Andy Kim (singer)

Life and career

Kim was born Androwis Youakim on 5 December 1946 in Montreal, the third of four sons of Lebanese immigrants whose parents came from the mountains of Lebanon. As a teenager, he moved to New York to pursue music in the Brill Building, recording as Andy Kim while using the name Youakim in writing credits on his earliest releases. In 1968, his single "How'd We Ever Get This Way?" reached number 21 on the U.S. chart. That same year, he co-wrote "Sugar, Sugar" with Jeff Barry for the Archies; the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was named RIAA Record of the Year.

Kim and Barry also wrote for the Archies and for the Monkees' 1970 album Changes. In 1969, Kim had two hit singles: "Rainbow Ride," which made the U.S. Top 50, and "Baby, I Love You," which reached number nine in the U.S. and number one in Canada, earning him a Gold Leaf (Juno) Award in 1970 as Best Male Vocalist. The single sold over one million copies and received a gold disc from the R.I.A.A. in October 1969. Over the next few years, he recorded minor hits including "Be My Baby" and "It's Your Life" and toured North America extensively.

In spring 1974, he released the self-penned "Rock Me Gently," which went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart, selling three million copies globally and earning a second gold disc. Kim had avoided touring for years before that, later stating that he had created a persona of a white blond surfer in his music and that fans were shocked by his dark skin colour and appearance; he had also altered his voice on earlier records to sound younger.