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Frankie Lymon

 
Black Biography: Frankie Lymon
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Personal Information

Born in New York, NY, on September 30, 1942; died in New York, NY, on February 28, 1968; married Emira Eagle on June 30, 1967.

Career

Teenage vocal star; most noted for the song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?"; sang with school friends in street-corner doo-wop harmony groups, early 1950s; joined group, the Coupe de Villes; group later renamed the Teenagers; recorded for Gee Records, 1955; released "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?," 1956; appeared in films Rock Rock Rock and Mr. Rock and Roll, 1956-57; toured Britain with the Teenagers, 1957; left the Teenagers, 1957; entered drug rehabilitation program, 1961; reunited briefly with the Teenagers, 1965.

Life's Work

Frankie Lymon's short and tragic life took him from modest beginnings, to international stardom at the age of thirteen, to a long descent into the nightmare of drug addiction and an early death. He was the first African American teen heartthrob and inspired a host of other young musicians, such as Michael Jackson. Lymon's career was born at the very beginning of the rock and roll era and the song with which he remains identified,"Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, is considered a classic. However, Lymon was an ill-fated pioneer who could not cope with his sudden fame and who spent the final years of his life battling drug addiction.

Lymon was born in Harlem on September 30, 1942. His father sang gospel music in a group called the Harlemaires, and Lymon became a talented singer of the street-corner harmony known as doo-wop. During the early 1950s, Lymon and his friends sang for donations on New York's streets and Lymon's distinctive, high-pitched voice led to the creation of a quartet known at various times as the Ermines, the Coupe de Villes, and the Premiers. The group was eventually dubbed the Teenagers and its other members, Sherman Garnes, Joe Negroni, Herman Santiago, and Jimmy Merchant, were all about a year or two older than Lymon.

In 1955, a chance encounter propelled Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers to a higher level. Richard Barrett, a member of the successful vocal group, the Valentines, heard Lymon's group performing on the street. The Valentines had recorded for Gee Records, a small independent label that had cashed in on the rapidly growing popularity of doo-wop music. Barrett brought Lymon and his group to the attention of the label's executives. Upon hearing Lymon and the Teenagers perform, they rushed the group into the recording studio. The executives were particularly impressed with a song entitled "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" and asked Lymon for the sheet music to the song. According to an account in Irwin Stambler's Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock & Soul, Lymon replied, "Nope, we don't know anything about written-down music."

Substituted in Lead Vocal Slot

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" was released in January of 1956 and shared the upper levels of the charts with such luminaries as Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins. The song reached Number One on the R&B charts and Number Six on the pop charts. It became a hit in England as well, reaching Number One there. "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" exemplified the best in doo-wop music, with its graceful vocal line from Lymon and its rhythmic and precise harmonies. Although the group is said to have worked to perfect some of their songs in rehearsals, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" coalesced spontaneously--Lymon filled in on lead vocals for the ailing Santiago, who had been scheduled to perform.

Despite competition from cover versions by white singers, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" topped the charts for several weeks. Gee Records crafted an innocent, old-fashioned image for Lymon and the Teenagers--they were often seen wearing collegiate-style school letter sweaters--and the song's durability worked to prolong the group's moment in the spotlight. They appeared in two movies, Rock Rock Rock (which included a song called "I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent" that hit both American and British charts) in 1956 and Mr. Rock and Roll in 1957. Their debut album, The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon, included several other hit singles, such as "I Want You To Be My Girl," "I Promise to Remember," and "The ABCs of Love."

Split from the Teenagers

Due to the success of their recordings in England, Lymon and the Teenagers were invited to tour the country and appeared at London's famed Palladium. During this time, Lymon began to distance himself from the Teenagers. He recorded a solo single while in England, "Goody Goody," which enjoyed moderate success. Lymon split from the group when they returned to the United States and attempted to launch a solo career. However, his distinctively youthful voice was changing and his popularity soon vanished. While the Teenagers struggled to survive with a succession of new lead vocalists, Lymon began experimenting with drugs and eventually entered a drug rehabilitation program at Manhattan's General Hospital in 1961.

Lymon worked hard to resurrect his career. He took drumming lessons, and reunited briefly with the Teenagers in 1965. However, his attempts at a musical comeback continued to be overshadowed by his abuse of drugs. In 1964, he was arrested on drug charges. Lymon married Emira Eagle, a Georgia schoolteacher, in 1967 and it appeared that the marriage had offered Lymon another opportunity to get his life back on track. He began playing in small Southern clubs, and planned to embark on a European tour with other 1950s music stars. In February of 1968, Lymon departed for New York to make a quick publicity appearance. When his wife tried to contact him in New York, she was unsuccessful. On February 28th, Lymon was found dead of a heroin overdose in his grandmother's Harlem apartment.

Song Ownership Contested in Court

Following Lymon's death, a bitter court battle ensued to determine ownership rights to "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" All of the Teenagers filed suit and two of the members, Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant, eventually won the case. At the same time, two women who claimed to have been married to Lymon battled his widow, Emira, for rights to his estate. The court determined that Emira was the sole heir to Lymon's fortune. Following resolution of the case, Emira Lymon's attorney William McCracken told Ebony, "You could teach a class in domestic law on nothing but this case. It's just been a battle royale all the way."

Despite Lymon's troubled life and tragic death, the popularity of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" has not diminished. It is considered a rock and roll standard and many artists, including Diana Ross, have recorded versions of the song. The song also appeared on the soundtrack of George Lucas's 1973 hit film American Graffiti. A host of doo-wop high tenors emulated Lymon throughout the 1950s, and the sweet-voiced male vocalists who recorded for Berry Gordy's Motown label owed much to Lymon's style. In 1993, the Teenagers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1998, Lymon's life became the subject of a movie, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?," which showcased both his years of stardom and the mysteries of his later life.

Works

Selected discography

  • The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon, Gee, 1957.
  • The Teenagers at the London Palladium, Gee, 1958.
  • Rock 'n' Roll Party with Frankie Lymon, Guest, 1959.
  • Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers: For Collectors Only, Murray Hill, 1987.
  • Why Do Fools Fall in Love and Other Hits, Rhino, 1989.
  • The Best of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Roulette, 1990.
  • Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers: Complete Recordings, Bear Family, 1994.

Further Reading

Books

  • Erlewine, Michael, et al, eds., The All-Music Guide to Rock, Miller/Freeman, 1998.
  • Larkin, Colin, ed., The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Muze U.K., 1998.
  • Romanowski, Patricia, and Holly George-Warren, eds., The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, Fireside, 1995.
  • Stambler, Irwin, The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock & Soul, St. Martin's, 1989.
Periodicals
  • Ebony, December 1998, p. 68.

— James M. Manheim

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Artist: Frankie Lymon
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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists
Frankie Lymon

Similar Artists:

The Moonglows, Thurston Harris, Clyde McPhatter, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Clovers, The Cadillacs, The Students, The Premiers, Little Anthony & the Imperials, The Jackson 5, The Orioles, Otis Williams, The Pentagons, The Olympics, Jackie & the Starlites, Hollywood Flames, The Del Vikings, The Crests

Influenced By:

Little Willie John, Esther Phillips

Followers:

Louie Lymon, American Werewolves, The Ronettes

Performed Songs By:

Ted Koehler, Robert Byrd, Herman Santiago, Jimmy Merchant, George Goldner, Johnny Mercer, Morris Levy, Richard Barrett, Vic Abrams

Relationship With:

Louie Lymon
See Frankie Lymon Lyrics
  • Born: September 30, 1942, New York, NY [Harlem]
  • Died: February 28, 1968, New York, NY [Harlem]
  • Active: '50s, '60s
  • Genres: Rhythm & Blues
  • Instrument: Vocals
  • Representative Albums: "The Very Best of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers," "Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers: The Complete Recordings," "The Best of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers"
  • Representative Songs: "I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent," "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?," "I Want You to Be My Girl"

Biography

Frankie Lymon (1942-1968) and the Teenagers were a New York doo wop group consisting of Joe Negroni, Herman Santiago, Jimmy Merchant, and Sherman Garnes, but centered around the extraordinary talents of their lead singer, 13-year-old Frankie Lymon. Lymon was credited with their first big hit, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (in the early '90s, a federal judge ruled after a lengthy trial that Lymon hadn't written "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" -- another member of the Teenagers had). His wise-beyond-his-years vocal and performing abilities not only made the Teenagers a group several notches above the competition but made Lymon the first black teenage pop star. Though only together for a brief 18-month period, Lymon & the Teenagers exerted an enormous influence, spawning several "kid" vocal groups and providing initial inspiration to Berry Gordy to model his entire Motown production approach around Lymon's original vocal style. Inexplicably, the group split into two factions at the height of their success, and neither had a hit again. Lymon died from a drug overdose at age 26. Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Len Barry, and his principal protégé, Michael Jackson (whose early recordings with the Jackson 5 are virtual re-creations of the early Lymon sound, merely updated) all show the influence of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' groundbreaking work. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide
Wikipedia: Frankie Lymon
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Frankie Lymon

Frankie Lymon performing "Goody, Goody" on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1958
Background information
Birth name Franklin Joseph Lymon
Born September 30, 1942(1942-09-30)
Origin Harlem, New York City, New York, USA
Died February 28, 1968 (aged 25)
Harlem, New York City, New York, USA
Genres Rhythm and blues, doo-wop, rock and roll, pop
Occupations Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1955–1968
Labels Gee, Roulette
Associated acts The Teenagers

Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 28, 1968) was an African American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens. The original lineup of the Teenagers, an integrated group, included three African American members, Frankie Lymon, Jimmy Merchant and Sherman Garnes, and two Puerto Rican members, Herman Santiago and Joe Negroni.

The Teenagers' first single, 1956's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", was also their biggest hit. After Lymon went solo in mid-1957, both his career and those of the Teenagers fell into decline. By age 25, he was found dead in his grandmother's bathroom from a heroin overdose.

Contents

Biography

Early years: joining the Teenagers

Frankie Lymon was born in Harlem, New York City to a truck driver father and a mother who worked as a maid. Lymon's father, Howard Lymon, also sang in a gospel group known as the Harlemaires; Frankie Lymon and his brothers Lewis and Howie sang with the Harlemaire Juniors (a fourth Lymon brother, Timmy, a singer, but not with the Harlemaire Juniors). The Lymon family struggled to make ends meet, and Lymon began working as a grocery boy at age ten, augmenting his legitimate income with proceeds gained from hustling prostitutes and was known for having relationships with women twice his age.[1]

At the age of 12, Lymon heard a local doo-wop group known as the Coupe De Villes at a school talent show. He befriended their lead singer, Herman Santiago, and he eventually became a member of the group, now calling itself both The Ermines and The Premiers. Dennis Jackson of Columbus, Georgia was one of the main influences of Mr. Lymon's life. His personal donation of 500 dollars helped start Frankie's career.

One day in 1955, a neighbor gave The Premiers several love letters that had been written to him by his girlfriend, with the hopes that he could give the boys inspiration to write their own songs. Merchant and Santiago adapted one of the letters into a song called "Why Do Birds Sing So Gay?" With Lymon's input, the song became "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". The Premiers, now calling themselves The Teenagers, got their first shot at fame after impressing Richard Barrett, a singer with The Valentines. Barrett, in turn, got the group an audition with record producer George Goldner. On the day of the group's audition, Santiago was the original lead singer but, Santiago was late. So Lymon stepped up and told Goldner that he knew the part because he helped write the song.

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love": fame and success

Goldner signed the quintet to Gee Records, and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" became their first single in January 1956. The single peaked at #6 on the Billboard pop singles chart, and topped the Billboard R&B singles chart for five weeks.

Five other R&B top ten singles followed over the next year or so: "I Want You To Be My Girl", "I Promise To Remember", "Who Can Explain?", "Out in the Cold Again" and "The ABC's of Love". "I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent" and "Baby Baby" were also popular Teenagers releases. "I Want You To Be My Girl" gave the band its second pop hit, reaching #13 on the national Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Goody Goody" (written by Matty Malneck and originally performed by Benny Goodman) was a #20 pop hit, but did not appear on the R&B chart. The Teenagers placed two other singles in the lower half of the pop chart.

With the release of "I Want You To Be My Girl", the group's second single, The Teenagers became Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. An album, The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon, was issued in December 1956.

Going solo

In early 1957, Lymon and the Teenagers split apart while on a tour of Europe. During an engagement at the London Palladium, Goldner began pushing Lymon as a solo act, giving him solo spots in the show. Lymon began performing with backing from pre-recorded tapes. The group's last single, "Goody Goody" backed with "Creation of Love," initially retained the "Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers" credit, but they were actually solo recordings (with backing by session singers). Lymon had officially departed from the group by September 1957; an in-progress studio album called Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers at the London Palladium was instead issued as a Lymon solo release.

As a solo artist, Lymon was not nearly as successful as he was with the Teenagers. Beginning with his second solo release, "My Girl", Lymon was moved to Roulette Records. On a July 19, 1957 episode of Alan Freed's live ABC TV show The Big Beat, Lymon began dancing with a white teenage girl while performing. His actions caused a scandal, particularly among Southern TV station owners, and The Big Beat was subsequently canceled.[2]

Lymon's slowly declining sales fell sharply after his voice changed and he lost his signature soprano voice. Adopting a falsetto, Lymon carried on. His highest charting solo hit was a cover of Thurston Harris' "Little Bitty Pretty One", which peaked at number 58 on the Hot 100 pop chart in 1960, and which had actually been recorded in 1957. Addicted to heroin since age 15, Lymon fell further into his habit, and his performing career went into decline. According to Lymon in an interview with Ebony in 1967, he said that at the age of 15 he was first introduced to heroin, by a woman twice his age. In 1961, Roulette, now run by Morris Levy, ended their contract with Lymon and the singer entered a drug rehabilitation program.

After losing Lymon, the Teenagers went through a string of replacement singers, the first of whom was Billy Lobrano. In 1960, Howard Kenny Bobo sang lead on "Tonight's The Night" with the Teenagers; later that year, Johnny Houston sang lead on two songs. The Teenagers, who had been moved by Morris Levy onto End Records, were released from their contract in 1961. The Teenagers briefly reunited with Lymon in 1965, without success.

Later years and death

Over the next four years, Lymon struggled through short-lived deals with 20th Century Fox Records and Columbia Records. Lymon began a relationship with Elizabeth Waters, who became his first wife in January 1964. Lymon's marriage to Ms. Waters was not legal in the beginning, because she was still married to her first husband. However, it is alleged that they became married by way of common law marriage. After the marriage failed, he moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s, where he began a romantic relationship with Zola Taylor. He appeared at the Apollo as part of a revue, adding an extended tap dance number. Lymon recorded several live performances (such as "Melinda" in 1959), but none rose on the charts. His final television performance was on Hollywood a Go-Go in 1965, where the 22-year-old singer lip-synched to the recording of his 13-year-old self singing "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." Taylor claimed to have married Lymon in Mexico in 1965,[3] although their relationship ended several months later purportedly because of Lymon's drug habits. Lymon, however, had been known to say that their marriage was a publicity stunt and Taylor could produce no legal documentation of their marriage.

The same year, Lymon was drafted into the United States Army, and reported to Fort Gordon, Georgia near Augusta, Georgia for training. While in the Augusta area, Lymon met and fell in love with Emira Eagle, a schoolteacher at Hornsby Elementary in Augusta. The two were wed in June 1967, and Lymon repeatedly went AWOL to secure gigs at small Southern clubs. Dishonorably discharged from the Army, Lymon moved into his wife's home and continued to perform sporadically.

Traveling to New York in 1968, Lymon was signed by manager Sam Bray to his Big Apple label, and the singer returned to recording. Roulette Records expressed interest in releasing Lymon's records in conjunction with Big Apple and scheduled a recording session for February 28. Lymon, staying at his grandmother's house in Harlem where he had grown up, celebrated his good fortune by taking heroin; he had remained clean ever since entering the Army three years prior.

On February 28, 1968, Lymon was found dead via overdose.[4] [5] He was 25 years old. He was buried at Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Throggs Neck section of The Bronx, New York City, New York. "I'm Sorry" and "Seabreeze", the two sides Lymon had recorded for Big Apple before his death, were released later in the year.

Legal issues

Lymon's troubles did not end with his death. After R&B singer Diana Ross returned "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" to the Top Ten in 1981, a major controversy concerning Lymon's estate ensued. Zola Taylor, Elizabeth Waters, and Emira Eagle each approached Morris Levy, who retained possession of Lymon's copyrights and his royalties, claiming to be Lymon's rightful widow; Lymon had neglected to divorce both Taylor and Waters. The complex issue resulted in lawsuits and counter-lawsuits, and in 1986, the first of several court cases concerning the ownership of Lymon's estate began.

Trying to determine who was indeed the lawful Mrs. Frankie Lymon was complicated by more issues. Waters was already married when she married Lymon; she had separated from her first husband, but their divorce was finalized in 1965, after she had married Lymon.[6] Taylor claimed to have married Lymon in Mexico in 1965, but could produce no acceptable evidence of their union.[3] Lymon's marriage to Eagle, on the other hand, was properly documented as having taken place at the Beulah Grove Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia in 1967; however, the singer was still apparently twice-married and never divorced when he married Eagle. The first decision was made in Waters' favor; Eagle appealed, and in 1990, the New York State Supreme Court reversed the original decision and awarded Eagle Lymon's estate.[7]

However, the details of the case brought about another issue: whether Morris Levy was deserving of the songwriting co-credit on "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". Although early vinyl single releases of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" credit Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and Jimmy Merchant as co-writers of the song, later releases and cover versions were attributed to Lymon and George Goldner. When Goldner sold his music companies to Morris Levy in 1959, Levy's name began appearing as co-writer of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" in place of Goldner's. Lymon was never paid his songwriters' royalties during his lifetime; one result of Emira Eagle's legal victory was that Lymon's estate would finally begin receiving monetary compensation from his hit song's success. In 1987, Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant, both then poor, sued Morris Levy for their songwriters' credits.

In December 1992, the United States federal courts ruled that Santiago and Merchant were co-authors of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"[5]. However, in 1996 the ruling was reversed by the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on the basis of the statute of limitations: copyright cases must be brought before a court within three years of the alleged civil violation, and Merchant and Santiago's lawsuit was not filed until 30 years later. Authorship of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" currently remains in the names of Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy.[8]

Legacy

Although their period of success was brief, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' string of hits were highly influential on the rock and R&B performers who followed them. Lymon's high-voiced sound is said to be a direct predecessor of the girl group sound, and the list of performers who name him as an influence include Ronnie Spector, The Chantels, Diana Ross, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, and Len Barry, The Beach Boys among others.[9] [10] The performers most inspired by and derivative of Lymon and the Teenagers' style are The Jackson 5 and its lead singer and future superstar Michael Jackson. Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, Jr. based much of the Jackson 5's sound on Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' recordings, [10] and the Teenagers are believed to be the original model for many of the other Motown groups he cultivated.[11]

Lymon's music and story were re-introduced to modern audiences with Why Do Fools Fall in Love, a 1998 biographical film directed by Gregory Nava, also the director of the Selena biopic. Why Do Fools Fall in Love tells a comedic, fictionalized version of Lymon's story from the points of view of his three wives as they battle in court for the rights to his estate. The film stars Larenz Tate as Frankie Lymon, Halle Berry as Zola Taylor, Vivica A. Fox as Elizabeth Waters, and Lela Rochon as Elmira Eagle. Why Do Fools Fall in Love was not a commercial success: it met with mixed reviews,[12] the film grossed a total of $12,461,773 during its original theatrical run.[13]

Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.

Discography

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers discography

Singles

Gee releases
  • 1956-01: [Gee 1002] "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" / "Please Be Mine" 1 (#1 on the R&B chart for 5 weeks)
  • 1956-04: [Gee 1012] "I Want You to Be My Girl" / "I'm Not a Know-It-All" ² (#3 on R&B chart)
  • 1956-07: [Gee 1018] "I Promise to Remember" / "Who Can Explain" (double-sided hit on R&B chart (#10 and #7))
  • 1956-10: [Gee 1022] "The ABC's of Love" / "Share" (#8 on R&B chart)
  • 1957-02: [Gee 1026] "I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent" / "Baby, Baby"
  • 1957-04: [Gee 1032] "Paper Castles" / "Teenage Love"
  • 1957-05: [Gee 1035] "Love Is a Clown / Am I Fooling Myself Again"
  • 1957-06: [Gee 1036] "Out in the Cold Again" / "Miracle in the Rain" 1 (#10 on R&B chart)
  • 1957-07: [Gee 1039] "Goody Goody" / "Creation of Love" ³
  • 1957-12: [Gee 1046] "Everything to Me" / "Flip Flop" 4

Notes

  • 1 Released as by "The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon"
  • ² Early copies released as by "The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon"; billing on later pressings changed to "Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers"
  • ³ Both sides of this release are actually Frankie Lymon solo recordings.
  • 4 billed as "The Teenagers" (lead vocal by Billy Lobrano)

Album

  • 1956: [Gee 701] The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon

Frankie Lymon solo discography

Singles

Roulette releases
  • 1957: [Roulette 4026] "My Girl" / "So Goes My Love"
  • 1957: [Roulette 4035] "Little Girl" / "It's Christmas Once Again"
  • 1958: [Roulette 4044] "Thumb Thumb" / "Footsteps"
  • 1958: [Roulette 4068] "Portable on My Shoulder" / "Mama Don't Allow It" — 4/58
  • 1958: [Roulette 4093] "Only Way to Love" / "Melinda"
  • 1959: [Roulette 4128] "Up Jumped a Rabbit" / "No Matter What You've Done"
  • 1959: [Roulette 4150] "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" / "Before I Fall Asleep"
Gee release
  • 1959: [Gee 1052] "Goody Good Girl" / "I'm Not Too Young to Dream"
Roulette releases
  • 1960: [Roulette 4257] "Little Bitty Pretty One" / "Creation of Love"
  • 1960: [Roulette 4283] "Buzz Buzz Buzz" / "Waitin' in School"
  • 1961: [Roulette 4310] "Jailhouse Rock" / "Silhouettes"
  • 1961: [Roulette 4348] "Change Partners" / "So Young (And So in Love)"
  • 1961: [Roulette 4391] "Young" / "I Put the Bomp"
Later releases
  • 1964: "To Each His Own" / "Teacher, Teacher" (20th Century Fox)
  • 1964: "Somewhere" / "Sweet and Lovely" (Columbia)
  • 1968: "I'm Sorry" / "Seabreeze" (Big Apple)

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)

References

  1. ^ Fotenot, Robert. "Profile: Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers."
  2. ^ Quebec, Michael (May 2002). "Alan Freed". Balboafeet.com. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  3. ^ a b Bennett, Joy. The Real Story of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"
  4. ^ "Frankie Lymon Dies in Apartment.". The New York Times. February 28, 1968, Wednesday. "Frankie Lymon, the rock 'n' roll singer who popularized "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" was found dead yesterday in the apartment of his grandmother, apparently, of an overdose of narcotics, according to the police." 
  5. ^ a b Frankie Lymon, Find A Grave Memorial
  6. ^ Goldberg, Marc. "Marc Goldberg's R&B Notebook: The Teenagers".
  7. ^ Bennett, Joy. The Real Story of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". The 1998 Frankie Lymon biographical film colludes with a post-script comical note, stating that Elmira Eagle (now legally Elmira Eagle-Lymon) received only $15,000 from winning Lymon's estate, after legal and other expenses were paid off. An excerpt from this article states otherwise: "A major discrepancy in the movie left the impression that [Elmira Eagle-Lymon] only received a $15,000 settlement. After Diana Ross re-recorded Frankie's song, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," his estate was worth more than $1 million. Attorney [William] McCracken confirms that 'the settlement was well over seven figures.'"
  8. ^ Jimmy Merchant and Herman Santiago v. Morris Levy, Big Seven Music Corp, and Roulette Records, Inc. Appeal decided August 7, 1996.
  9. ^ Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, 2002). Temptations [2nd edition]. New York: Cooper Square Press. Pg. 120-21.
  10. ^ a b Koda, Cub. "Frankie Lymon". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:87djvwmva9qk~T00. Retrieved 2007-08-21. "Frankie Lymon (1942-1968) & the Teenagers were a New York doowop group consisting of Joe Negroni, Herman Santiago, Jimmy Merchant, and Sherman Garnes but centered around the extraordinary talents of their lead singer, thirteen-year-old Frankie Lymon. Lymon was credited with their first big hit, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (In the early '90s, a federal judge ruled after a lengthy trial that Lymon hadn't written "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" — another member of the Teenagers had). His wise-beyond-his-years vocal and performing abilities not only made the Teenagers a group several notches above the competition but made Lymon the first Black teenage pop star." 
  11. ^ Fotenot, Robert. "Profile: Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers."
  12. ^ "Reviews for Why Do Fools Fall in Love". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Reviews weighed on Rottentomatoes.com give Why Do Fools Fall in Love a rating of 55%.
  13. ^ Entry for Why Do Fools Fall in Love at Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 19, 2006.

Further reading

External links


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