Some teen idols go on a short lived downfall and turn themselves around very quickly. There was Brittany Spears. She went into a tail spin for a little while, picked herself up and moved forward. Then there were people like Justin Timberlake who moved, quite smoothly, into an adult career without the major downfall. Shaun Cassidy simply moved from teen idol status to a comfortable position behind the scenes. Leif Garrett is one of the most often discussed teen idols who fell quite hard from his pedestal and he is still paying the price for that.
This is definitely not a new problem. It is as old as the title “teen idol”. Andy Gibb suffered the same thing. Unfortunately, he died at a very young age and his talent is now a long ago memory of a fresh, young life that was destroyed by fame and fortune. I have to be totally honest here. I hope and pray that Justin Bieber pulls out of this funk he seems to have found himself in. I hope that people will stop judging him and start realizing that we all perpetuate this type of thing. They are human beings with feelings and virtually no private life to speak of. That’s a lot to handle at that age, even if they wanted it and brought on themselves. They can’t do it without our permission.
Danny’s Grace revolves around Danny Rush’s life and has more to do with child abuse than it does about teen idols, but it didn’t help that he became famous as a teen idol. He’s a lost soul who needs a lot of help from someone who is willing to stand by him no matter what. Maybe that’s what Justin Bieber needs right now. A little understanding and a lot of repercussions for his actions. Just ask anyone who has seen that kind of fame. It doesn’t do them any good to never hear the word ‘no’.
Read Danny Rush's story of the disgraceful downfall of a teen idol. Pre-order your copy of Danny's Grace today.