Download Free Gary Lewis and The Playboys * Songs

Gary Lewis and The Playboys music biography continued...

Gary Lewis, was the son of legendary entertainer Jerry Lewis, who almost certainly opened doors for his offspring. The group was composed of Lewis on drums and vocals, David Walker on guitar, Allan Ramsay on bass, David Costell on guitar and John West on electric accordion. Gary Lewis and the Playboys first auditioned for a job at Disneyland, supposedly without telling Disneyland employees about Lewis' celebrity father. They were hired on the spot, audiences at Disneyland quickly accepted them, and the Playboys were soon playing to a full house every night. Through band leader Les Brown, a friend of Jerry Lewis,' the group was introduced to record producer Snuff Garrett, who thought he could make money off Gary's famous name. He recorded a song with the band called "This Diamond Ring" and got them on the Ed Sullivan Show, where they became instant celebrities. In 1965 Gary Lewis was Cash Box magazine's "Male Vocalist of the Year," beating out nominees Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra and becoming the only artist during the 1960s to have his first seven singles reach Billboard magazine's Top 10 on the Hot 100 chart, with "Count Me In" (#2), "Save Your Heart for Me" (#2), "Everybody Loves a Clown" (#4), "She's Just My Style" (#3), "Sure Gonna Miss Her" (#9), and "Green Grass" (#8) all peaking near the top of the chart. Lewis was drafted into the U.S. Army in January 1967 and discharged in 1968. He immediately returned to recording but was unable to regain his group's earlier momentum. This didn't stop Lewis from continuing to tour, and eventually marketing the band as a must-see on the nostalgia circuit.