DION and The Belmonts: A Decade-by-Decade Look

A HISTORY OF ONE OF THE GREATEST SINGERS OF ALL TIME

Photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash

1950s — The Rise with the Belmonts

· Dion DiMucci began his recording career in the mid-1950s, influenced by R&B, doo-wop, and the Italian American street culture of the Bronx.

· He joined with the Belmonts — Carlo Mastrangelo, Freddie Milano, and Angelo D’Aleo — to form Dion and the Belmonts in 1957.

· Their first hit, “I Wonder Why” (1958), reached №22 on the Billboard chart and became a doo-wop classic.

· “No One Knows” and “Don’t Pity Me” followed with moderate success, solidifying their presence in teen pop culture.

· In 1959, “A Teenager in Love” hit №5 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their signature song and one of the top doo-wop tracks of the era.

· The group appeared on national TV shows like American Bandstand and toured with Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens.

· Dion declined a seat on the doomed 1959 plane crash that killed Holly, Valens, and the Big Bopper — a turning point in rock history. The $36 plane ticket was the same amount Dion’s parents were paying in monthly rent for their apartment