Biography

Gary Lewis & The Playboys is known for Way... Way Out (1966), The Family Jewels (1965) and The Wrecking Crew! (2008).

During the recording of the group's first hit, "This Diamond Ring", the record's producers only allowed Gary Lewis to sing and play an instrument (his drums); the rest of the instruments were played by studio musicians, and although the other band members did do backup vocals, other singers were hired and their voices added to the mix, and another singer was added to Lewis' vocal tracks to make it sound fuller. Consequently, very little of The Playboys is actually heard on the record, and much of what listeners assume is Lewis' voice actually belongs to another singer. In fact, when the band appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) to play the song, Lewis sang with a pre-recorded track; the other band members just pretended to play their instruments.

Member Al Ramsey was killed in an airplane crash on November 27, 1985, at age 42.

Members have included Gary Lewis, Mike Arturi, Brad Henderson, Nick Rather, Bryan Fox, Tom Tripplehorn, David Walker, Al Ramsey, David Costell, John West, and Carl Radle, who would go on to play bass with Derek & The Dominos and on several Eric Clapton solo albums.