Gary Lewis

Class of 2017

Gary Lewis (b. July 31, 1936) topped the charts in the 1960s with his band, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, with eight gold singles and 17 Top 40 hits, plus four gold albums and 45 million records sold worldwide.

The son of a famous father — comedian Jerry Lewis — Gary Lewis sought fame in the music industry and anonymously secured his first gigs at Disneyland as a drummer and vocalist. In 1964 the band took their first single, “This Diamond Ring,” straight to number one. They followed their second hit, “Count Me In,” with several more Top 10 songs, such as “Save Your Heart For Me,” “Everybody Loves A Clown,” “She’s Just My Style,” and “Sure Gonna Miss Her.” In 1965 Gary Lewis was named Cash Box magazine’s “Male Vocalist of the Year,” winning the honor over other nominees Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. He and his band accumulated an impressive five appearances within two years on the Ed Sullivan Show and also appeared on American Bandstand and The Tonight Show.

Today he resides in the Rochester area with his wife and tours with locally based musicians (aka The Playboys).