After he returned to Hawaii from the mainland United States in 1961, Lee worked at the night club Honey's as a doorman.

Following his stint as a knife dancer in the mainland United States,[1] Kui Lee returned to Hawaii in 1961.

Ho then proceeded to ask Lee to sing the song repeatedly for him for the next four hours, to be able to capture his feelings, and his exact interpretation of the number.

[9] Eddie Suzuki, Lee's manager, signed him to play regular appearances at the nightclub Queen's Surf in Honolulu.

[9] McDiarmid offered the song to Andy Williams,[9] who released a version, and performed it on his television show in December.

For the ending of the song, a chorus composed by Millie Kirkham, June Page and Dolores Eagan joined Presley.

The Honolulu Advertiser called it a "palatable piece with charming vibrance", but remarked that the new version of the song "suffer(ed) in revival without the vocal manipulations of the Aliis".

[12] He sang it on his live television special, Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite,[19] a benefit concert for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund.

[12] Other artists that recorded the song included Tony Bennett,[21] Tennessee Ernie Ford,[22] and Connie Francis.