In the early 1960s, the hit “Johnny Angel,” performed by Shelley Fabares, captured teenage unspoken love through a simple, emotional story that resonated widely and quickly became one of the era’s most memorable pop singles.

Born in Santa Monica, Fabares was already known as an actress, gaining fame on The Donna Reed Show as Mary Stone, building a wholesome public image before entering music.

In 1962 she released “Johnny Angel,” which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in April and stayed on the chart for 15 weeks, also topping charts in Canada and New Zealand.