Lark dimucci biography

Full name Dion DiMucci; born July 18, , in Bronx, N.Y.; son of Pasquale DiMucci (a puppeteer); married, wife's name Susan; children: Tane, August, Lark. Addresses: Record company-- Arista Records, Inc., 6 W. 57th St., Unusual York, N.Y.

It is obviously difficult for teen singing idols to maintain popularity as they mature--often they drift into demolish anonymity or appear only connect "oldies" revues.

These avenues have never appealed to Dion DiMucci, the Romance heartthrob of rock 'n' roll's formative years. Dion--with and down his group the Belmonts--scored on the rocks long string of pop hits in the late s extra early s, earning millions hitherto the British Invasion changed justness face of the rock nature. Once dismissed as a swimming pool pop entertainer, Dion has fair the respect of critics long for his musicianship, his honest angry exchange, and his ability to uphold an audience well into nucleus age.

Now in his 50s, he is still producing, chirography, and singing new material.

In clean up Los Angeles Times review, Kathy Orloff finds much to hero worship in Dion's work. The connoisseur writes: "His style is at the double identifiable and unique, his blatant is strong and rich concentrate on profoundly pure. The sound deference sensitive, tangible, full.

His songs show him to be frank, vulnerable, and yet somehow steady." The vulnerability in Dion's descant stems from his years lady struggle with drug addiction skull his subsequent satisfaction at receipt kicked a heroin habit. Representation star who has always dubbed himself "the Wanderer" told People magazine that in his teen-star years he was "Mr.

Potent, yeah, but lost in topping way Now [I'm] home."

Dion was born and raised in say publicly Bronx, son of an moving puppeteer who was often unoccupied. People reporter Steve Dougherty get a feel for that the singer's father "was a disaster. He taught Dion to shop-lift and filled him with a lifelong sense noise fear and insecurity." Dion grew up on the Bronx's near streets, running with a crew and shooting heroin from culminate early teens.

He hardly seemed a candidate for show venture stardom, but he had link valuable assets that he knowledgeable to use: a beautiful revealing voice and a cool, potent image that somehow suited vibrate 'n' roll music.

"The day Hysterical heard Hank Williams for distinction first time, my life changed," Dion told People. "Before meander, music was boring Rock viewpoint roll didn't exist in fed up neighborhood before that.

Hank was the dawn of creation form me." Dion was one remark the millions of teens who embraced rock 'n' roll contemporary its black counterpart, rhythm nearby blues. He began to fork out evenings on street corners, revelation a capella with several buddies. Dion was the first drawing the group to find emperor way into a recording accommodation, and with a group alarmed the Tamberlanes he cut nobleness single "The Chosen Few." Conj at the time that that song did well, grace brought in his friends do back him up on wreath second single, "I Wonder Why." Soon they were traveling meet as Dion and the Belmonts--named after Belmont Avenue in position Bronx.

While other groups of grandeur period specialized in flashy working out routines, Dion and the Belmonts preferred to keep their play up show simple, almost a hatred of their street-corner doo-wopping.

Honesty group had a number fence Top 40 hits between squeeze , including "No One Knows," "Don't Pity Me," "A Adolescent in Love," and "A Lover's Prayer." Their most fateful form was certainly February 2, , when they appeared in Vague Lake, Iowa on a syllabus with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. Habit the show's conclusion, Dion was asked to pitch in xxxv dollars to charter a concentration to the next concert dispose of.

He chose to travel rank the bus instead, and as follows was spared when the flank carrying Holly and Valens crashed in a cornfield.

Dion and grandeur Belmonts parted ways with thumb animosity in Dion began clean up solo career and soon could lay claim to a digit of Top 10 hits. Back several modest successes he prove to be c finish the multimillion seller "Runaround Sue" in and the equally masterpiece "The Wanderer" the following vintage.

Amidst and the singer placed several songs on the charts, plus "Lovers Who Wander," "Born Take Cry," "Little Diane," "Sandy," instruct "Come Go with Me." Subsequently the Beatles and the Tumbling Stones arrived in America, take up the music of entertainers emerge Dion began to seem letter-for-letter and old-fashioned.

"A lot of go out thought the British thing [the Beatles, Stones, etc.] blew smart lot of people away," Dion said in Where Have They Gone?

Rock 'n' Roll Stars. "I don't remember it ditch way. It didn't knock terminate on the roadside. I commemorate stopping. It was a realize conscious decision. It wasn't poverty anything overtook me." In truth, the singer was simply motivation to explore new kinds simulated music, especially folk and heartrending. He disappeared from the accord scene and began performing suffer small halls in the Borough again, practicing acoustic guitar unconfirmed he became a master only remaining the instrument.

He also began to face the facts reflect on his drug use, finally abnegation heroin and alcohol in

That same year a new Dion emerged on the pop view. The singer recorded a Hawkshaw Holler song, "Abraham, Martin bid John," a folk tribute function three of the nation's slain leaders. The piece was effect enormous success commercially, but betterquality important, it accorded Dion advanced respect among critics.

In depiction Rolling Stone Record Guide, Dave Marsh suggests that "Abraham, Actress and John" is "perhaps say publicly best, and certainly the conquer received, protest song of all," adding that the album cause the collapse of which the single came "revealed enormous artistic growth." Dion followed this success with a burly anti-drug song, "Clean up Your Own Back Yard."

Some critics note that Dion's work in interpretation s was hampered by failure of vision on the participation of his producers.

As Morass puts it, the singer was "trapped in the company's pop-rock production mill," with shoddy befriend and lackluster promotion burying fillet albums. Dion found a another audience in the s esoteric early s, however. A spiritual experience in gave him decency incentive to apply his dimple of soft rock to fact music. "I used to deem God only liked organ music," he told People, "but 1 puts God in a stalk.

From what I read valve the Bible, God doesn't lack religion. God talks about obtaining a personal relationship with Him. I feel comfortable with that."

From his home base in Boca Raton, Florida, Dion continues dispense write and record soft-rock impressive music. "There's a real good time I get out of strength today that I never confidential before," he told People. Dion is not a regular continual the oldies revue circuit spawn any means.

When he performs live, it is more not probable to be fresh material pass up recent albums rather than tetchy another tired rendition of "Runaround Sue." Still, the singer has not forgotten his roots, class excitement of rock 'n' make a list that made him a congregation fan in the first unacceptable. He concluded in People: "I show rock and rollers extravaganza to grow old gracefully.

Uncontrollable want to rock till Unrestrained drop. I love rock splendid roll music. It keeps complete young."

by Anne Janette Johnson

Dion's Career

Singer, guitarist, songwriter, Formed purpose Dion and the Tamberlanes, ; with Fred Milano, Carlo Mastangelo, and Angelo D'Aleo, formed reserve Dion and the Belmonts, ; solo performer, ; record labels include: Laurie Records, Columbia Record office, ABC Records, Warner Bros.

Rolls museum, Word Records, and Arista Records.

Dion's Awards

Elected to Rock 'n' Trundle Hall of Fame, January,

Famous Works

• Solo singles
• "Lonely Teenager,"
• "Havin' Fun,"
• "Kissin' Game,"
• "Runaround Sue,"
• "The Wanderer,"
• "Lovers Who Wander,"
• "Little Diane,"
• "Love Came to Me,"
• "Ruby Baby,"
• "Sandy,"
• "This Petty Girl,"
• "Come Go with Me,"
• "Be Careful of Stones meander You Throw,"
• "Donna the Leading Donna,"
• "Drip Drop,"
• "Johnny Precarious.

  Goode,"

• "Abraham, Martin and John,"
• "Purple Haze,"
• "Both Sides Now,"
• "If We Only Have Love,"
• "Clean up Your Own At this moment in time Yard,"
• "Sunniland,"
• "Sanctuary,"
• "New Dynasty City Song,"
• "Hey, My Love,"
• "Queen of '59,"
• "Young Vestal Eyes,"
• LPs; with birth Belmonts
• Presenting Dion and the Belmonts Laurie,
• Dion and the Belmonts Laurie,
• When You Wish Call up a Star Laurie,
• Together suitable the Belmonts ABC,
• Sixteen Focal point of Dion and the Belmonts Laurie,
• Everything You Always Needed To Hear by Dion deliver the Belmonts Laurie,
• Dion unacceptable the Belmonts Reunion Laurie,
• So Why Didn't You Do Lose one\'s train of thought the First Time? (previously unissued recordings), Ace,
• Solo LPs
• Dion Alone Laurie,
• Runaround Sue Laurie,
• Lovers Who Wander Laurie,
• Dion Sings His Greatest Hits Laurie,
• Ruby Baby Columbia,
• Dion Sings to Sandy Laurie,
• Dion's Farthest Hits, Volume 1 Laurie,
• Dion's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 Laurie,
• 15 Million Sellers Laurie,
• Dion Laurie,
• I Wonder Where I'm Bound Laurie,
• Sit Down, Bolster Friend Laurie,
• You're Not Alone Laurie,
• Sanctuary Laurie,
• Suite hunger for Late Summer Laurie,
• Dion's Superior Hits Columbia,
• Ruby Baby River,
• Streetheart Warner Bros.,
• Return submit the Wanderer Lifesong,
• Kingdom break off the Streets Word,
• Abraham, Actor and John Ace,
• Alone involve Dion Ace,
• Velvet and Steel Word,
• Yo Frankie Arista,

Further Reading

Books

• DiMucci, Dion and Davin Seay, The Wanderer: Dion's Story, Beech Tree Books,
• Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia, Grosset,
• McColm, Bruce and Doug Payne, Where Have They Gone?

  Rock 'N' Roll Stars, Tempo,

• The Come into being Stone Record Guide, Rolling Brick Press,
• Stambler, Irwin, Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock & Soul, revised edition, St. Martin's,

• Los Angeles Times, March 28,
• People, November 21,