In October 1976, Donny Most was at the height of his fame as a star on the ABC sitcom Happy Days. But the actor, who played Ralph Malph on the classic comedy series, also had a passion for singing and released an album that fall.
A blurb posted in Cashbox at the time teased that Most’s self-titled debut album was scheduled for an October 1976 release. The album featured bubblegum pop tracks such as “All Roads (Lead Back To You),” “One of These Days” and the Larry Williams-penned “Bony Moronie.”
Most’s sound was compared to a made-for-TV band featured on ABC two years prior. A Cashbox review of “All Roads (Lead Back To You)” read, “This bouncy pop tune has a Caribbean touch. The arrangement is similar to that of the Partridge Family. The Most vocal is breezy and resounding. The younger kids might certainly shove this record into the AM charts.”
Most heavily promoted his record with a radio tour and performances of its singles on American Bandstand in December 1976, but he never achieved the pop star fame of fellow TV heartthrob David Cassidy.
Then again, pop star fame wasn’t what Most was looking for. The Happy Days star preferred to sing jazz and swing standards, but record producers thought the music was too old-fashioned for a young performer.
“They didn’t want me to record that kind of music in ‘76,” Most, now 73, revealed in an interview with Lloyd Farley. “I was right in the middle of Happy Days, and it was because of that I had the opportunity to record an album through some producer I met, and it was on a big label, United Artists, but they wouldn’t let me sing… I told them the kind of music I really felt was in my wheelhouse, which were the standards, the jazz standards. That’s what I grew up listening to.”
“I wanted to sing it, and the label, they didn’t want me to do that because that kind of music in the ‘70s was almost looked upon as passe, or my parents’ music, so they wanted me to do more rock/pop kind of stuff,” he explained. “And we found some good songs, and it was a great experience. It was not what I would have picked, but I learned a lot getting in the… it was the first time in a recording studio.”
While it wasn’t the music he would have chosen to record, Most said some of the songs still hold up, while the arrangements of others feel “dated.” He described his first recording experience as a “stepping stone.”
The same year that he released his album, Most was given the opportunity to showcase his singing talent in the 1976 Happy Days episode “They Shoot Fonzie’s, Don’t They?” And he didn’t sing bubblegum pop. Instead, the Happy Days star performed the Al Jolson and Saul Chaplin classic, “Anniversary Song,” giving viewers a chance to hear his amazing voice.
Fifty years later, Most performs jazz and standards from the Great American Songbook at shows all across the country. You can find more information on his official website.
Related: ‘Happy Days’ Star, 73, Cancels Live Show Due to Health Issues
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