To an earlier generation of television viewers, Edd Byrnes was more readily recognized and affectionately known as %Kookie. The moniker stems from the nickname of a character he played, the hip %Gerald Lloyd Kookson III, who was featured prominently on #77 Sunset Strip. The ABC network launched the detective series in 1958, and it ran through 1964. Byrnes capitalized on the program's success by releasing "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb." The title of the 1959 single refers to the fictional character's frequent habit of combing his pompadour. The release from Warner Brothers Records also featured singer Connie Stevens. The duet made it into the Top Five on U.S. charts. Byrnes went on to sing "Like I Love You," a duet that paired him with Joanie Sommers, a young singer who would later gain recognition with "Johnny Get Angry" in 1962.
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