Gary Lewis and The Playboys
March 21, 2026
Florence, SC
FMU Performing Arts Center
Review by Joseph Hett

Gary Lewis And The Playboys Bring A Fun-Filled Show To Florence

Gary Lewis and The Playboys stopped in Florence for the 2025-2026 Spotlight Series at the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center. It was a night filled with hits and memories.

A black and white video showcased the legendary comedian Jerry Lewis singing “Sonny Boy” to Gary Lewis in 1957. The clip featured a young Gary making humorous and inquisitive banter with his father. The clip then jumped ahead to a later-era Jerry – circa 2002 – introducing the band to the Florence audience. The Playboys came out on stage to start “Palisades Park.” Gary Lewis walked out to an eruption of applause and joined in.

After the first song, Lewis spoke to the audience, “It’s good to see everybody tonight. We’re gonna try to bring back some good memories for you. From our section of time – in the middle ‘60s. It was a lot of fun – it still is today!”

Lewis was is in a playful mood throughout the evening. After “Count Me In,” Lewis quipped, “I certainly hope that I’m not spitting on anybody. You’re awful close. I know, I know, I’ll pay for the dry cleaning.” After joking about his ex-wives, it was time for 1965’s “Without a Word of Warning.”

Keyboardist Willy O’Riley took over on lead vocals for “I’m a Believer,” originally by The Monkees, and later returned to sing Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” adding variety to the set.

Lewis spoke about receiving his Vietnam draft notice. Drummer Todd Bradley jumped in to start a snippet of the “Hogan’s Heroes” theme song. Lewis thanked all of the veterans in the crowd before “Sure Gonna Miss Her.”

The Playboys started Pink Floyd’s “Money.” Lewis went to the mic to sing the lyric “money” before he comically stopped and said that’s all he knew. A song about go-go girls was up next with “Little Miss Go-Go.”

Lewis told a story about a young radio interviewer confusing his father with Jerry Lee Lewis. And, of course, the band jumped in with a little bit of obligatory “Great Balls of Fire.”

Lewis reflected back on their biggest hit “This Diamond Ring,” which included a visit to the “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1965. Many patrons could be seen singing along to the timeless tune.

After a quick snippet of “Tequila” (The Champs), it was time for bass player Nick Rather to sing lead on “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs. Lewis mentioned he shared the road with Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs along with other hit makers of the day on Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars tour. Rather later performed “Let’s Dance” by Chris Montez.

They slowed it down with “Save Your Heart for Me.” Guitarist Mike Gladstone then gave a rousing performance of Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally.”

Before playing it, Lewis said he originally wrote “Everybody Loves a Clown” to give to his father for a birthday gift. But Lewis ended up keeping the song and giving Jerry “a real nice car instead.”

After a brief intermission, they came back out for “Runaway.” They slowed it down one more time for their version of “Sealed With a Kiss.” Lewis mentioned his favorite version of “Love Potion No. 9” was by The Clovers before launching into it.

It was now time for the very first song that Lewis ever wrote titled “I Won’t Make That Mistake Again.” Lewis noted that after finishing up his military career, he got back on the charts with “Green Grass.” The feel-good song really got everyone ready for springtime.

Before Lewis went into rock and roll, his father had him appear in three movies. The big screen onstage showed Lewis in brief clips from “The Nutty Professor,” “Rock-A-Bye Baby” and “The Family Jewels.”

To close out the evening, they performed their second biggest hit, “She’s Just My Style.” It was dedicated to Lewis’ wife, Donna. After band introductions, they wrapped up and left the stage.

Gary Lewis’ parting words to Florence – “rock and roll will never die” – felt less like nostalgia and more like a promise. At 80, he’s still proving it, delivering a fun-filled show that bridges generations and keeps the spirit of the mid-’60s alive.