Entertainment

Hear Derek From 'Full House' Cover Demi Lovato

by Rachel Simon

Look, I have nothing against John Stamos' Elvis impersonations or Jodie Sweetin's ability to say "how, rude!" But I've always held the belief that the most talented Full House cast member was Blake McIver, the actor behind Michelle's BFF star Derek Boyd. Thanks to McIver, Derek was often responsible for some of the funniest lines on the show ("I tend to blend in with my surroundings" is a favorite), and whenever he had a chance to sing, he absolutely stole the show (Yankee Doodle, anyone?). So it's no surprise that as a grown-up, the actor is pursuing a career in entertainment, as shown when McIver covered Demi Lovato's "Cool for the Summer" and, no surprise, totally knocked it out of the park.

Posted by the singer on Aug. 6, the cover puts a retro spin on Lovato's hit song, with McIver giving "Cool" a late '50s, early '60s jazz-filled vibe that might seem odd at first, but somehow totally works. The video is equally great; McIver explains on his Youtube that it was "basically an excuse to wear some vintage duds at the beach and to the pool." He spends much of the video shirtless and/or looking longingly out at the water, and yes, it's just as good as it sounds.

It's pretty great, right? And, let's be real — it's exactly what you'd have expected Derek from Full House to be doing all these years later. The kid was bound for the spotlight, and having his throwback, beach-set cover of a massive pop hit go viral is honestly kind of how I pictured him getting there. I mean, remember when he totally killed it singing "Yankee Doodle Dandy"?

Sorry, Michelle; there's no way you would've been a better Yankee Doodle than Derek. That's pure star power. Or how about when he dueted the hell out of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart?"

Derek and Lisa > Sonny and Cher. McIver's talents were evident since the very beginning, and thankfully, Youtube and Demi Lovato came along and helped push him into the spotlight. But what about the rest of Michelle Tanner's friends? Have they, too, found stardom post-Full House? Let's take a look.

Aaron Bailey

If you recall, Aaron was Michelle's snarky, eye-rolling BFF who made life miserable for the Tanners, but looked totally cute doing it. Today, 29-year-old Miko Hughes is still acting, although his time as a child star is how you might remember him best; in addition to Full House, he appeared in Apollo 13 and The Nanny.

Lisa Leeper

Lisa wasn't as popular a character as Derek or Aaron, but she was just as talented; as portrayed by Kathryn Zaremba, Michelle's BFF showed off her vocal skills when she dueted with Derek on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." She gave up acting to become an illustrator and designer, but Full House fans will always remember her as Lisa.

Teddy

Played by Tahj Morway, Teddy was perhaps the most lovable of all of Michelle's friends. He was kind, funny, and totally adorable. Most of all, he was there for Michelle every time she got into trouble. Today, Mowry (the brother of Sister, Sister stars Tia and Tamera) is a successful actor, with a main role on ABC Family's Baby Daddy.

Denise Frazer

Although Denise didn't stay on the show for long, thanks to actress Jurnee Smollett's rising fame, she had quite an impact. She was funny, smart, and had a famous singer for an uncle — what could be better? As for Smollett, she's done quite well over the years, with starring roles on Friday Night Lights and True Blood and an equally impressive career in film.

Howie

Michelle's cousin from Nebraska, Howie, only appeared for an episode, but man, what an impact. Michelle was heartbroken when he left, and it took a video of him waving into the camera for her to fully heal. The baby was portrayed by twins Kara and Kimberly Albright, who, unfortunately, seem to have left acting, following a major role on Knots Landing back in the early '90s.

No surprise, here; when it came to her friends, Michelle knew how to pick 'em.

Images: Youtube; The WB