David Naughton
An actor and singer who became the face of 1980s pop culture through a lycanthropic horror classic and a ubiquitous soda jingle.
Born 1951 (age 75)·American actor and singer·Birthday: February 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Naughton burst onto the scene with an infectious, all-American energy that defined an era. His breakout was a double feature of early-80s zeitgeist: first as the star of the Disney campus romp 'Midnight Madness,' and then, indelibly, as the doomed tourist David Kessler in John Landis's 'An American Werewolf in London.' His performance, blending genuine charm with harrowing physical transformation, anchored the film's mix of horror and humor. Simultaneously, his grinning face and catchy tune for the Dr Pepper 'Be a Pepper' campaign made him a constant presence in living rooms across America. He parlayed this fame into a short-lived sitcom, 'Makin' It,' whose theme song he performed, landing him a surprise Top 5 pop hit. While leading-man Hollywood stardom proved elusive, Naughton carved a lasting niche, working steadily in television and film, forever remembered as the guy who danced to 'Blue Moon' and convinced a generation to drink a particular soft drink.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1951, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 70
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 75 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as the lead in the landmark horror-comedy film 'An American Werewolf in London' (1981).
- His performance of the theme song 'Makin' It' reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979.
- Fronted the massively popular 'Be a Pepper' advertising campaign for Dr Pepper throughout the late 1970s and 1980s.
Did You Know?
He is the older brother of actor James Naughton.
Before acting, he was a scholarship student at the University of Pennsylvania.
He performed all of his own singing in 'An American Werewolf in London,' including the 'Blue Moon' sequence.
“I'm a doctor, not a cocktail waitress!”
