Crossing over with one’s career in entertainment seems to be the thing to do, and like many other young TV stars of yesterday and today, Jimmy and Kristy McNichol took a stab at it.  Unlike many of their contemporaries, they made a success out of being teen idols both on the screen and on the radio. 

Thanks to their work on television, the two were already seasoned entertainers by the time they hit the recording studios.  At the time, Kristy was an Emmy winner for her role as “Buddy” Lawrence on the primetime drama, Family, and Jimmy had a role as the younger brother, Jack, on The Fitzpatricks.  Together, they used their sibling fame on other shows, even competing against one another on Battle of the Network Stars, with Kristy on ABC and Jimmy on CBS.  RCA Records, the recording home of Elvis Presley and David Bowie, saw potential in the two of them and signed them to a recording contract.

They hit the studios during hiatuses, and released their self-titled debut, Kristy and Jimmy McNichol, in the summer of 1978.  It was a teen-friendly blend of disco, pop and rock, with Kristy and Jimmy singing along, that featured covers and originals.  An original song, “He’s a Dancer” and their cover of “Rock and Roll is here to Stay” fared well, though it was Kristy’s cover of “He’s So Fine” that made it onto the charts. 

World-famous dance club Studio 54 held the launching party, which had stars like Burt Reynolds, who had recently co-starred with Kristy in The End, in attendance.  Thanks to heavy promotion on the part of Jimmy and Kristy, the album was a success.  Their appearance on the ABC All-Star Saturday Preview Special caught a lot of attention, particularly since Donny Osmond would also be appearing.  The duo performed songs from their album, as well as singing duet on current hits that weren’t on their album, including A Taste of Honey's “Boogie, Oogie, Oogie” and Donna Summer's “Last Dance.” 

Unfortunately for fans of the teen sensations, there was never a follow-up release.  Jimmy and Kristy McNichol continued on with their acting careers, which were generally successful through the better part of the 1980s and 1990s.  Interestingly enough, Jimmy did go on to release another album as a solo act and is now the front man for the band, the Wizard Kings.  Kristy even sang for a few tracks on their debut album, EcoWarrior… so maybe there’s still a little music yet to come from the McNichol siblings, after all.