Lewis Gary

American musician who was the leader of Gary Lewis & the Playboys, a 1960s era pop and rock group, best known for their 1965 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "This Diamond Ring", which was the first of a string of hit singles they had in 1965 and 1966. He is the son of comedian and actor Jerry Lewis (1926-2017) and his first wife Patti Palmer (née Esther Calonico), a singer at the time with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra. She intended to name him after her favourite actor, Cary Grant, but a clerical error led to his naming as "Gary". His career was put on hold when he entered the U.S. Army as a draftee in January 1967, and he served during the Vietnam War era and was stationed overseas with the Eighth Army in Seoul, South Korea, to 1968. He returned to performing and recording, but did not recapture his earlier success. As of 2016, Gary Lewis and the Playboys are still touring the world on their own and occasionally with other popular 50s, 60s, and 70s acts. The group performs on cruise ships, at casinos, festivals, fairs, and corporate events. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less