Brian Hyland - Teenage Idol

<p>Brian Hyland was born in <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhaven,_Queens">Woodhaven</a>, Queens, New York City. He studied guitar and <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarinet">clarinet</a> as a child, and sang in his church <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choir">choir</a>. When aged 14 he co-founded the <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony">harmony</a> group the Del-Fi's, which <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_recording_and_reproduction">recorded</a> a demo but failed to secure a <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_contract">recording contract</a>. Hyland was eventually signed by <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapp_Records">Kapp Records</a> as a solo artist, issuing his debut single, "Rosemary", in late 1959. The label employed the <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brill_Building">Brill Building</a> songwriting duo of <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Pockriss">Lee Pockriss</a> and <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Vance">Paul Vance</a> to work with Hyland on the follow-up, "Four Little Heels (The Clickety Clack Song)", which was a minor <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_record">hit</a>, and the songwriting duo continued to work with Hyland.<span class= "Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>In August 1960, Hyland scored his first and biggest hit single, at the age of 16, "<a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsy_Bitsy_Teenie_Weenie_Yellow_Polka_Dot_Bikini">Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini</a>", written by Vance and Pockriss. It was a <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novelty_song">novelty song</a> that reached <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chart-topper">No. 1</a> on the <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100"><em>Billboard</em> Hot 100</a> <a href= "https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_chart">chart</a> (No. 8 in the UK) and sold almost a million copies in the first two months of its release and over two million copi