1980s teen pop sensation looks unrecognizable in new TikTok videos – decades after quitting the music industry

Born and raised in Hawaii, Glenn burst onto the pop scene after winning a local radio talent show at age 16 in Honolulu, performing a cover of George Benson’s “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You”. The track became a national hit the following year, going on to release six albums and numerous hit collaborations like “She Ain't Worth It" with Bobby Brown.

Glenn has spoken candidly about his rapid rise to fame and experimenting with his music, going from classic ballads to a more R&B sound. “Even some of the most brilliant artists, when they were teenagers, and you watch them sing, they didn’t have it together,” he told Greater Good Radio in 2025. “Most people take time to find their sound.”

Glenn famously walked away from the music industry in the mid 90s, and went on to pursue a teaching career. He was previously a Vice Principal at Maryknoll High School in Honolulu and also earned a PhD in Education from the University of Southern California, eventually taking up the post of President at Saint Louis School back in Honolulu.

While he’s devoted his time to teaching, the “Love Always Finds A Reason” singer still sings and writes music in his free time, telling Rediscover the 80s, “I owe so much to my music career. Traveling opened up my mind. Touching people with my music was a true blessing.”

Glenn has been married to his wife Tammy since 1996, and the pair share two kids: son Chord (2000) and daughter Lyric (2001). His daughter previously appeared on season 21 of American Idol, citing it as a “full circle” moment that echoed her famous father’s early start in music.

“My dad has always been involved in the music industry, and so it’s something that we bond over,” Lyric told 105.9 The Wave, adding that her family has been “so supportive” in helping her balance music and law school.

Former teen idol Glenn has found a heartwarming second act – creating TikTok videos with his daughter. Lyric, who has over 640k followers on the app, began posting fun videos with her dad, including duets, garnering millions of views. 

The pair dueted Glenn’s first hit in 2022, with original fans flocking to the comments in admiration. “Wow, his voice has not changed at all!” one remarked, with another writing, “Just took me back to the 80s and my teenage years. Love it”. 

Lyric recently shared a video with her father, now 55, with the playful caption, “When my 80s teenage popstar dad asks me what I post about on TikTok”; another showed Lyric posing with a framed certification of her dad’s album Not Me with the caption “‘All you post about is your 80s teenage popstar dad” overlaid with KC and The Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way I Like It”.