1961. He was already a star when he became a musical performer. He had been starring on a tv show with his family for 9 years. The family tv show was a strong vehicle for his music career. Many parents preferred their daughters listen to this artist instead of Elvis. They saw him as a more clean cut alternative since he didn't do all that gyrating. Fans of the Seattle Super Sonics might remember this song being played when a visiting team player commited a certain rule violation.