April 9, 1942: Jim Neske, who recorded under the name Chance Eden, was born in Port Angeles, WA
He worked in the timber industry as he pursued a career in music. Jim was under contract by Roulette Records and his producer was Artie Kornfield who wrote songs and also produced most of the hits for John Sebastian and the Lovin' Spoonful. Jim's musical conductor was guitarist and orchestra leader Trade Martin. Jim's vocal style leaned toward Elvis Presley and he appreciated Roy Orbison's work. Jim's first recordings were produced at Birthstone Records in Tacoma, WA and one of his early supporters was disk jockey Danny Holiday who worked at KPUG in Bellingham. Holiday later went on to achieve music prominence at major AM radio stations KOL and KBSG in Seattle. While under contract with Roulette, Jim toured periodically as the opening performer for Tommy James and the Shondells.
November 23, 1964, at age 22, Eden signed a six-year contract with Roulette.
In 1965 Jim's first Roulette single, "You'd Better Go Now" achieved significant playtime in Kentucky and the Carolinas. The record company went on to release five singles by him.
In 1966 Eden cut a version of the Beatles’ “I’m Looking Through You” that featured a powerhouse horn section that would later gain fame as the band Chicago. This disc, as with Eden’s other Roulette releases (“Cry,” “Another Love,” “I Could Have Loved You”) saw promising chart action but never quite developed into genuine hits. August 1966: Chance Eden records "I Could Have Loved You so Well" in New York