking care of the daughters, and I'm out enjoying my fame. And of course I was gone a lot. At one point she got out the calendar and showed me that I was gone 50% of that year. And that's no way to be a real good father and husband either, though she was keeping me involved with the girls all the time.
Let's do what daddy wants here. Let's write daddy. She was keeping me in their lives, though I was physically absent.
So now we hit a period where of almost two years where we began to live like. Boarders in a boarding house. We were very polite, loving toward each other, but there was no romance really. And the kids could tell, and there was then a recognition on both our parts that we needed to make spiritual renewals. It happened at a moment.
when uh I was walking this house where I am now past the piano. And a picture surely is a about a three-year-old girl with her arms around her daddy's neck, Red Foley's neck. this loving being with her daddy and him loving her. And that picture always touched me. And this day I stood looking at that picture.
And I began to well up, tears began to well up, and I realized. She's still that little girl. Her dad's gone, been gone a long time. Those arms are supposed to be around my neck. And I am the only hope.
for my four little girls to have the home life And the growing up, and the married mom and dad that I want them to have, and it's up to me. to get perfectly straight in my life. and I told her how that picture had affected me. Father's Day came soon after that, and she gave me a picture of herself as a three-year-old, but sitting alone as a little child, which happened to her a lot when her dad was gone. just a picture of that three little child sitting there alone without her dad.
And on the back of that picture she wrote, Take care of this girl. She needs you. I'm telling you. Uh That experience the recognition on both our parts. that for us to have the continued life that we wanted to have for ourselves and especially for our daughters.
All their friends were coming, they were living in broken homes, you know, in the entertainment business. And we came back together. We made new spiritual renewals of our own vows and faith. And we were Suddenly hugging and loving and and uh our kids could see that something had happened to mom and daddy. And then they wanted that too.
We call the infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is asking the Holy Spirit to live in you, not just to be around and to bless you, but to actually dwell in you. And that's an important commitment to make.
So we did, and that renewal saw us through the rest of our marriage and into now. And I know that she's waiting for me 'cause he said that he was had in his father's house were many mansions. And I go to prepare a place for you, those of you who want to live here and who choose to live here by the way you live your lives. And I know she's there waiting for me. and we're going to be together.
So when people say, Something about my wife passing. I said, yes, she passed into heaven. She didn't die. She's alive, very much alive, and I talk to her all the time. You know, I've had friends say, you know, there's this 77-year-old woman.
Who's very athletic, and you ought to get with her. I said, No, no, there's never going to be another Mrs. Pat Boone. And I'm getting close to being reunited with her every day.
So that's our story. It's ongoing. And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Monty Montgomery. And a special thanks to Pat Boone for sharing not only the story of his pop life, his music life, his life as a star. But as a father figure, as a husband, and as a person of faith, as a Christian.
I wasn't seeking it, he said about his fame. It all fell on me. I thought it was a fluke. I had one hid after another, but I had one child after another. He was contemplating being a teacher and a preacher.
But he decided to do stardom a different way, without the booze, without the train wrecks. And my goodness, that story of seeing the picture of his wife as a little girl with her arms around. Her father's shoulders.
Well, I teared up just listening to it. And I'm sure you did too. A beautiful story about love, about romance. About faith. and how it rises above everything.
and preserves everything. Pat Boone's life story here. On Our American Stories. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need, from storm warnings to pollen levels, right at your fingertips.
Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local real-time customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the App Store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. People don't listen to radio ads.
While you're driving or making a sandwich, your subconscious pays full attention.
So relax. Let it take over. Sunday makes yard care simple with a custom plan based on your soil, climate, and yard size. No pesticides, no harsh stuff. Custom Sunday Lawn Plan.
Order today and get your Custom Sunday Lawn Plan. Ready for the season ahead. Sunday, a smarter, healthier yard. This is Julian Edelman from Games with Names. I want to take a second to talk about something that's personal to me.
I've had the privilege of working closely with Robert Kraft for a long time. And one thing I've always respected is how seriously he takes up standing up to hate. As a Jewish athlete my identity is something I am proud of. but I also know what it feels like to be singled out for it. That's why this new commercial for the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate that aired during the big game really hit home.
It's about showing up for someone when they're targeted, even if you don't have the perfect words. And sometimes standing next to someone is enough. and you can show support by sharing the blue square. To test the new Pathfinder, Nissan turned to the boldest creators of all. Kids.
Their drawings sparked a wild idea. Brought to life by a Hollywood director, a stunt team, and the SUV that makes the unthinkable unforgettable. No tricks, just V6 power, practical effects, and the rugged new Pathfinder. Watch how it all came together and discover why JD Power ranks Nissan number one in new vehicle quality among mainstream brands. For JD Power 2025 U.S.
Initial Quality Study Award information, visit jdpower.com slash awards. Awards based on 2025 model year. Newer models may be shown. Hi, I'm Julianne Moore. I learn a lot from every role.
But some things stay with me more than others. like the impact of Alzheimer's disease. It's important to think about brain health now. Because there's so much we want to do. Um Acting early to protect brain health may help reduce the risk of dementia from conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
Ask your doctor about your risk factors and for a cognitive assessment. Learn more at brainhealthmatters.com. This is a paid partnership with Lilly. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Mm-hmm.
