In 1968, I dropped out of school and joined “The New Yorkers,” a bubble-gum band based in Portland, Oregon. The other members of the group were brothers Bill, Mark and Brett Hudson. We established ourselves as a regional success with several local hits on the Jerden label. After signing with Decca Records and a Los Angeles management company, the group name was changed to “The Hudson Brothers.” I decided to leave the band prior to their flash in the pan as a Saturday morning kiddy phenomenon and I went back to performing as a solo artist around the Pacific Northwest.