This is a ballad that could have been as equally at home in the pre-rock era as it was in 1960. It's not really my thing, though I did like The Revelletts, who provided backing vocals on it.
Jimmy Charles (born 1942) was from Paterson, New Jersey. At the age of 16, he won the amateur talent contest at the Apollo Theater in New York City on four consecutive weeks.
"A Million To One" was written by Phil Medley who, among other things, co-wrote "Twist and Shout". Charles's version of this song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. His followup, "The Age for Love", only reached #47, and two Christmas songs, also released in 1960, went nowhere. He didn't release any songs after 1960 but he continued touring. He now lives in Texas and still sings sometimes.
Donny Osmond covered "A Million To One" in 1973 and reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the CHUM chart. I apologize, dear reader, but I didn't have the necessary mental fortitude to try to listen to this again. If I ever summon up the nerve, I'll record my reaction here.
Created April 13, 2026.