Joel Higgins

Amid the plethora of 1980s TV sitcom dads, the character of Edward Stratton III on the hit series "Silver Spoons" stood out as a father who clearly had his own growing up to do. It was the career-making role for Joel Higgins, a strapping actor, singer, and songwriter with his roots firmly in live performance. Guitar in hand, he sang in college coffee shops in the é60s, then in small clubs across Europe, and at an Army camp in Korea as Sergeant in charge of Entertainment. By the mid 1970s, Higgins was working in musical theater, touring with the national company of " Grease" and starring in the original Broadway cast of "Shenandoah."

Television bigwigs noticed his work, and he went from daytime soaps to a series of prime-time TV movies and short-lived series. During that time, Higgins also wrote jingles for Kool-Aid and M&Ms, and the theme song for TV legend Lucille Ball's last series. In 1982, "Silver Spoons" made its debut. Over five years and 116 episodes, Higgins depicted the sometimes comic, sometimes touching personal evolution of a spoiled, hedonistic millionaire's son who learns he has a 12-year-old son of his own (played by Ricky Schroeder) and must become a responsible parent. In his post-" Silver Spoons" years, Higgins continued to guest star on other TV series and sing on stages across the country.