Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers

First of all HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's talk about a group that had an huge impact on Do-Wop and music in general for a long time. The group is Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers.
Frankie Lymon was born and raised in Harlem and was surrounded by music since birth. Lymon's father was a truck driver and his mother was a maid. Lymon's father (Howard), sang with a gospel group called The Harlemaires. As youngsters Lymon and his brothers, Lewis and Howie, sang with The Harlemaires Jr.
When Lymon was 12 years old, he heard a group call The Coupe DeVilles. This group had been formed by Jimmy Merchant. The group was a mix group in that there were two African Americans, Jimmy Merchant,and Sherman Garnes, and two Puerto Ricans, lead singer, Hermwn Santiago, and Joe Negroni. The group had gone through afew names before becoming The Teenagers. They were The Coupe DeVilles, The Ermines, and the Premiers.
Lymon became friends with the lead singer Herman Santiago and soon became a member of the group. A friend of Lymon's gave the group $500.00 to get them started.
In 1955 a neighbor gave the group some love letters in hopes that the letters would inspire a love song. Merchant and Santiago turned one letter into a song called " Why Do Birds Sing So Gay". With Lymon's input the song became "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". The song and the group impressed Richard Barrett, a singer with a group called the Valentines. Barrett got the group an audition with producer George Golder. On the day of the audition, lead singer Santiago was unavaiable, so Lymon took the lead.
Golder signed the group to Glee Records and "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" became their first single in January 1956. The single hit #6 on Billboard pop charts, and topped Billboard's R&B charts for five weeks. In the next year five other songs made the top ten charts, they were, "I Want You To Be My Girl", " I Promise To Rember", Who Can Explain", "Out In The Cold", and "The ABC"s Of Love".
With release of their second single the group became Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers. In 1956 an album "The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon" was released.
While the group was on tour in Europe the group broke apart. For some reason Golder started pushing Lymon as a solo act. Golder gave Lymon solo spots in the show. Lymon was doing a solo act with pre-recorded tapes as back-up. The last recording credited to Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers was "Goody Goody". The recording was really Lymon singing solo with studio singers as back-up. By September of 1957 Lymon had no connection with The Teenagers.
As a solo act Lymon's success was limited. Lymon was moved to Roulette Records. In July 1957 on an episode of Alan Freed's live ABC TV show The "Big Beat", Lymon sparked a scandal by dancing with a white teenage girl. This caused a back-lash amoung Southern TV stations owners and The Big Beat was canceled which almost killed Freed's career, and put Lymon career on hold.
Lymon voice changed which caused his sales to drop. Lymon started singing in a falsetto voice and kept trying to get his career back track. Lymon's highest charting record of this period was Thurston Harris' "Little Bitty Pretty One". Lymon fell deeper into his addiction and was unable to work. Morris Levy took over Roulette in 1961 and ended Roulette's contract with Lymon. Lymon entered rehab. at this time.
After losing Lymon The Teenagers went through a long list of replacements. but never regained their success. At one time the group had a young lady named Pearl McKinnon, singing Lymon parts. nothing worked.
In 1961 Lymon and The Teenagers re-united without success.
Off and On over the years Lymon recorded and performed his old songs but could never find the majic again.
Lymon died at his grandmother's house in 1968 at the age of 25, what a lost!
Although their period of success was brief, Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers' string of hits were highly influential on the rock and R&B performers who followed them. It is said that Lymon's high pitched voice was the predecessor to the girl group sound. Other groups that claimed that Lymon influenced them include: Ronnie Spector, The Chantels, Diana Ross, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Len Barry, and The Beach Boys. Without a doubt the most visable evidence of Lymon's influence is seen in a group that became know world wide and it's lead singer became loved by millions, The Jackson 5, and Michael Jackson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Next up Nolan Strong and The Diablos. This is the group that gave Smokey his inspiration.
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