Will Smith And Eight Other TV Stars Who Performed The Theme Song For Their Own Shows
For actors, particularly young or inexperienced ones, taking on a new role in a TV series can be daunting. So, performing the opening theme song would be downright terrifying. They put themselves out there to be judged not only on their acting chops but also on vocals.
For some, this would be an impossible feat. For others, like Selena Gomez and Drew Carey, it's just another day at the beach. But is the risk to their reputation worth the payoff? These celebs thought so, took the plunge, and came out ahead.
8 Will Smith — 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' (1990-1996) On NBC
Will Smith met Jeff Townes in West Philadelphia when he was 16, and the pair went on to have a very successful rap career as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. In fact, they became the first hip-hop artists to win the first Best Rap Performance at the 1988 Grammys.
Will crossed over into acting two years later, starring on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for six seasons. Famously, he wrote and performed the show's beloved theme song. The show was a smash hit, and he went on to become an A-list film star, beginning with Bad Boys (1995) and Independence Day (1996).
7 Waylon Jennings — 'The Dukes Of Hazzard' (1979-1985) On CBS
Country singer Waylon Jennings provided the voice of “The Balladeer,” the off-screen narrator of each episode of The Dukes of Hazzard. He also sang the show's theme song “Good Ol' Boys,” which became a hit single in 1981. During the run of the series, Waylon's mother constantly complained that although she watched the show regularly, she never got to see her son's face on TV (only Jennings' hands playing the guitar are visible in the opening credits.) This was rectified in Season 7 when Waylon made a guest appearance as himself.
6 Drew Carey — 'The Drew Carey Show' (1995-2004) On ABC
When Drew Carey was eight, his father died of a brain tumour, and he spent much of his childhood and early adolescence depressed and lonely. By his junior year at Kent State, he had already been expelled twice and had attempted suicide. He dropped out and travelled the country pursuing a career as a stand-up comedian, which only deepened his depression and pushed him to a second suicide attempt.
Drew then joined the Marine Reserves, and for six years, he worked on building his self-esteem. Finally, in 1991, he gained the respect of Johnny Carson with his appearance on The Tonight Show, and the audience loved him. He went on to star in his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and in the first season of the show, he also performed the theme song.
5 Selena Gomez — 'Wizards Of Waverly Place' (2007-2012) On Disney
Selena Gomez is known for many things, including her makeup line, advocacy for mental health, and music career. As a young leading actor in Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena wanted to be part of the musical production for the theme song. Consequently, “Everything Is Not What it Seems” became the show's theme and the lead single off the soundtrack. It inspired Billie Eilish's chart-topping single “Bad Guy.” Gomez also sang the theme song for another Disney show, Shake It Up, which starred Zendaya and Bella Thorne.
4 Patti LuPone — 'Life Goes On' (1989-1993) On ABC
The Beatles have played a role in numerous TV shows, including The Wonder Years (“With a Little Help From My Friends”). Another was Life Goes On, which took its name from a line in The Beatles' “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da,” and used the song itself in the opening credits. Patti LuPone, who played the mom and main character on the show, performed a cover of the Beatles tune alongside the rest of the cast as the theme song for the show.
3 Joey Lawrence — 'Melissa And Joey' (2010-2015) On ABC
Joey Lawrence was a child actor on Blossom, but he was also a pop star, releasing two albums in the early '90s. So when he landed a lead role in Melissa & Joey in 2010, ABC wanted to include all Joey's talents on the show. He helped write, produce, and sing the title sequence “Stuck With Me.” Although the sitcom wasn't musical, the theme meshed with the show's upbeat family aesthetic, which portrayed what it was like to live with new people and new perspectives.
2 Chuck Norris — 'Walker, Texas Ranger' (1993-2001) On CBS
As a military man and martial arts champion, Chuck was destined for Hollywood after encouragement came from an unlikely karate student — Steve McQueen. He broke into movies after landing a role alongside Bruce Lee in Return of the Dragon. Film audiences loved Chuck’s swift justice and floppy, golden locks, and he quickly became an action star. When his appeal began to fade in the early '90s, he moved to television, where he starred in Walker, Texas Ranger for eight years. He performed the show's theme song, "Eyes of the Ranger."
1 Carrol O'Connor And Jean Stapleton — 'All In The Family' (1971-1979) On CBS
In 1971, a television show hit the airwaves that would forever change Hollywood's course and open up new doors and opportunities like never before. Once All in the Family premiered, there was no going back.
For those too young to remember the series, it featured hilarious, three-dimensional characters who weren't afraid to speak their minds or stand up for what they believed in (right or wrong). It touched on taboo subjects such as homosexuality, abortion, and discrimination. And, just like today's most controversial shows, it flourished, changing the world in the process. The theme song was performed by the two main characters, sitting at a piano in their home.
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