Gernhard was born in
Evanston, Illinois, the son of Boyd "Bud" Gernhard and his wife, Sara Arnold. In 1943, he moved with his parents and sister to
Sarasota, Florida, where he attended
Sarasota High School, and saw
Elvis Presley perform in 1956. Gernhard was introduced to songwriter
Dick Holler, then performing locally in South Carolina with his group, the Holidays. Gernhard and McCullough produced several singles by the group, including "
Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)", later a hit for
the Swingin' Medallions, and also worked with other local musicians including
Dennis Coffey and
Linda Martell. However, his records had little success and in about 1963 he gave up the business and re-enrolled on a course of law studies at the
University of Tampa. He soon re-engaged with the music scene, and produced records by local group the Sugar Beats, whose rhythm guitarist was
Kent Lavoie, as well as other local bands,
the Tropics and
the Outsiders (later known as the Soul Trippers). In 1966, after
Charles M. Schulz introduced the theme of
Snoopy fighting the Red Baron in his
Peanuts comic strip on Sunday October 10, 1965, Gernhard remembered that Dick Holler and his band had recorded a song about the historical
Red Baron several years earlier. He partly rewrote the lyrics to incorporate mentions of Snoopy, and persuaded another local band,
the Royal Guardsmen, to record it, becoming their manager as well as record producer. Their record, "
Snoopy vs. the Red Baron", released by
Laurie Records, reached number 2 on the
Hot 100 at the end of 1966. Gernhard abandoned his law studies and set up Gernhard Enterprises. He continued to produce records with the Royal Guardsmen, and also promoted shows in the Tampa area, on one occasion bailing
Janis Joplin out of jail after she was arrested for shouting obscenities. In 1968, immediately after
Robert F. Kennedy's assassination, Gernhard's songwriting partner Dick Holler wrote the song "
Abraham, Martin and John". Gernhard offered the song to Laurie Records, where it was recorded by
Dion, then just emerging from a spell in
rehab. The song became a hit, reaching number 4 on the Hot 100, and Gernhard produced Dion's self-titled album that followed, as well as the singer's subsequent albums,
Sit Down Old Friend, ''You're Not Alone
, and Sanctuary''. Gernhard became an executive with
Big Tree Records set up by
Doug Morris. In 1970, he started working with former Sugar Beats member Kent Lavoie, and produced his first record under the pseudonym
Lobo, "
Me and You and a Dog Named Boo". The record became an international hit, reaching number 5 on the US pop chart, and Gernhard continued to work with Lobo throughout the 1970s. Gernhard and Lobo discovered
Jim Stafford, who had been working as a singer-songwriter in local clubs with little success. Gernhard established a connection with
Mike Curb, the head of
MGM Records, Gernhard began working more in Los Angeles, and formed a business partnership with actor and producer
Tony Scotti, aiming to establish Stafford as a variety show host. They also signed David and his brother Howard Bellamy, as
The Bellamy Brothers, and produced "
Let Your Love Flow", which rose to number one on the Hot 100 in early 1976. Gernhard also produced the duo's first two albums,
Let Your Love Flow (1976) and
Plain & Fancy (1977), on Curb Records. Lobo's relationship with Gernhard soured when the singer attempted to gain some of the publishing rights for his songs, which Gernhard controlled. In the later 1970s and early 1980s, Gernhard worked with
Hank Williams Jr. – co-producing his album
Family Tradition He gave up record production, but continued to work with Mike Curb in an executive capacity. From 1992, Gernhard worked for
Curb Records in
Nashville, Tennessee, in later years as senior vice president responsible for
A&R. Gernhard committed suicide by gunshot in 2008. He had told friends that he was suffering from cancer, but an autopsy found no trace. Gernhard was married and divorced four times, and had experienced alcoholism and drug misuse. He left his estate to a former childhood sweetheart, with whom he had been out of touch for many years. ==References==