Felts recorded his first single, "Kiss-a Me Baby", at the age of 18, and his career skyrocketed with the help of Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. Felts enjoyed modest pop success in 1960 with a remake of the Drifters' "Honey Love", which earned a low position on the "Billboard" Hot 100. He went on to release such songs as "Lonely Teardrops" and "Pink And Black Days", but he did not begin enjoying success on a national level as a country singer until the 1970s. His first major hit came in 1973, with a cover of Dobie Gray's "Drift Away". Felts' version – number eight on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart in September 1973 – was midtempo country compared to Gray's blues version. The follow-up single, "All in the Name of Love", just missed hitting the top 10 in December 1973.