Joy Layne

Joy Layne's moment of glory came when her cover of "Your Wild Heart" shot all the way to number 20 on Billboard's pop chart in February 1957. Layne was 15 years old at the time and attended Lynn Township High in a Chicago suburb. The Sandy Duncan look- and sound-alike seemed destined for stardom. Her shot at fame came courtesy of her enterprising mom/manager, who took Layne to see Mercury Records A&R man Art Talmadge; he signed the bouncy teenager to a contract. Talmadge thought a re-recording of the Poni-Tails' "Your Wild Heart" would be a good cover choice for the energetic girl, since Mercury had the clout to take the record to the top. However, follow-up singles "My Suspicious Heart" and "After School" failed to follow the successful trail of "Your Wild Heart." Lennie LaCour produced Layne's last known recordings in 1961. ~ Andrew Hamilton