Perfect Pairings And Passionate Affairs: The Most Iconic Celebrity Couples Of The 1960s
Love was truly in the air during the 1960s in Hollywood. The decade brought together some epic romances, including those between Sonny and Cher and Elvis and Priscilla Presley.
And those two couples aren't the only ones! Between actors, musicians, and even politicians, there were some pretty iconic celebrity pairs during the 1960s. Keep reading to learn more.
Sonny & Cher
The dynamic singing duo of Sonny and Cher pretty much dominated the 1960s. Gaining popularity in 1965, thanks to their hit single "I Got You Babe," the folk-rock husband and wife group got married in 1964.
They brought their power couple status into the '70s, with various television shows, including The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.
Elvis & Priscilla Presley
The King, Elvis Presley, married Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967 after being together for many years. At the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, the two said "I do" and enjoyed a champagne breakfast for 100 people.
They were one of the power couples throughout the late 1960s and into the 1970s.
Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward
Actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward met on Broadway production of Picnic in the 1950s. By the time the 1960s rolled around, they were a power couple who obviously loved each other very deeply.
Married and wanting to start a family, they became one of the first movie star pairs to raise children outside of California. They remained married for 50 years.
Paul McCartney & Linda Eastman
Like most people in the 1960s, Linda Eastman was infatuated with The Beatles. And, in 1967, everything changed for her when Paul came up and talked to her at The Bag O'Nails club.
According to Paul in the Paul McCartney Encyclopedia, "The night Linda and I met, I spotted her across a crowded club, and although I would normally have been nervous chatting her up, I realized I had to ... Pushiness worked for me that night!" The two remained married until 1998.
Marilyn Monroe & Arthur Miller
While playwright Arthur Miller and pop culture icon Marilyn Monroe weren't together for much of the 1960s, anything involving the actress warrants mentioning! They were married in 1957 and stayed together into the first few years of the 1960s.
They got a lot of media attention since people thought their pairing was very mismatched.
Jane Fonda & Roger Vadim
Actress Jane Fonda was a huge hit in the 1960s, so when it was announced she was seeing French businessman Roger Vadmin, it was all over the news.
The two became one of the decades big power couples, marrying at the Dune Hotel in Law Vegas on August 14, 1965.
Mick Jagger & Marianne Faithfull
Mick Jagger is the lead singer of the British rock band The Rolling Stones. While the band was at peak fame during the 1960s and into the 1970s, he was paired with English singer-songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull.
She is actually responsible for helping Jagger write "Sister Morphine" for the album Sticky Fingers.
Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg
Triple threat Jane Birkin met singer and actor Serge Gainsbourg on the set of the 1969 film Slogan, where they played the two lead roles and sang the opening credit song "La Chanson de Slogan."
The two went on to collaborate numerous times and remained together for over a decade.
Brigitte Bardot & Gunter Sachs
In May 1966, German billionaire Gunter Sachs flew in a helicopter and dropped hundreds of roses in French actress Brigitte Bardot's backyard. They were married in a Las Vegas ceremony only two months later!
While they were a power couple, their love didn't last long. They were hardly ever together and divorced two years after their 1966 wedding.
Jean Shrimpton & David Bailey
When model Jean Shrimpton met photographer David Bailey in 1960, she was pretty much unknown. Fast-forward seven years, and the two collaborated on shoots numerous times, and Shrimpton was said to be the highest-paid model in the world.
The two had a four-year relationship that elevated both of their careers to stardom.
George Harrison & Pattie Boyd
The Beatles were one of the "it bands" of the 1960s, and their love lives were in the media for everyone to see, including that of George Harrison and Pattie Boyd. The two met in 1964 during the filming of A Hard Day's Night and were married a few years later in 1966.
Sadly, the power couple didn't last, and their divorce was finalized in 1977.
Johnny Cash & June Carter
Johnny Cash was married to Vivian Liberto for the majority of the 1960s, but it is the power couple of Cash and June Carter that the decade remembers. The two met on tour and became very close with one another.
The two married in 1968 and went on to raise a family and tour together for the next 35 years.
John Lennon & Yoko Ono
The love affair of John Lennon and Yoko Ono was a huge story during the 1960s. They met in 1966 at the Indica Gallery in London. Ono was displaying some of her work at the art exhibit, and Lennon was a patron.
From there, they became one of the most iconic couples to come out of The Beatles.
Allen Ludden & Betty White
After meeting on the game show Password, it took television host Allen Ludden two proposals to finally get actress Betty White to agree to marry him! The two said "I do" in 1963, two years after their first meeting.
After Ludden passed away, White never remarried. When asked if she would ever walk down the aisle again, White said, "Once you've had the best, who needs the rest?"
Ike & Tina Turner
Not only were Ike and Tina Turner a power couple, but they were also a power duo on stage.
The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll rose to fame as the lead singer of Ike & Tina Turner Revue, and they soon became "one of the most formidable live acts in history."
John & Jackie Kennedy
Jackie Onassis was introduced to John Kennedy by a mutual friend, and, as they say, the rest is history. The political couple is one of the American people's favorite, especially when it comes to Jackie O's fashion.
The two resided in the White House in Washington D.C. from 1961 until 1963.
Frank Sinatra & Mia Farrow
While they weren't together for long, the relationship between singer Frank Sinatra and actress Mia Farrow was a whirlwind. The two were married in a private wedding ceremony in Las Vegas in 1966.
The marriage only lasted a couple of years, with the couple getting divorced in Mexico in 1968.
Audrey Hepburn & Mel Ferrer
Audrey Hepburn was one of the faces of the Golden Age of Hollywood, a face that caught the eye of actor Mel Ferrer. The two met at a cocktail party, hit it off, and began collaborating in films together.
The couple was married for 14 years and had a son together.
Margot Fonteyn & Rudolf Nureyev
While their relationship was a bit controversial, ballet dancers Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev were still a power couple in the 1960s. Fonteyn was on the brink of retirement when she met Nureyev, a young dancer who was 19 years younger than her 45 years of age.
They went on to dance together for many years.
Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton
One of the most lavish couples in the 1960s was that of actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The two starred together in 11 films and spent millions on "furs, diamonds, paintings, designer clothes, travel, food, liquor, a yacht, and a jet," according to the book 100 Most Popular American Stage Actresses.
They married and divorced twice, and drama was never far behind them.
