Editing Fabian Forte (section)

==Later years==
Forte later admitted the pressures of his career and home life caused him to start drinking in the 1960s.<ref name="edward">Kiersh, Edward. ''Where Are You Now, Bo Diddley?: The Artists Who Made Us Rock and Where They Are Now'', Random House (2010). {{ISBN|978-0-307-76844-5}}</ref> From June 1969 onwards he was billed as "Fabian Forte".<ref>{{cite news|title=Fabian Makes It Legal &ndash; It's Fabian Forte|work=Los Angeles Times|date=June 7, 1969|page=A-9}}</ref>

===Return to singing===
In 1973, he began singing again.<ref name="hunt"/> To raise his profile, he posed nude for ''[[Playgirl]]'' magazine. "I knew it was a mistake the minute I saw the thing sold in a paper bag. I could barely live with myself."<ref name="edward"/>

In January 1974, he started an act at the MGM-Grand in Las Vegas.<ref>{{cite news|title=Diamond boycotts 'Jonathan' premiere|author=Norma Lee Browning|work=Chicago Tribune|date=November 1, 1973|page=b14}}</ref> He was managed at this stage by [[Allan Carr]]. In March 1974, he performed at the Blue Max of the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Chicago. A review said "he seems rather lost in the act he was putting on... he's giving it the old beach party try. But all that, unfortunately, can't distract for long from the basic lack of talent."<ref>{{cite news|title=Music: Fabian isn't exactly bobbin' along|author=Lynn Van Matre|work=Chicago Tribune|date=March 6, 1974|page=d6}}</ref> In October 1974, Carr – by then no longer his manager – said that Fabian was "a sensational lounge act in Nevada and shouldn't play anywhere else except on prom nights. He's not a middle of the road act in a middle of the road room. At the 12.30 am show at the Blue Max, when the conventioneers had had a few drinks it was terrific... This boy probably made $18,000 last year; this year he'll make about $270,000."<ref>{{cite news|title=Allan Carr, counselor to the stars|author=Clifford, Terry|work=Chicago Tribune|date=October 13, 1974|page=j18}}</ref>

He often performed in Las Vegas in the mid 1970s until he fell into difficulties with the authorities after attacking a Las Vegas district attorney, and resultant bankruptcy.<ref name="Kiersh2010">{{cite book|last=Kiersh|first=Edward|title=Where Are You Now, Bo Diddley?: The Stars Who Made Us Rock and Where They Are Now|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-OjW6joAc0C&pg=PT163|date=29 December 2010|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-307-76844-5|page=163}}</ref>

He retired once more in 1977, then resumed performing in 1981.<ref>{{cite news|author=Bob Ross|title=Written Off 20 Years Ago, Fabian Is Back|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 11, 1983}}</ref> He never regained his teenage popularity, but has continued performing.

===''The Idolmaker''===
The film ''[[The Idolmaker]]'' (1980), written by [[Edward Di Lorenzo]] and the first feature film directed by [[Taylor Hackford]], was a thinly disguised biography of Fabian (called Caesare in the film), as well as songwriter/producer Marcucci (called Vinnie Vacarri) and [[Frankie Avalon]] (called Tommy Dee). In the movie version, singer Caesare&mdash;a pretty boy with little singing talent&mdash;goes through a whirlwind of success in a short time, and in a fit of pique, he abruptly fires his songwriters and quits his record label. The real-life Fabian launched a $64 million lawsuit at the time of the picture's release, claiming the film made him look like "a totally manufactured singer, a mere pretty face without any singing ability or acting talent."<ref>{{cite news|author=Pollock, Dale|title=FILM CLIPS: PARAMOUNT'S EISNER CAN'T FIND A BOOTH|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 30, 1981|page=G-1}}</ref> The filmmakers insisted that the [[All persons fictitious disclaimer|movie presented only fictional characters]] (although Marcucci was a paid consultant on the film). Forte claimed they settled out of court, where he and his wife received apologies and Marcucci's 7.5% ownership of the film passed to Forte.<ref name="storyofthestars.com"/>

He appeared in a 1982 television commercial for ''The Idols of Rock n' Roll'' and in the documentary film ''[[The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania]]'' (2005). In the 1980s, he developed some sitcoms for television.<ref>{{cite news|author=Van Matre, Lynn|title=FABIAN: Troubled Odyssey of a Teen-Age Heartthrob Fabian|work=Chicago Tribune/The Washington Post|date=July 31, 1983|page=C1}}</ref> Forte hosted and headlined in the hit show ''The Original Stars of Bandstand'' at The Dick Clark Theater in Branson, Missouri.<ref>[http://www.dickclarksabbranson.com Dick Clark's AB Theater – Branson Missouri], Dickclarksabbranson.com; retrieved 2015-05-29.</ref> The show starred Forte and [[Bobby Vee]] and featured [[The Chiffons]], [[Brian Hyland]], [[Chris Montez]] and rare footage of the performers and [[Dick Clark]]. As part of a long-running concert tour, Fabian has toured with fellow Philadelphian 1950s teen idols [[Bobby Rydell]] and [[Frankie Avalon]] as Dick Fox's Golden Boys.

On January 8, 2002, Forte was awarded a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for his achievements in live theatre.