I wanted to have a normal childhood. Normal relationships.

I was totally devastated for four years in the mid '60s when l tried to buck the tide.

Then l learned to play guitar and l started writing songs and my mother formed for me a publishing business, so we started publishing and managing artists.

We each had to spend a week out at Lassie's ranch, and whoever got along best with the dog got the part.

There was this little shaggy dog on it, and Frank Weatherwax was working the dog. One day we were all sitting around, and Frank said, listen, my brother Rudd just got the rights back from MGM for Lassie, and said have your agent check into it. I did, and I went for a screen test.

Yeah, dog was this man's best friend, for sure.

Well, I went to school with Jan and Dean, Ryan O'Neal, some of the Beach Boys we all use to party together.