New Yorker Paul Evans gained fame in the 1950s and 1960s. Besides his own hits, he wrote songs for music legends like Elvis Presley and Bobby Vinton. His compositions have appeared in numerous films, shows, and commercials. Evans’ journey took him from a small university folk music radio show to all-American popularity. Read more about this star on queens-trend.
Early Life
Paul Evans was born on March 5, 1938, in Queens into a musical family. His father sold his flute to buy Paul his first guitar, and Paul’s sister taught him to play it, while his mother introduced him to the piano.
While still in high school, Evans started participating in musical shows. At Columbia University, he hosted his own folk music radio program, but he eventually left his studies to pursue a career in music. In the beginning, he performed in local clubs and spent a year singing on the ocean liner SS France.
A Fruitful Career
In 1958, Paul wrote the song When for the American pop duo Kalin Twins. The following year, he released his hit Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat, a song about a driver singing about seven girls and a man named Fred, who are sitting in the back seat. The driver is disappointed because the girls prefer Fred’s company over his. Another hit, Happy Go Lucky Me, followed a year later.
In 1962, Bobby Vinton recorded Paul Evans’ song Roses Are Red (My Love), which reached number one on the music charts in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, and the United States. Billboard magazine ranked the song fourth among the top 100 singles of 1962.
Evans also wrote hits for Elvis Presley, including I Gotta Know and The Next Step Is Love. Elvis Presley—often referred to simply as “Elvis” or “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”—is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th century.
In 1978–1979, Evans achieved significant success in the United Kingdom and Australia with his country song Hello, This Is Joanie. The song tells the story of a man who quarrels with his girlfriend after drinking, only to later discover that she has died in an accident. The track stands out from his other work, as it was ahead of its time in using a voicemail as a lyrical device when such devices were rare.
Evans’ Songs in Iconic Films
Paul Evans’ songs have appeared in the following legendary films:
- Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas – This 1990 gangster drama provides a deep look into the inner workings of the mafia and the consequences of a life of crime. It is based on the true story of Henry Hill, an American gangster closely associated with the Lucchese crime family, who took part in two heists at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Interestingly, many scenes in Goodfellas were filmed in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria.
- John Waters’ Pecker – This 1998 comedy-drama follows the journey to fame of a young photographer who captures quirky residents of Baltimore and his eccentric family. The story explores the downside of fame when a harsh critic dubs the family a “cultural challenge,” leading to their struggles with the negative aspects of celebrity life.
- Sitcom Scrubs (2001–2010) – The show chronicles the training, work, and lives of young doctors at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital, blending comedy with surreal scenes and musical reflections on important life themes.
Evans also created commercials for the British grocery chain Sainsbury’s and the French supermarket Intermarché, and he wrote the script for the Broadway show Cloverleaf Crisis. His voice can be heard in Woody Allen’s films Mighty Aphrodite and Everyone Says I Love You. Evans was also a member of the traveling jazz quintet Group 5ive.
Autobiographical Book
Paul Evans penned his own autobiography, Happy Go Lucky Me: A Lifetime of Music (2021), in which he begins by describing a subway ride to the Brill Building. From there, he walks readers through the stages of his career: as a studio singer, jingle writer/producer, off-Broadway composer, and member of a traveling jazz group. In the book, Evans also shares personal memories of the people he met along the way in the music world, capturing both the triumphs and challenges of his journey in show business.
