Gary Lewis Biography

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Original Recordings by the Original Artists!

Gary Lewis & The Playboys
Pop Music | 3 CD Set
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Gary Lewis presents one of rock’s hypothetical questions: Was he successful because of his talent or because of his father’s connections? One suspects it is a bit of both, but there is no question that Gary Lewis & The Playboys were one of the hottest acts in pop rock in the ‘60s. Gary, the son of popular comedian Jerry Lewis, embarked on his musical odyssey at age eighteen. Born in 1946 — the same year his father and singer Dean Martin met and began merging their acts — Gary began playing drums at 14 and formed his band in 1964. Playing at Hollywood parties helped them get hired at Disneyland and then get a recording contract at respectable label Liberty Records. Ace producer Snuff Garrett was given the band and the best studio players and songwriters where utilized, these including Al Kooper and a young Leon Russell. The group’s first of many hits came in a New York minute: Kooper’s "This Diamond Ring" rocketed to No. 1 on the charts at the beginning of 1965, spending two weeks there before it was followed by a pair of No. 2 singles in April and July, "Count Me In" and "Save Your Heart For Me." Then came "Everybody Loves a Clown" (No. 4) and "She’s Just My Style" (No. 3). The band had five Top 4 hits in eleven months and followed that in 1966 with four more in the Top 15. The string of hits added up to twelve in the Top 40 by the end of 1968. The band sold records virtually worldwide (but not much in the UK) and was even in a pair of low-budget movies. Meanwhile, young Lewis was drafted in 1966 and that, coupled with the tidal wave of psychedelic bands, put Gary Lewis & The Playboys pretty much off the charts, although the band had one last Top 20 hit in 1968, "Sealed With a Kiss," when Gary returned from the military. With dwindling fortunes, the band split up at the end of the ‘60s and Lewis initiated a solo career that was unsuccessful compared to what the band had done. He later re-formed the Playboys and took off on the "golden oldies" circuit, as well as doing club and festival dates.

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