Book Dion

‘I Wonder Why’ was Dion & The Belmonts first hit and over the next two years the group earned a reputation not only for topping the charts but for creating some of the most vital and exciting doo-wop music on the American scene. With songs such as ‘ A Teenager In Love’ and ‘Where or When,’ Dion and The Belmonts earned their place in the history books, while the group’s pioneering role in the development of rock ‘n’ roll underscored their enduring accomplishments. A national sensation, they toured extensively and were co-headliners on the star-crossed winter Dance Party, the tour that took the lives of Buddy Holly and Richie Valens. Dion was, in fact, scheduled to fly in the fateful plane that went down ‘the day the music died.’

But the vitality of the music lived on when Dion, venturing out as a solo artist, in 1960, racked up a string of #1 hits that many still consider to be the best of that, or any other era. Dion cut one quintessential rock classis after another, from the rocker ‘Runaround Sue’ to the driving ‘lovers Who Wander’ to the anthemic ‘The Wanderer’ – it was an unparalleled musical feat that elevated him to the top ranks of recording artists. As the first rock and roll artist, ever signed to Columbia Records, he continued his streak with such smashes as ‘Ruby Baby,’ ‘Donna the Prima Donna’ and ‘Drip Drop.’

In 1968, Dion emerged as a more contemplative songwriter and performer and also discovered some hard-one answers and, in the process, found new reasons for living and singing. That same year he shot to the top of the charts once again with ‘Abraham, Martin and John,’ a song that was much an anthem for that era as his early hits had been in theirs. What followed was 8 acclaimed LP’s for Warner Brothers. Dion had come of age.

A subsequent autobiography titled The Wanderer, and his recent induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame further highlighted Dion’s contribution to the state of the musical art, helping, at the same time, to set the stage for his active return to recording.