Discovered by Sammy Davis, Jr., Dana was an excellent dancer , and was encouraged by Davis to move to Los Angeles to further his career. With the decline of dancing as a form of entertainment Dana initiated a singing career. He is best known for his 1965 recording of the Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett song "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" that was a Billboard Top Ten hit single. His album of the same title made it into the Top Twenty. Preceding this success as a solo artist, Dana was the lead singer of The Fleetwoods , replacing original vocalist Gary Troxel when Troxel went into the U.S. Navy.