Doo-wop is a genre of rhythm and blues music developed in the 1940s by African American youth, mainly in the large cities of the upper east coast including New York. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, ornamented with nonsense syllables, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop enjoyed its peak successes in the early 1960s, but continued to influence performers in other genres.
Franklin Joseph Lymon, known professionally as Frankie Lymon, was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of the 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, Joe Negroni and Herman Santiago. The Teenagers' first single, 1956's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," was also its biggest hit. After Lymon went solo in mid-1957, both his career and that of the Teenagers fell into decline. He was found dead at the age of 25 on the floor of his grandmother's bathroom from a heroin overdose. His life was dramatized in the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall In Love.
Herman Santiago is an American rock and roll pioneer and songwriter who was previously a member of the vocal group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. He (disputedly) wrote the group's iconic hit "Why Do Fools Fall In Love".
Frankie Vaughan was an English singer of easy listening and traditional pop music, who recorded more than 80 singles in his lifetime. He was known as "Mr. Moonlight" after one of his early hits.
Why Do Fools Fall in Love is a 1998 American romantic drama film, directed by Gregory Nava and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film is a biographical film of R&B/Rock and roll singer Frankie Lymon, lead singer of the pioneering rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers for one year. Moreover, the film highlights the three women in his life, each of whom claim to have married Lymon and lay claim to his estate.
"Quiéreme mucho" is a criolla-bolero composed between 1915 and 1917 by Gonzalo Roig with lyrics by Augustin Rodriguez. It was first recorded in 1922 by singer Tito Schipa. In 1931, the English version, "Yours", was published in the United States. It featured lyrics in English written by Albert Gamse and Jack Sherr. Both versions have been extensively recorded and arranged by different musicians, becoming Latin music standard.
"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a song that was originally a hit for early New York City-based rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, in January 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 6 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart, and No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in July.
"Little Bitty Pretty One" is a rock and roll song written and originally recorded by Bobby Day, and popularized by Thurston Harris in 1957. Produced by Aladdin Records, and featuring The Sharps on backing vocals, Harris' version reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Best-Sellers chart and No. 2 on the R&B chart.
Joe Negroni was an American singer of Puerto Rican descent. He was a rock and roll pioneer and founding member of the rock and roll group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.
"My Baby Just Cares for Me" is a jazz standard written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn. Written for the film version of the musical comedy Whoopee! (1930), the song became a signature tune for Eddie Cantor who sang it in the movie. A stylized version of the song by Nina Simone, recorded in 1957, was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom after it was used in a 1987 perfume commercial and resulted in a renaissance for Simone.
"Diana" is a song written and made famous by Paul Anka in 1957, recorded in May 1957 at Don Costa studio in New York City. Anka stated in his autobiography that the song was inspired by a girl named Diana Ayoub, whom he had met at his church and community events, and had developed a crush on. Session musicians on the record included Bucky Pizzarelli on Guitar, Irving Wexler on piano, Jerry Bruno on bass, and Panama Francis on drums. The song was recorded in May 1957 at RCA studios. Backup singers included Artie Ripp.
"Buzz-Buzz-Buzz" is a song written by John Gray and Bobby Day and performed by The Hollywood Flames. The lead vocals were by Earl Nelson, later of Bob & Earl. It reached #5 on the US R&B chart and #11 on the Billboard pop chart in 1957.
"I Promise to Remember" is a song written by Jimmy Castor and Jimmy Smith and performed by Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers featuring Jimmy Wright and His Orchestra. It reached #10 on the US R&B chart and #57 on the Billboard pop chart in 1956. The song was featured on their 1956 album, The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon.
"Who Can Explain?" is a song written by Abner Silver and Roy Alfred and performed by Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers featuring Jimmy Wright and His Orchestra. It reached #7 on the US R&B chart in 1956. The song was featured on their 1956 album, The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon.
"The ABC's of Love" is a song written by George Goldner and Richard Barrett and performed by Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers featuring Jimmy Wright and His Orchestra. It reached #8 on the US R&B chart and #77 on the Billboard pop chart in 1956. The song was featured on their 1956 album, The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon.
"I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent" is a song written by George Goldner and performed by Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers. It reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in 1957. The song was featured on their 1956 album, The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon.
"Out in the Cold Again" is a song written by Ted Koehler and Rube Bloom and first performed by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. It reached #4 on the US chart in 1934.
The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon is the only album by The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon and was released in 1956.
"Send for Me" is a song written by Ollie Jones and performed by Nat King Cole featuring the McCoy's Boys. It reached #1 on the U.S. R&B chart and #6 on the U.S. pop chart in 1957. The song was arranged by Billy May.
