Tags
1950s, 1980s, Brother Dave Gardner, comeback, comedian, Dave Gardner, Don Rondo, Music, One Hit Wonder, White Silver Sands
White Silver Sands (OJ, 1957)
White Silver Sands was written by Charles “Red” Matthews in 1957 and partially authored by Gladys Reinhart. American comedian/drummer and singer Dave Gardner had a top 20 hit with White Silver Sands after an initial release from mostly ballad singer Don Rondo who took the song to #7. Gardner meanwhile had a bigger career on his hands due to his comedic routines between songs. He released 14 comedy albums as Brother Dave Gardner until a 1962 arrest for marijuana possession and changing public tastes and an unwillingness to update his style and finally tax evasion charges in the 1970s derailed his career. He mounted a comeback in the 1980s with performing and speaking engagements, mostly on college campuses. Gardner died September 22, 1983 of a massive heart attack on the film set of Chain Gang. He was 57 years old.