Giovanni Scafone Jr., (Jack Scott), the oldest of seven children, was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on January 28, 1936. His parents, first-generation Italian-Americans, moved the family to Hazel Park, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, when Jack was ten years old. About that time, Jack starting singing and performing on a local radio station.

Jack grew up listening to country music and was a fan of Hank Williams. When he was eighteen, Jack and some friends formed a hillbilly band called "the Southern Drifters." In 1957, Jack and his group recorded "Baby She's Gone" and "You Can Bet Your Bottom Dollar." The record made it's way into the hands of ABC-Paramount and they signed him to a solo deal. Jack's first single was released in April 1957. Later that year, the second single was released. Still in 1957, "Two-Timin' Waman" was released. The records sold well in Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland, but failed to break the big markets in the east and west and ABC let Jack go.

In early 1958, Jack had worked up two more songs, "Leroy" and "My True Love." In June 1958, Carlton Records released "Leroy." Although it did fairly well, it peaked at #25 on the Billboard's Hot 100. However, when some deejays started flipping it to play "My True Love", the song rocketed up the chart, reaching #3. The double-sided single eventually sold over one million records.

Jack's next two singles, "With Your Love" and "Geraldine" cracked the Top 100, but not the Top 25 (28 and 96 respectively). However, his next release, "Goodbye Baby" climbed the charts, hitting #8 early in 1959, just about the time he was drafted. Fortunately for Jack's career, a chronic ulcer earned him a medical discharge in May 1979. Later that year, Jack had another moderately successful hit, "The Way I Walk", which charted at #35.

His first album, "Jack Scott", contained mostly his own compositions, "Save My Soul", "With Your Love", "Leroy", "Geraldine", "Midgie", "My True Love", "The Way I Walk", "I'm Dreaming Of You" and "Goodbye Baby." It also included three country standards, "No One Will Ever Know", "I Can't Help It" and "Indiana Waltz."

On November 25, 1959, Jack again switched labels, signing with Top Rank Records. That same day, he went into the studio and recorded, "What In The World's Come Over You." The record was released immediately and it was on the charts for the first four months of 1960, reaching #5. In March 1960, Jack released his last big hit, "Burning Bridges", which hit #3.