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Gary's Printable Biography
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Aficionados of the '60s pop classics have
cause to rejoice with the return of Gary Lewis & The Playboys.
Gary Lewis was about as close to being an
“overnight success” in the recording field as anyone can get.
And – just because it happens so seldom – it is always a special
thrill when show business lightning strikes twice in the same
family. The comedy antics of Jerry Lewis skyrocketed him to fame
when he was just barely out of his teens. No. 1 son Gary had achieved
comparable success in the music field… also at a young and carefree
age.
The son of a famous father – in any field
– is often faced with serious problems in finding and maintaining
his own identity. But when Gary Lewis and The Playboys auditioned
for their first job at Disneyland, no one there knew Gary was
anybody but a thin drummer. The entertainment director of the
park merely liked what he saw and heard, and hired Gary and the
boys on the spot – much to their surprise. The boys were enthusiastically
accepted by the audiences from the very first night, and as the
word spread it was not long before they were playing to a packed
house every night.
It was the summer of 1964 when Gary Lewis
and The Playboys were discovered by producer Snuff Garret. Before
long, with the producer/arranger team of Garrett and Leon Russell
behind them, they took their first single, “This Diamond Ring”
straight to number one. After their second hit titled “Count Me
In” went to number two, Gary and the band proved that they would
be a continued success. They followed with more Top 10 songs such
as “Save Your Heart For Me”, “Everybody Loves A Clown”, “She’s
Just My Style”, “Sure Gonna Miss Her”, and many more.
In 1965 Gary himself was Cash Box magazine’s
“Male Vocalist of the Year”, winning the honor over other nominees
Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. He was the first and only
artist during the 1960’s to have his first seven releases reach
Billboard magazine’s Top 10 on the Hot 100 chart. Along with his
appearances on various popular television shows including “American
Bandstand”, “Hullabaloo”, and “The Tonight Show”. Gary accumulated
an impressive five appearances within two years on the “Ed Sullivan
Show”.
With the reoccurring interest in oldies music,
Gary Lewis & The Playboys are one of the hottest acts around.
Gary Lewis, along with the Playboys, continues to tour and
entertain fans across the country and abroad.
