He is best known for his successful collaborations in the 1960s and 1970s with Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, The Royal Guardsmen, Dion, Lobo, Jim Stafford, and the Bellamy Brothers.
In 1960, Gernhard produced a demo of Williams' song "Stay", recorded at the studio of local Columbia radio station WCOS.
He continued to produce records with the Royal Guardsmen, and also promoted shows in the Tampa area, on one occasion bailing Janis Joplin out of jail after she was arrested for shouting obscenities.
In 1968, immediately after Robert F. Kennedy's assassination, Gernhard's songwriting partner Dick Holler wrote the song "Abraham, Martin and John".
In 1970, he started working with former Sugar Beats member Kent Lavoie, and produced his first record under the pseudonym Lobo, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo".
The record became an international hit, reaching number 5 on the US pop chart, and Gernhard continued to work with Lobo throughout the 1970s.
[9] Gernhard began working more in Los Angeles, and formed a business partnership with actor and producer Tony Scotti, aiming to establish Stafford as a variety show host.
In the later 1970s and early 1980s, Gernhard worked with Hank Williams Jr. – co-producing his album Family Tradition[3] – as well as with the bands Prisoner, Arrogance, and Snuff, with limited success.