Gary Lewis and the Playboys were a 1960s pop group, fronted by Gary Lewis, son of comedian Jerry Lewis. The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Jerry Lewis Joseph Levitch (born March 16, 1926), better known as Jerry Lewis, is a Jewish American comedian, actor, producer, and director known for his slapstick humor and his charity fund-raising telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. ...

The original group was composed of:

• Gary Lewis - Drums and vocals
• David Walker - Guitar
• Al Ramsay - Guitar
• David Costell - Lead Guitar
• John West - Keyboard

The band's membership changed drastically by the end of 1965, with only West and Lewis remaining. New members included Jimmy Trippelhorn, Carl Radle, and Jimmy Karstein.

According to John Morthland "producer Snuff Garrett...signed" the group "simply because he lived two doors down from Jerry Lewis in Bel Air and was intrigued by the idea of breaking a group fronted by the child of a celebrity" (Brackett 2000, p.3). Jerry Lewis then used his connections in the entertainment industry to land his son's group a spot on the Ed Sullivan Show in January, 1965. Almost immediately, their song "This Diamond Ring" hit #1 on the pop charts. The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television variety show that ran from June 20, 1948, to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by Ed Sullivan. ...

During 1965 and 1966, Gary Lewis and the Playboys released seven Top Ten songs.

• "This Diamond Ring"
• "Count Me In"
• "Save Your Heart For Me"
• "She's Just My Style"
• "Everybody Loves a Clown"
• "Sure Gonna Miss Her"
• "Green Grass"

The group's success was slowed drastically when Gary Lewis was drafted into the U.S. Army. He began in January 1967, and finished his service in 1968. Unfortunately, the psychedelic movement had captured the public's interest by that time, and the group never regained their former popularity. Conscription is a general term for involuntary labour demanded by some established authority, e. ... US Army Seal The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Psychedelic music is a musical genre which is not rigorously defined, and is sometimes interpreted to include everything from Flower Power music to Hard Rock and Acid Rock. ...

Source

• Brackett, David (1995/2000). Interpreting Popular Music. ISBN 0520225414.