[1][3] In a 2004 interview Evans revealed that the voice of Joannie was provided by country artist Lea Jane Berinati.
Evans received an engineering scholarship to Columbia University, where he hosted a radio show featuring folk music.
While waiting for a hit, he sang at local clubs and spent a year, on and off, on the SS France as the ship's singer.
[9] Evans' songs have also been recorded by Jackie Wilson, Frankie Lymon, Fabian, the Coasters, and more recently by Reba McEntire.
His autobiography describes his journey from getting his start in the music business, becoming part of the Brill's songwriting community and the sixty-three music-filled years that followed.