Sat next to Gary Lewis on a plane from Chicago to LA . What a storyteller ! Told me about his early years , military service , and touched on his relationship with his Dad , Jerry . No animosity and just a super nice guy . Hope to catch him performing in the near future .

Gary came in and did a corporate show for us a fundraiser. He was amazing the band was tight he was such a pleasant guy to talk to and hang out with. I also had the honor of hanging out with his wife the whole night of the show and on the whole thing was over in a crowds left she told Gary to sign a CD and give it to me. She was so appreciative of the hospitality she was given and Gary was so awesome I have a lot of respect for him.

I just saw Gary Lewis last night in California with other bands. He's still going strong.

From Steve Garcia 👉 Two days ago 04/13/24 I saw Gary Lewis and The Playboys at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Gary Lewis was awesome...he is still a great, great singer. I hope to see him again. I had a great time.

Lived on a dirt poor farm in the mid/late 60's but we had this old blue and white box transistor radio we'd listen to in the evenings. I would here Gary and his awesome s songs and said if I ever lived in the city I would buy his records. In Aug 1968 we moved from that turmoil and I was able to collect everything Gary & the Playboys recorded. I peddled an ice-cream cart🤭 to buy his records, and other great 60's music. Thanks Gary, your songs gave me hope!

We did a road trip when I was a child, summer of 1966, to Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford museum. There was a motel stay, dinner in a diner and radio in the car, you had to be alive then to know how big these records were that summer.

Saw Gary Lewis and the (current) Playboys at a 4th of July concert in Greece, NY (suburban Rochester, NY) this year. He sounded great and put on a great show !!

Seen Gary and his Playboys in an Oldies Concert in about 2000 , with other 60's Bands , they put on a Good Show and Played their Hit Songs Well , it was Worth going to and seeing the other Bands Play as Well

Some years back (...1980s?) Gary Lewis and The Playboys did a show at our middle high in sleepy little Medford, Oregon. We loved it. I sat near the stage in the front row because I had with me a copy of one of his vinyl albums and as soon as they were done, I hopped up on the stage and as they were leaving the stage, I said, "Hey Gary! Could you autograph your album for me?" He was happy to do so. Immediately thereafter, the security guards blocked anybody else from getting up on the stage. I got the drop on them and I can say I met Gary Lewis. Good guy. I still have the autographed album. =PC= (And the pen he used.)

I used to be a huge fan of GL & d playboys. His voice so soothing to my ear. Fantastic group

Yes, they are on tour again! I just saw Gary Lewis and the Playboys at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas last month July 2021! Great show with great music!

Back in the day his music was very much the soundtrack of my young years. Love his music.

I was looking forward to this video, but the narrator's diction is so bad I can't understand him half the time.

Al Kooper [Blood, Sweat & Tears] was a co writer of This Diamond Ring

Grew up with their music and played it in a teenage band in Nova Scotia. Great music!!!!!

Thanks. You always come up with some noteworthy facts that I was never aware of.

Early ‘70’s hauled my Hammond BV and Leslie to an informal gig Gary played at a condo complex in Encino Ca. He was growing his hair long and wanted to get more into blues etc 🎶

Do one on The Raiders. They were the first rock band to be signed up to Columbia records and outsold any other artist in the history of the lable with their hit " Indian Reservation" back in the summer of 1971 and in between that was a string of hits in the 60's of which 3 were featured in the movie "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood"

I'd like you to do one of your documentaries on Hal Blaine, the famous session drummer who did all the records for the Beach Boys and he played on a long list of famous and classic hits over the 1960's era. He worked with about every famous recording band and singer there ever was. Or so I've been told and I haven't any reason to doubt it. Point of interest, the GL&P song Just My Style, I was roller skating and that song was my inspiration for the courage to try and approach and hold hands with my big crush, pretty blonde Karen Sembach who became my fall in love steady girlfriend. We were both 14. That song will be forever dear to my heart. I'd have been otherwise too shy to approach Karen.

Gary lives in Rochester New York right now. I have met him many times and he does a lot of special occasion concerts

Going to see him in Sept (yes, 2021)!

Eight straight top ten hits!

Carl Radle ... "who died in 1980"??? How about that he was the bassist with Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Bobby Whitlock and Jim Gordon (aka, Derek and the Dominos) on one of THE greatest rock albums of all time, the 1970-released, "Layla and other love songs"????

LOVED THEM!!! STILL DO!!❤️❤️

these guys were a force for a while in the 60's and i had every 45 they put out. gary did not want to ride the coattails of his dad - jerry lewis - and hit the big time with great songs. just loved them. saw him with the happy together tour with all those other guys you mentioned. chuck negron and mark lindsay sounded great and the association was on the tour once as well - saw it 3 times. the cowsills were fantastic. the turtles were so so as it was only flo with no eddie. and to think that they went on to play with frank zappa ! strange days.

No mention of Jim Keltner who took over on drums from Gary in 1965 . Keltner became one of the most famous drummer in rock history. See him far left 00:15-00:21

Well that was cool... Maybe we will do a cover of one of their tunes! Liked and subscribed🇨🇦❤️🇨🇦

Great song this diamond ring written by Irwin levine n al Kooper in 1964- 5 for Gary Lewis and the playboys first album for the band in 1965 🤷👍

Found a great copy of their greatest hits on vinyl Yes I own a turntable

actual Jerry’s kid 👍

Should mention that Carl Radle, the bass player, was later in Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton.

I saw Gary Lewis and the Playboys around 1964 or 65 when they were on tour with Dick Clark's Where the Action Is Show. Other performers were Buddy Randall and the Knickerbockers and Paul Revere and the Raiders. This was my first concert to attend.

My friend Dave Costell was the original lead guitarist

Very unique time period and creative music !

When they played Steel Pier in Atlantic City, NJ I was there and met them afterwards on a side street. We talked for 20 minutes. I was in jr high school...

My wife and I met Gary in July 2005, in a back to back concert with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap billed "The Two Garys." There was a good natured argument over which Gary gave the better performance, and was personable. My wife hedged her bets on Puckett, but I knew Lewis had it all over him. Lewis' Playboys stole the show, and Lewis made it a double triumph when we met him after the concert, and he so enjoyed chatting with us. His father, Jerry, was so loving, and so fatherly, and his son, Gary, turned out just as cordial and a joy to have met. Gary Puckett, on the other hand, wasn't friendly at all. I found him haughty, and bordering on a rebuff. His Union Gap wasn't BAD, but they paled in light of Gary Lewis' Playboys. And of course, Puckett's somewhat impersonal manner left me with an uneasy feeling, like I was Lucy Ricardo victimizing him with her disastrous approach (Remember Cornel Wilde and Bill Holden?) My vote was, and remains on Gary Lewis and the Playboys to this day. Even Peter Tork (The Monkees) was as much a pleasure to meet a few years later, as was Bill Burkett (The Vogues) and Mark Volman (The Turtles), the latter of which I met at Smith Point Beach, who did a three act concert with Three Dog Night, and Gary Puckett's "Band", the latter of which I didn't meet then, and perhaps that's the way, thankfully, it was!!

My Uncle Johnny West played in the band. He played the cordovox ❤

Saw them in 1969 while stationed in Thailand,thought they were great..

Thanks for the mention.

Gary got drafted. He served, unlike many of his contemporaries. Al Kooper did not like Lewis' version of his song.

great video. great narration. I've noticed gary switched playing drums to guitar.

I'm glad he's still working, but he did do a car dealership when his group went down.

besides the hits they had quite a few excellent flip sides & album tracks like "Little Miss Gogo" & "Without a Word Of warning". In addition later singles like "Where Will the Words come From?" &"The Loser" are excellent!! He still performs far as I know.

A great video. Thanks.

I like the group God bless you all

The narrator needs to stick to reading cereal boxes! 😜

The Wrecking Crew made that song This Diamond Ring. In fact Hal Blaine's drumming is the real star of the song. By the I can remember a Jerry Lewis movie where Jerry is listening to this song.

This was so interesting. Thanks for the research!!

I saw them in Worcester MA, in 1965ish. Not really sure! My girlfriend and I chased the limo a bit after the concert. 🤣🤣 It was my first rock and roll concert!!! ☺️💗

How about doing a segment on Quicksilver Messenger Service?

Well done thank you for the great info

I learned something new after all these years. They never played their own instruments nor sang outside of Gary. They were essentially the Partridge Family.

Never knew Jerry Lewis lived in a small community just a half hour drive from where I lived.

The Wrecking Crew. Were Gary Lewis and the Playboys but the music was great

The Beatles didn't have a Wrecking Crew nor did they need them.

Saw Gary in Sylvania Ohio (Toledo) a few years back with the Happy Together Tour, Great Show and perfect fit. Hope he comes back. I think John Sébastien would be a great fit to the act as well. H÷y , what's up with the Loving John these days?

They were the Monkees before the Monkees. Didn't write the songs, didn't play on the hit records, Like most boy bands then and now, they were just an "act". Their Producer, Snuff Garrett found the hit songs, and who produced their records, was really the sole reason for their success.

Have you done one on Mark Lindsay? You do some awesome research. Keep up the good work.

Hooray,a HUMAN narrator 👍🏽👍🏽

Your material is fine. You need a coach for your deliver. I went the high school with Flo and Eddie, who were in a band known as the Crossfires. They went on to become The Turtles. Some band members were classmates of mine at UCLA, where I met Linda Ronstadt. Try researching Bill Haley and the Comets. I ran into a member playing at an airport lounge at Bradley International Airport.

Wish you would have included some of his music in your article....

They look like a polka band

We still have many of his records.

The Wrecking Crew helped them a Ton.

It's true, it was hard to hear him too

Those boys did good.

Work on you narration skills if you want your channel to grow. You can do it. Keep practicing BEFORE recording the final track.

8/2023 Love GaryLewis. Will he be coming to Michigan in the near future?

I second the review of the narrator's poor work. This is an ongoing problem with KZfaq material. Since the material is recorded, why can't producers allow repeated takes until the final product is correct? My grammar school classmates could have done better! As for the group itself, I saw them live around 5 or 6 times. The first time I heard them live was 1990 in Baltimore, MD, at Harborplace Pavilion. The last time I saw the group was just before COVID at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights, OH. They always give a fine performance! A poignant memory was their show at Kent Stage in Kent, OH. It occurred soon after Jerry Lewis's death and the elder Lewis specifically banned Gary (plus other sons) from his funeral. He also disinherited his sons and their families! During the show, though, Gary presented a very loving tribute to the old man--complete with old film shown to us in the audience. Gary Lewis--truly a class act! Jerry Lewis--not so much class!

🎶 _Ron Hicklin and the Wrecking Crew_ 😉👌

*TODAY 4/28/2023 HOW CAN GARY AND BAND GO 53 PLUS YEARS WITHOUT WRITING NEW MUSIC, NEW SONGS? WHY DID THEY CUT THEMSELVES SHORT NOT WRITING NEW MUSIC? WHY CUT THEIR FANS SHORT NOT MAKING NEW MUSIC? C'MON SAME FEW SONGS OVER 53 YEARS, BAND AND GARY WERE YOUNG, ARE YOUNG, DONT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY NEVER WROTE MORE MUSIC, FOR FANS AND THEMSELVES*

If Gary Lewis was overdubbed by Ron Hicklin and "The Wrecking Crew" did the instrumentals, this was really an "artificial group"… ( Lewis was not a Vietnam Veteran, he served in a safe, non combat zone in Korea )...

This video feature should be called .... Whatever happened to the announcer for his poor narration. You had to back play this a few times to get what he was trying to say

We have 2 turntables enjoy my records and so does my husband 😃

Carl Radle From Derek And The Dominos Fame On Bass.((On The Ed Sullivan Shew)).

The numbers Gary put up were/are staggering.

Gary is really a very nice guy.

Awesome under rated rock band. Have their records and have to hear them every once in awhile!

Have you done a video on Bobby Vee? He was awsome

Great info. Re-record the narrative.

Wasn't the GL AND THE PLAYBOYS band on one of those"Beach Blanket" movies?

Can you do a video on Bobby Goldsboro pleas?

I would like, what happened to The Doors? Thanks

How about doing one on Paul Revere and the Raiders? So sad that they didn't play on their biggest song? Weird.

I saw Gary Lewis and the Playboys at a bar called Granny’s in Minneapolis in 1979. They played some of their old hits of course. But one song that they did a surprisingly good version of was the classic Animals song “House of the Rising Sun”. The narrator needs to practice more before he puts any more videos on KZfaq.

Gary had a hit and didnt have to do **** $#** for Murry the K. Song was a smash, rest is history.....

reading from a paper is rough at times ?

The Bobby Fuller Four.

Narrator is minimum wage, at best.

What a video on what happened to the "buggle-gum" bands of the 60's such as 1910 Fruitgum company? Or The Royal Guardsman and the list goes on. They did not reach the status, (guess that is the word I want) of other groups, but they still had/have a group of fans who would like to know what they are doing.

I would like to see what Cher is doing now.

hard to follow so what happened?

Dude, do you ever even peek at the copy first before you try to give it a read-thru?

Never heard of these groups on our side of the pond

I get you weren't alive when Hullabaloo was on, but you could have checked the pronunciation before you recorded this.

Drafted in 1967, discharged in 1968.....that sounds strange.

1:11 You mispronounced the word "Timpani" The emphasis is on the first syllable.

Who's this Tim Panny you mention?

Badley read Dude ! You need to rehearse yourself before recording ,and ,Maybe even Get someone Else to read it ! Sorry dude ,this Is show business .

Live from Hawaii, "Hula Baloo!"