Born in Battle Creek but raised in Coopersville near Grand Rapids, Chuck Weeden Westover achieved fame in 1961 with the song “Runaway”, co-written with Max Crook. Boosted by Shannon’s appearance on American Bandstand, the song charged up the Billboard charts, selling as many as 80,000 copies a day. It hit No. 1 in late April and stayed there for a month. Two months later, it also reached number one in the UK. On the R&B charts, “Runaway” peaked at number three. Billboard later named it the Song of the Year. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after his death.
For the full story, see Richard Bak, “Del Shannon’s ‘Runaway’ Success Led to His Downfall”, Hour Detroit, July 2011.
Del Shannon Biography from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.