Career
He is best known for his 1959 hit, "My Heart is an Open Book", which went to Number. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The record sold over one million copies, resulting in the awarding of a gold disc.
The Seniors, Dobkins" backup group, included Keith Ross, Paul Powers and Harry Clifton.
The Seniors first met with a common interest in singing at Nast Memorial Methodist Church in Cincinnati. The group sang together for approximately eight years.
Dobkins and the Seniors were promoted by Gil Sheppard, a local Cincinnati radio disc jockey, who noted the young singer"s early high school compositions and a two-song demo record. This led to a recording contract with Fraternity Records, who released their first record.
After recording "If You Don"t Want My Lovin"" at King Records studios, Sheppard sold the master recording to Decca Records.
Dobkins then recorded sessions for Decca in Nashville, Tennessee, which included "My Heart is an Open Book" in 1959, which reached Number. 3 on the popular chart and number 11 on the Rhythm & Blues chart. Dobkins was featured frequently at Castle Farms, and on television for the Bob Braun Show (World's Largest Wireles-T, Cincinnati).
He appeared fourteen times as a guest on Dick Clark"s American Bandstand.