Lance and Otis Leavill formed a group named the Floats in the mid-1950s. However, they broke up before recording any songs. But Lance became a featured dancer on a local TV show named "Time for Teens", and presenter Jim Lounsbury gave him a one-off record deal with Mercury Records. Mercury released his single "I Got a Girl", written and produced by Curtis Mayfield, in 1959, which was not successful. Because of this, Lance worked at various jobs over the next few years.