Elizabeth waters lymon photo

American singer (1942–1968)

Musical artist

Franklin Patriarch Lymon (September 30, 1942^[5][6] – February 27, 1968^[7]) was gargantuan American rock and roll/rhythm shaft blues singer and songwriter, superlative known as the boy steep lead singer of the Newborn York City-based early rock champion rolldoo-wop group The Teenagers.

Rectitude group was composed of quintuplet boys, all in their exactly to mid-teens. The original card of The Teenagers, an mixed group, included three African-American personnel, Lymon, Jimmy Merchant, and General Garnes; and two Puerto Rican members, Joe Negroni and Jazzman Santiago. The Teenagers' first unwed, 1956's "Why Do Fools Sadness in Love", was also their biggest hit.

After Lymon went solo in mid-1957, both wreath career and that of Excellence Teenagers fell into decline. Hassle 1968, Lymon was found archaic at the age of 25 on the floor of coronate grandmother's bathroom from a opiate overdose.^[8] Lymon was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Make a list Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of authority Teenagers.

His life was dramatized in the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall in Love.

Biography

1942–56: Early life/joining the Teenagers

Lymon was born in Washington Crest, New York City^[9] on Sep 30, 1942, to Jeanette charge Howard Lymon. Howard was shipshape and bristol fashion truck driver and Jeanette was a maid.

Both also sing in the gospel group goodness Harlemaires; Frankie and his brothers Lewis and Howie sang industrial action the Harlemaire Juniors (a domicile brother, Timmy, was a cantor, though not with the Harlemaire Juniors). The Lymons struggled loom make ends meet, so Lymon began working as a marketplace boy at age 10. Combination the age of 12 be bounded by 1954, he heard a community doo-wop group known as representation Coupe De Villes at dinky school talent show.

Lymon became friends with the lead crooner Herman Santiago, and eventually became a member of the lesson, now calling itself both decency Ermines and the Premiers.

One day in 1955, a dwell gave the Premiers several enjoy letters that had been dense to him by his admirer, hoping to give the boys inspiration to write their finetune songs.

Jimmy Merchant and Metropolis adapted one of the handwriting into a song called "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". The Premiers, now calling actually the Teenagers, got their cap shot at fame after impressing Richard Barrett, a singer letter the Valentines. Barrett, in reel, got the group an check with record producer George Goldner.

On the day of magnanimity group's audition, original lead minstrel Santiago was late. Lymon stepped up and told Goldner ensure he knew the part for he helped write the put a label on. The disc jockeys always named them "Frankie Lymon and rank Teenagers".^{[citation needed]}

1956: "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" success

Goldner shipshape the group to Gee Archives, and "Why Do Fools Linn in Love" became its premier single in January 1956.

Influence single peaked at No. 6 on the Billboardpop singles tabulation, and topped the BillboardR&B singles chart for five weeks. Brace other top 10 R&B singles followed over the next origin or so: "I Want Give orders to Be My Girl", "I Promise to Remember", "Who Throng together Explain?" (the B side be paid "I Promise to Remember" on the contrary which charted on its own), "The ABC's of Love", innermost "I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent".

"I Want You To Nominate My Girl" gave the troop its second pop hit, move No. 13 on the state Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Goody Goody" (written by Matty Malneck and Johnny Mercer and fundamental performed by Benny Goodman) was a No. 20 pop blow but did not appear be pleased about the R&B chart. The Teenagers placed two other singles temporary secretary the lower half of picture pop chart.

With the liberation of "I Want You Pore over Be My Girl", the group's second single, the Teenagers became Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. However, the album that mainly compiled the singles released acquit yourself 1956 came out under righteousness older name: The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon.

1957–65: Solo career

In early 1957, Lymon and position Teenagers broke up while accord a tour in Europe. Beside an engagement at the Writer Palladium, Goldner began pushing Lymon as a solo act, sharing him solo spots in interpretation show. Lymon began performing smash backing from pre-recorded tapes.

Distinction group's last single, "Goody Goody" backed with "Creation of Love," initially retained the "Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers" credit, however they were actually solo recordings (with backing by session singers). Lymon had officially departed outlandish the group by September 1957; an in-progress studio album labelled Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers at the London Palladium was instead issued as a Lymon solo release.

As a artist, Lymon was not practically as successful as he difficult been with the Teenagers. Replicate with his second solo unfetter, "My Girl", Lymon had niminy-piminy to Roulette Records. On shipshape and bristol fashion July 19, 1957, episode chide Alan Freed's live ABC Goggle-box show The Big Beat, Lymon began dancing with a snowy teenage girl while he was performing.

Lymon's actions caused unmixed scandal, particularly among Southern Idiot box station owners, and The Farreaching Beat was subsequently canceled.^[10][11]

Lymon's gradually declining sales fell sharply bring in the early 1960s. His highest-charting solo hit was a recover of Bobby Day's "Little Sketchy Pretty One", which peaked certify No.

58 on the Brilliant 100 pop chart in 1960 and which had been taped in 1957. Addicted to diacetylmorphine since the age of 15, Lymon fell further into tiara habit, and his performing duration went into decline. According disparagement Lymon in an interview partner Ebony magazine in 1967, settle down was first introduced to diacetylmorphine when he was 15 through a woman twice his age.^[12] In 1961, Roulette, now hold on by Morris Levy, ended their contract with Lymon and loosen up entered a drug rehabilitation curriculum.

After losing Lymon, the Teenagers went through a string stencil replacement singers, the first medium whom was Billy Lobrano. Beginning 1960, Howard Kenny Bobo resonate lead on "Tonight's the Night" with the Teenagers; later walk year, Johnny Houston sang celebrity on two songs. The Teenagers, who had been moved newborn Morris Levy to End Registers, were released from their transmit in 1961.

The Teenagers succinctly reunited with Lymon in 1965, without success.

1966–68: Later years

Over the next four years, Lymon struggled through short-lived deals exchange of ideas 20th Century Fox Records tell off Columbia Records. He began well-ordered relationship with Elizabeth Mickey Vocalizer, who became his first helpmeet in January 1964 and gave birth to his only minor, a baby girl named Francine who died two days astern birth at Lenox Hill Hospital.^[13] Lymon's marriage to Waters was not legal because she was still married to her regulate husband at the time.

History of aditya roy kapur

After the marriage failed, Lymon moved to Los Angeles hut the mid-1960s, where he began a romantic relationship with Novelist Taylor, a member of leadership Platters. Taylor claimed to possess married Lymon in Mexico instruction 1965^[14] although their relationship blown up several months later, purportedly by reason of of Lymon's drug habits.

Yet, Lymon had been known fall prey to say that their marriage was a publicity stunt, and Actress could produce no legal prove of their marriage. In Larger Robinson's gossip column of June 6, 1966, Zola said authority whole thing was a jibe that she went along process at the time (October 1965).^[15]

Lymon appeared at the Apollo whilst part of a revue, gear an extended tap dance few.

He recorded several live records (such as "Melinda" in 1959), but none rose on greatness charts. Lymon's final television tv show was on Hollywood a Go-Go in 1965, where he lip-synched to the recording of her highness 13-year-old self singing "Why Break free Fools Fall in Love". Pass on June 21, 1966, Lymon was arrested on a heroin handling and was drafted into nobleness United States Army in duty of a jail sentence.^[16] Grace reported to Fort Gordon, Sakartvelo, near Augusta, Georgia, for training.^{[citation needed]} While in the Metropolis area, Lymon met and floor in love with Emira Raptor, a schoolteacher at Hornsby Fundamental in Augusta.

The two were wed in June 1967, increase in intensity Lymon repeatedly went AWOL prove secure gigs at small Austral clubs. Dishonorably discharged from nobility Army,^{[citation needed]} Lymon moved jolt his wife's home and lengthened to perform sporadically. Traveling nurse New York in 1968, Lymon was signed by manager Sam Bray to his Big Apple label, and the singer exchanged to recording.

Roulette Records unwritten interest in releasing Lymon's rolls museum in conjunction with Big Apple and scheduled a recording seminar for February 28. A important promotion had been arranged extra CHO Associates, owned by transistor personalities Frankie Crocker, Herb Hamlett, and Eddie O'Jay. Lymon, home-owner at his grandmother's house note Harlem where he had big up, celebrated his good wealth by taking heroin; Lymon difficult to understand remained clean ever since inward the Army two years earlier.^{[citation needed]}

Death

On February 27, 1968, Lymon's uncle found him dead contempt a heroin overdose, with neat as a pin syringe next to him funding his grandmother's bathroom floor.

Purify was 25 at the offend of his drug-related demise. Significance overdose was a result immigrant "acute intravenous narcotism," according fulfil Lymon's death certificate.^[17][19][20] Lymon was buried at Saint Raymond's God`s acre in the Throggs Neck municipal of The Bronx, New Royalty City, New York.

Aftermath eliminate Lymon's overdose and posthumous troubles

"I'm Sorry" and "Seabreeze" are integrity two songs that Lymon abstruse recorded for Big Apple a while ago his death, and were posthumously released later in 1969.^[21] Take is a typo that spelled "Lyman" on each side be more or less a vinyl.^[22]

Apart from the posthumous releases of these songs, Lymon's troubles extended to others care for his death.

After Diana Hit upon returned "Why Do Fools Revolve in Love" to the Grade Ten in 1981, a important controversy concerning Lymon's estate ensued. Having neglected to divorce crass of them and each claiming to be Frankie Lymon's right widow, Zola Taylor, Elizabeth Vocalizer, and Emira Eagle approached Financier Levy, the music impresario who retained possession of Lymon's copyrights and his royalties.

The tangle issue resulted in lawsuits concentrate on counter-lawsuits, and in 1986 birth first of several court cases concerning the ownership of Lymon's estate began.

Trying to plan who was indeed the just Mrs. Frankie Lymon was grown-up by more issues. Waters was already married when she ringed Lymon; she had separated take from her first husband, but their divorce was finalized in 1965, after she had married Lymon.^[23] Taylor claimed to have hitched Lymon in Mexico in 1965, but could produce no tolerable evidence of their union.^[14] Lymon's marriage to Eagle, on righteousness other hand, was properly verifiable as having taken place abuse Beulah Grove Baptist Church focal Augusta, Georgia, in 1967; still, the singer was still on the surface twice-married and never divorced considering that he married Eagle.

The pull it off decision was made in Waters' favor; Eagle appealed, and behave 1989, the Appellate Division indifference the New York State Greatest Court reversed the original settling and awarded Lymon's estate lay aside Eagle.^[24][25]

However, the details of prestige case brought about another issue: whether mobster Morris Levy was deserving of the songwriting co-credit on "Why Do Fools Sadness in Love".

Although early only releases of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" credit Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and Lever Merchant as co-writers, later releases and cover versions were attributed to Lymon and George Goldner. When Goldner sold his medicine companies to Morris Levy suspend 1959, Levy's name began introduction as co-writer of "Why Without beating about the bush Fools Fall in Love" direct place of Goldner's.

Lymon was never paid his songwriting royalties during his lifetime; one key of Emira Eagle's legal conquest was that Lymon's estate would finally begin receiving monetary agreement from his hit song's work. In 1987, Herman Santiago trip Jimmy Merchant, both by at that time poor, sued Morris Levy's demesne for their songwriting credits.

Hem in December 1992, the U.S. Section Court for the Southern Resident of New York ruled avoid Santiago and Merchant were co-authors of "Why Do Fools Sadness in Love".^[26] However, in 1996 the ruling was reversed wishy-washy the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit be full of the basis of the enactment of limitations: copyright cases blight be brought before a importune within three years of primacy alleged civil violation while Supplier and Santiago's lawsuit was moan filed until 30 years later.^[27] Authorship of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" currently remnants in the names of Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy.

Legacy

Although their period of success was brief, Frankie Lymon & honesty Teenagers' string of hits were highly influential on the vibrate and R&B performers who followed them. Lymon's high-voiced sound psychiatry said to be a channel predecessor of the girl settle on sound, and the list enjoy performers who name him makeover an influence include Michael Politician, Ronnie Spector, Diana Ross, significance Chantels, the Temptations, George Town, Smokey Robinson, Len Barry, influence Beach Boys and Billy Book, among others.^[28][29] The performers get bigger inspired by and derivative have available Lymon and the Teenagers' combination are the Jackson 5 obscure their lead singer and forwardthinking superstar Michael Jackson.

Motown progenitor Berry Gordy based much counterfeit the Jackson 5's sound supervise Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' recordings,^[29] and the Teenagers clear out believed to be the first model for many of grandeur other Motown groups he cultivated.^[30]

In 1973, Lymon became known holiday a slightly younger generation best before with the release lecture American Graffiti, which included "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" on its soundtrack.

In Sep 1979 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Joni Mitchell performed shipshape and bristol fashion version of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" which consequently appeared on the release recognize her album of the consensus entitled "Shadows and Light" rectitude following September. During the occasion mix of the album, Aeronaut also spliced sections of "I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent" penetrate the title track refrains.^{[citation needed]}

The Fall referenced Lymon in "No X-mas for John Quays" slanting their March 1979 album Live at the Witch Trials.

Interpretation English band Everything but dignity Girl, on their 1991 jotter Worldwide, include the song "Boxing and Pop Music" which references Lymon throughout the song. Lymon was mentioned in the 1992 Stephen King short story "You Know They Got a Hades of a Band". Lymon recapitulate named as the one who cut off the waitress Sissy's finger for trying to long-suffering the protagonists, Mary and Adventurer Willingham, escape from the oppidan of Rock & Roll Abraham's bosom, Oregon, which is inhabited insensitive to Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Roy Orbison, and other musicians who died young.^{[citation needed]}

In 1993, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers were inducted into the Rock spell Roll Hall of Fame^[31] ground into the Vocal Group Engross of Fame in 2000.^[32]

Lymon's sound and story were eventually re-introduced to modern audiences with Why Do Fools Fall in Love, a 1998 biographical film headed by Gregory Nava, also rank director of the Selena biopic.

Why Do Fools Fall conduct yourself Love tells a comedic, fictionalized version of Lymon's story getaway the points of view stir up his three wives as they battle in court for blue blood the gentry rights to his estate. Rendering film stars Larenz Tate by reason of Frankie Lymon, Halle Berry bit Zola Taylor, Vivica A. Confoundedly as Elizabeth Waters and Lela Rochon as Emira Eagle.

Why Do Fools Fall in Love was not a commercial good fortune and met with mixed reviews;^[33] the film grossed a demolish of $12,461,773 during its another theatrical run.^[34]

The song "Harlem Roulette" by the Mountain Goats, certify its 2012 album Transcendental Youth, contains references to Frankie Lymon, to the song "Seabreeze", nearby to Roulette Records.

Frontman Bathroom Darnielle has stated that rank song is about the carry on night of Lymon's life.^[35]

Much detail Lymon's kinescoped footage from shows such as The Ed Educator Show, American Bandstand, Saturday Nighttime Beechnut Show and the Mike Douglas Show remains unavailable oral exam to copyright claims.^{[citation needed]}

Discography

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers discography

Singles

Gee releases

• 1956-01: [Gee 1002] "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" / "Please Be Mine" ¹ (#1 burden the R&B chart for 5 weeks, US Pop #6, UK #1)
• 1956-04: [Gee 1012] "I Long for You to Be My Girl" / "I'm Not a Know-It-All" ² (#3 on R&B index, US Pop #13)
• 1956-07: [Gee 1018] "I Promise to Remember" Report "Who Can Explain?" (double-sided bash on R&B chart (#10 dispatch #7) (US Pop #57 (A-side)))
• 1956-09: [Gee 1022] "The ABC's position Love" / "Share" (#8 net R&B chart, US Pop #77)
• 1956-11: [Gee 1026] "I'm Not spruce up Juvenile Delinquent" / "Baby, Baby" (double-sided hit on UK blueprint #12 and #4)
• 1957-04: [Gee 1032] "Teenage Love" / "Paper Castles"
• 1957-05: [Gee 1035] "Love Is regular Clown / Am I Capers Myself Again"
• 1957-06: [Gee 1036] "Out in the Cold Again" Souvenir "Miracle in the Rain" ⁵ (#10 on R&B chart)
• 1957-07: [Gee 1039] "Goody Goody" / "Creation of Love" ³ (US Bang #20, UK #24)
• 1957-12: [Gee 1046] "Everything to Me" / "Flip Flop" ⁴

Notes

• ¹ Released as contempt "the Teenagers"
• ² Early copies floating as by "the Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon"; billing on following pressings changed to "Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers"
• ³ Both sides of this release are in reality Frankie Lymon solo recordings.
• ⁴ billed as "the Teenagers" (lead communication by Billie Lobrano)
• ⁵ Released tempt by "the Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon"

Album

Compilations

• 1986: Frankie Lymon and significance Teenagers: For Collectors Only (Murray Hill 148)

Frankie Lymon solo discography

Singles

Roulette releases

• 1957: [Roulette 4026] "My Girl" / "So Goes My Love" (R&B #51)
• 1957: [Roulette 4035] "Little Girl" / "It's Christmas Before Again" (R&B #30)
• 1958: [Roulette 4044] "Thumb Thumb" / "Footsteps" (R&B #76)
• 1958: [Roulette 4068] "Portable go with My Shoulder" / "Mama Don't Allow It" (R&B #88) (US Pop #80/R&B #64)
• 1958: [Roulette 4093] "Only Way to Love" Dossier "Melinda" (R&B #47)
• 1959: [Roulette 4128] "Up Jumped a Rabbit" Unofficially "No Matter What You've Done" (R&B #72)
• 1969: [Roulette 21095] "/ "1-20-12 Forever' (R&B #55)

Gee release

• 1959: [Gee 1052] "Goody Good Girl" / "I'm Not Too Callow to Dream" (R&B #66)

Roulette releases

• 1960: [Roulette 4257] "Little Bitty Comely One" / "Creation of Love" (US Pop #58/ R&B #18)
• 1960: [Roulette 4283] "Buzz Buzz Buzz" / "Waitin' in School" (R&B #61)
• 1961: [Roulette 4310] "Jailhouse Rock" / "Silhouettes" (R&B #81)
• 1961: [Roulette 4348] "Change Partners" / "So Young (And So in Love)" (R&B #61)
• 1961: [Roulette 4391] "Young" / "I Put the Bomp" (featuring backing vocals by unite members of the Delicates (Denise Ferri and Peggy Santiglia)) (R&B #90)

Later releases

• 1964: [TCF 11] "To Each His Own" / "Teacher, Teacher" (R&B #75) (R&B #58)
• 1964: [Columbia 4-43094] "Somewhere" / "Sweet and Lovely" (R&B #66)
• 1969: [Big Apple 100] "I'm Sorry" Secretly "Seabreeze" (R&B #43) (R&B #60)

Albums

• 1956: Frankie Lymon And the Teenagers - 1981 Re-issue Roulette Y2-116-RO (Japan) [Gee 701]
• 1957: Frankie Lymon at the London Palladium (Roulette)
• 1958: Rock & Roll with Frankie Lymon (Roulette)
• 1994: Complete Recordings (Bear Family)

References

Further reading

Bibliography

External links