[1] His family was active in politics and raised bison on a ranch outside Oklahoma City, where his grandfather, O.

Returning to Oklahoma City, he worked as a court clerk, private investigator, and deputy sheriff.

[3] Cargill began his music career playing in clubs in and around Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

While working the late shift as a deputy sheriff, Cargill received a visit from his friend and fellow musician Johnny Johnson, who told him of a seasoned and professional vocal group he had been recording with.

[1] He hosted a television show, Country Hayride, beginning in 1962, and performed for many years in Reno and Las Vegas.

In 1973, he made a strong comeback to the charts when he signed with Atlantic Records and scored two Top 30 hits in 1974 with "Some Old California Memory"[1] and a version of Mac Davis' hit song "Stop and Smell the Roses".