- He was sued by former friend for a November 1979 accident in which Garrett was driving and car left the road and plunged 80 ft. down a hillside. The friend, Roland Winkler, was paralyzed, and a judgment of $7.1 million was eventually awarded. The two were reunited 20 years later, as part of a TV program about Garrett's life and career, and Garrett learned that Winkler, whom he hadn't seen since 1980, had long forgiven him - and that Garrett's actions following the accident had actually saved his life.
- In an interview for the 2008 A&E "Biography" show about him, he said he did not originally aspire to a singing career. He had never been a singer and considered himself an actor, but when he achieved teen idol status, his handlers saw a chance to make big money and told him that he was now a singer. He was told what to sing without regard for his musical preferences, so he wasn't happy with his music career. Dragged around the world on concert tours at 15 by his managers without his family and spending most of his time in hotel rooms, he felt isolated and extremely lonely. To relieve his loneliness, he began tagging along to the clubs at night with his managers, and thus began his descent into alcohol and drug abuse. His return to music in the late 1990s reflected his real musical preferences and truly fueled his creative passions.
- He had publicly promised to look after Roland Winkler financially following the car crash, but Winkler's parents sued Garrett in January 1980. The case was eventually settled in December 1984. Winkler died on 25 May 2017 at the age of 57.
- There has long been confusion as to the correct pronunciation of Leif's name. At the beginning of the 2010 VH1 program, "Leif Garrett: Behind the Music Remastered", Leif himself says, "For the record, it's layf, long a.".
- Filed for bankruptcy in October 2001. According to court documents Garrett had only $350 and was living off a monthly $1,000 allowance from his mother.
- Began dating Justine Bateman in January 1988.
- In 1979 he became the youngest performer in history to have his own network variety show, entitled "Leif". It also featured Brooke Shields, Marie Osmond, Flip Wilson, Bob Hope and the Japanese singing duo, Pink Lady.
- Son of Rik Nervik, an actor and stuntman, and Carolyn Stellar (born Carolyn Golda Underwood), an actress and costume designer.
- In 2010 he estimated he had spent over $1 million on drugs since the age of 16.
- Graduated high school at the age of 15 after doing four academic years in two.
- He starred as himself in all but name in episodes of CHiPs (1977) and Wonder Woman (1975).
- His episode of "Behind the Music" drew the largest audience for VH1.
- His 2007 album "Three Sides Of" sold less than 300 copies.
- He did not like the songs he was made to record while under contract to the Scotti Brothers, and admitted he was glad when he completed his five-album deal.
- Injured in a motorcycle accident in 2011.
- Younger sister is actress Dawn Lyn.
- In the mid-1990s, fellow singer-actress Bridgette Wilson-Sampras remade Garrett's hit-single "I Was Made For Dancing" for her album "Gimme a Kiss"; subsequently, both the song and the record became huge hits in Japan.
- He retains a large fan base in Japan and South Korea.
- Speaks French and some Hebrew.
- After graduating from high school in January 1977 he originally intended to study history at college, but instead recorded his first album that month.
- In his autobiography Garrett revealed the Scotti Brothers enhanced his voice on certain songs on the first three albums. He asked them to let him have singing lessons but they refused. They did allow him to sing live in later concerts, but by then he was getting heavily into drugs.
- Despite multiple online sources stating that Roland Winkler was Garrett's best friend, in reality they had only met about a month before the car crash.
- The first western pop star to perform in Korea in 1980.
- In 1980 he was supposed to star in a biopic of boxer "Little Red" Danny Lopez, but ended up making Longshot (1981) instead.
- In 1998, the corporate descendant of Garrett's original recording label released a greatest hits compilation of his music, "The Leif Garrett Collection". Garrett said that the only payment he received was a few copies of the CD.
- Performed at the Hurricane Harvey fundraiser in Los Angeles in September 2017.
- In 1996, his former girlfriend Nicollette Sheridan tried to force Garrett into rehab. He left after half an hour.
- Plays the guitar, piano, drums and electronic keyboard.
- The Film Production section of Variety, Oct. 20, 1982, announced the movie "Gossip" began filming Oct 25, 1982, in London with director Don Boyd, with actors Anne-Louise Lambert, Anthony Higgins, Leif Garrett, Gary Oldman, Simon Callow. When financing didn't come through, filming shut down Nov. 14, 1982, and never resumed.
- In 1983 Garrett, Willie Aames and Todd Bridges were scheduled to be in a college comedy called "Hi Jinx", but the film was never made.
- Proposed marriage to Nicolette Sheridan while filming "Shaker Run" in New Zealand. She accepted but later changed her mind.
- By the mid-1990s he was spending $300 a day on heroin.
- Mother was an actress using the name Carolyn Stellar.
- His early music was bubblegum pop, disco and power pop, while his later music focused on alternative rock, grunge and hard rock.
- His father Richard H. Nervik died in August 2019.
- Dated Michelle Phillips when he was 16 and she was 33.
- His father is of Norwegian descent and his mother is of English descent.
- His debut album "Leif Garrett" went to gold, while his second album "Feel the Need" shipped gold.
- He was named after the Norwegian explorer Leif Erickson.
- Ranked #13 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols" (23 January 2005 issue).
- Often regarded as the most popular teen idol of the late 1970s. His poster was outsold only by posters of Farrah Fawcett.
- Record company executives said he could record only what they told him to, mostly covers of hit songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s. The only chance Garrett got to stretch himself musically was onstage, where he spiced up his live set with Rolling Stones and Zeppelin covers.
- Garrett tested for the role of Tony in Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and the dual roles of Edward and Tom in Crossed Swords (1977). He was also tested for The Cowboys (1972) with John Wayne, but was felt to lack the necessary rugged look.
- As a child he collected guns, swords and knives.
- He had already started having singing and guitar lessons before he was offered a five album contract by Atlantic Records in the autumn of 1976.
- During the teen idols years his vocals were enhanced on some songs on the first three albums by Jim Haas, who also provided vocals for John Denver, Neil Diamond, Jackson Browne, David Cassidy, Pink Floyd, and Barry Manilow.
- Ex-brother-in-law of Michael Whitby.
- Of the albums recorded at the height of his career he says he only liked 1980's "Can't Explain".
- In May 2020 he confirmed he is working on a sequel to his 2019 book "Idol Truth", as well as new music.
- His real hair color was reddish-brown. He dyed his hair blond as a teenager. In late 1979 he dyed it dark brown in order to begin filming a flyweight boxing biopic of Danny Lopez for television in January 1980, but the film was never made.
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