(62) MELODIE D'AMOUR A HIT, DAD MY GREATEST FAN

My father had real doubts when it all started for me.

He said, "Son you may be chasing a rainbow."Well, let's face it. How many people in this world have gone from local magazine cover-boy to teen idol in a few short months? The publicity drums beat for me and I was quickly in a celebrity whirl, living a planes, trains, and automobiles kind of existence.

My father was a hard working man, a man who had traveled for work in the construction business and wanted to bring me into the trade as his apprentice. He reminded me that if I got my contractors license I could always fall back on that kind of work. But once I "crashed the fame barrier," no one was prouder or a bigger supporter of my new career direction than my dad.

Still, I had lived a lot by 1960.

I'd traveled all over the United States appearing on live dance party and variety television shows for United Artists. I had switched record labels after quitting United Artists when Clock Records won a bidding war for me. I was traveling all over the United States doing live performances on the Buddy Knox tour and had moved on to Roulette Records. I'd met and worked with some very accomplished and famous people and I'd started writing songs and offering them to my peers.

"Melodie D' Amour" was a hit...