WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Joey Lawrence

For a time in the early 90’s, Joey Lawrence was THE heartthrob that everyone wanted to be. He even turned to singing. Is there nothing his love couldn’t fix?(!)

Actor and pop singer Joey Lawrence was a teen heartthrob to the world in the early 1990’s. Born in Pennsylvania in 1976, Joey got his break in the comedy series Diff’rent Strokes in 1982, aged six years old. He went on to star in Gimme A Break the following year and from 1990-95, he played Joey Russo in the hit series Blossom. Joey also appeared in films from the mid-80’s most notably in the lead role of Oliver in the animated family film ‘Oliver And Company’ in 1988. But Joey had another passion besides acting, singing. In 1992, aged 16, he signed to MCA Records and released his debut single, “Nothing My Love Can’t Fix”, in early 1993. The song hit No.19 on the US singles chart but did better in the UK, where it charted at No.13 a few months later.

Joey released his self titled debut album that year, although this made it as far as No.74 at home, but broke the top 40 in the UK, where Joey achieved a further hit single with “I Can’t Help Myself” (No.27). Success in the music charts was brief sadly and Joey would only achieve one further commercially successful single with “Stay Forever” (US No.52, UK No.41) that same year. He continued with the acting and in 1995 was cast as the star of sitcom Brotherly Love, which ran for two years. Joey released his second album, “Soulmates”, in 1997, although this and all of the singles from it, failed to gain any success whatsoever. Joey abandoned his music dreams and returned to what he knew best. He has continued to star or make cameo appearances in numerous TV shows in America as well as the odd film and voiceover part.

In the 00’s, Joey also branched out into stage work appearing on Bradway in the musical Chicago while in 2006, he made a comeback of sorts in Dancing With The Stars, where he chose to perform a number of songs from George Michael, “Singing In The Rain” and “Blue Suede Shoes”. Joey finished third in the contest behind Mario Lopez and Emmitt Smith, who won that series. Joey revived his music career in 2011 with a number of singles, which didn’t rate commercially and although no further albums have emerged, he has continued to record. In early 2022, he released an EP, “Guilty”, from which a number of singles have been released including the title track and “Give It To Ya”, proving there still is nothing Joey’s love cannot fix or at least keep alive.