Jack Scott charted more times (19) in a shorter period of time
(41 months) than any other recording artist -- except The Beatles. 
He was born Giovanni Sacfone Jr., the son of an accomplished
guitarist, on January 24, 1936 in Windsor, Ontario.  Fascinated
by the music of Hank Williams, young Jack took up guitar at age eight
and was pretty good by the time his family moved to Hazel Park, Michigan
in 1946. While in his teens he began performing regularly on radio.

At age 18, Jack formed his own band and soon caught the ear of ABC
Paramount A&R man Joe Carleton.  Three 1957 singles were cut, but
when they were unsuccessful, Scott was dropped by the label.  In early
1958, at his own expense, Jack recorded two new tunes, “Leroy” (about
a frequently-jailed real-life friend he called “Greaseball”) and
“My True Love.”  As it happened, Joe Carleton, who had just
started his own record company, elected to buy the masters and
release them on Carleton.  “’Leroy’ took off like lightning,” Scott
remembered -- climbing to #25.  When DJs flipped the single
over, they found “My True Love,” which did even better -- soaring to #3
and selling a million copies.

Half the songs on Jack’s debut album (one of the first in true stereo)
became chart singles, including “With Your Love,” “My True Love,”
“The Way I Walk” and “Goodbye Baby.”  A stint in the Army
from February to May 1959 slowed Scott’s momentum, but only briefly.
"I was with Carlton; they had the right to record me,” Jack recalled. 
“Another company, Starfire, had my management and publishing.  
Starfire got into hassles with Carlton because Joe Carlton wanted
publishing as well. Next thing I knew, I was pulled off Carlton and onto
Top Rank It was on Top Rank that Jack Scott was best showcased
as a reverberating balladeer.  While the same four-chord climbing
sequence was often endlessly repeated, it was all the back-up needed
for Jack to take “What In The World’s Come Over You” to #5 in
1960, followed quickly by “Burning Bridges” (which hit #3).  “Oh Little One”
and “It Only Happened Yesterday” also landed  on the Hit Parade.

Scott went on to record for Capitol, RCA Victor, Dot and other labels,
but with little success.  “I've never had a job outside music,” Jack
reports.  “I do club dates around Michigan, staying pretty close to
home most of the time.  Sometimes I play the same club five nights a
week. It's usually 40 minutes on stage, then a 20-minute break
and so on for five hours."

In 1993 a five CD box set compiling Jack Scott’s 1957-65 output was
released on the Bear Family label. Jack wrote every one of his own hits --
except “Burning Bridges.”

Visit the Jack Scott website here.