One-Hit Wonders: Jewel Akens

They may be one-hit wonders, but some record quite a bit of music and some, like Jewel Akens, even are members of multiple bands.

Akens, born in Texas, began singing as a child in church and was influenced by the blues, according to allmusic.com.

From classicurbanharmony.net, after his family moved to California, Akens was in:

• The Four Dots and recorded "It's Heaven" and "Don't Wake Up the Kids," among others. Eddie Cochran was playing guitar.
• The Four Dots became Astro-Jets and recorded "Boom-A-Lay" and "Hide and Seek." The songs were written by Akens.
• In the late 1950s, Jewell & Eddie was formed with Akens teaming up with Medallions' Eddie Daniels.
• In the mid-1960s, Akens joined The Rainbows and recorded "Till Tomorrow."
• The Rainbows became Terry & the Tyrants and recorded "Weep No More."
• Terry & The Tyrants became The Turn-Arounds and recorded "Run Away and Hide." The Turn-Arounds broke up due to a disagreement.

That is when Akens recorded "The Birds and The Bees," and that charted at No. 3 in 1965. He continued to record but without success. In the late 1960s, he toured with the Monkees.

Jewel Akens died of complications from back surgery in 2013. He was 79.