Known for: Sounder
Net worth: $10 million
Discovered as a fashion model, Cicely Tyson shot to the top of the modeling profession with her strikingly beautiful and unique look. She found her way to the stage by 1957. Tyson got her foot in the door appearing on television programs like the miniseries movie Roots which was a 1970s national sensation. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her work in Roots. In 1972, Tyson was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her role in the critically acclaimed movie Sounder .
She also appeared in acclaimed films like Fried Green Tomatoes and The Help. Miles Davis fell in love with Cicely Tyson. The world-renowned jazz musician photographed Tyson for his album, Sorcerer. They were married in 1981.
Rob Lowe
Known for: The Outsiders and the “Brat Pack”
Net worth: $60 million
Rob Lowe was catapulted to fame as a teen idol in the ’80s with the rest of the “Brat Pack.” The group starred in one insanely popular coming-of-age flick after another, truly defining a generation. Sixteen Candles , St. Elmo’s Fire , and, of course, The Breakfast Club featured these young men and women, most of whom became serious Hollywood legends in their own right. Our heartthrob, Mr. Lowe, ran into a dab of trouble on the way up, but he’s been recovering as an alcoholic for over two decades. Oh, and that sex-tape scandal-thing? Just think of it as a blip on the map that helped him hit his bottom.
He’s arguably more popular now than ever. His Twitter following is impressive, and fans love him on Parks and Recreation and Grinder. West Wing gave his career the lift it needed after Wayne’s World rescued him from the sex scandal thing. Lowe’s never shied away from politics. In fact, his first sex scandal incident occurred on the night before the 1988 DNC nomination of Michael Dukakis, a man he was endorsing at the convention. Operative word: “was.” Currently, he backs a Homeowners Defense Fund for government transparency in Santa Barbara and is a spokesman for the breast cancer awareness organization, Lee National Awareness Day.
Michael J. Fox
Known for: Family Ties and Back to the Future
Net worth: $65 million
Before Michael J. Fox played Marty McFly, he was Alex Keaton on the wildly popular 1980s sitcom Family Ties . The Canadian-born actor played a hilarious young-Republican growing up in a throw-back hippie family. The show ran from 1982 to 1989. Fox won three Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe for the role. In the midst of it, he starred in one of the most successful movies of all time. Back to the Future was a genre-smashing sci-fi adventure comedy with a franchise that has stretched over three decades producing a Trilogy, an attraction at Universal Studios, and an animated TV series.
He also won a Primetime Emmy, two SAGs and three Golden Globe Awards for his role on Spin City . During the filming of the 1991 romantic comedy Doc Hollywood , Fox noticed an uncontrollable twitch in his finger. When he went to the doctor, he learned of his Parkinson’s diagnosis. After the sad news, he founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation to help advance research on the debilitating disease.
Stevie Nicks
Known for: Fleetwood Mac and “Landslide”
Net worth: $75 million
“At the ripe and totally young age of 70,” as Ms. Nicks puts it, she became the first woman inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This time the rock icon entered the reverent Hall as a soloist. Fleetwood Mac was enshrined in 1998. Between the two, Stevie Nicks and Mac have over 40 chart-topping singles. Stevie Nicks is one of the best-selling musical acts ever. Fleetwood Mac formed in 1967 and dominated the charts throughout the Seventies and Eighties.
She may be rock and roll royalty, but she looks just like an enchanted fairy goddess on stage. Ahead of long, flowing blonde locks frame her lovely face, waif-like. Donned in beguiling gowns that cascade around her, only the sound of her voice can compare. It’s hauntingly beautiful. Her 1975 “Landslide” song continues to be one of the most popularly covered songs in rock. Stevie wrote the song on the guitar while watching the snow falling in Aspen. It took her about five minutes.
Jon Bon Jovi
Known for: Bon Jovi
Net worth: $410 million
Jon Bon Jovi, lead singer of the New Jersey rock band Bon Jovi, is a staple of the 1980s. Without his songs “Bad Medicine,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and “You Give Love a Bad Name” wafting through the airwaves, would the Eighties have been the Eighties? Well, let’s not get too philosophical. The band formed in 1983 and became a super-pop-sensation from the hard rock/metal genre. Their third album Slippery When Wet was a worldwide smash hit selling 20 million copies. In all, the band released 14 studio albums and have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and the U.K. Music Hall of Fame.
Jon Bon Jovi branched out into a solo career and in movies and television shows. He made appearances in Sex and the City and The West Wing. Bon Jovi is also recognized for his charitable endeavors. With too many causes to list, he formed his own foundation, The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, and helps out with Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and has raised money for Oprah’s charity.