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| + | Dion DiMucci was born on July 18, 1939 in the Bronx borough of [[New York City]]. |
| | + | A fan of doo-wap, rock n’ roll and unusual for a lad growing up in the city, |
| | + | Dion was heavily influenced by country star Hank Williams Sr. |
| | + | |
| | + | At eighteen years of age, he formed Dion & The Belmonts, a group of |
| | + | neighborhood friends named after Belmont Avenue in the Bronx. |
| | + | Signed to Laurie Records, one year later they would debut with |
| | + | their first Pop chart hit, “I Wonder Why”. |
| | + | |
| | + | In 1959 the group had two top five hits with “A Teenager In Love” |
| | + | and “Where or When”. “Lonely Teenager” hit in 1960 with their first #1, |
| | + | “Runaround Sue”, topping the charts in 1961. Before the year ended, |
| | + | “The Wanderer” peaked at #2 nationally. Their three top ten hits in 1962, |
| | + | “Lovers Who Wonder”, “Little Diane” and “Love Came to Me” found the |
| | + | groups lead singer going solo and signing with Columbia Records for a giant |
| | + | top five hit, “Ruby Baby” in 1963. Before the year ended “Donna the Prima Donna” |
| | + | and “Drip Drop” added two more top ten hits for Dion. |
| | + | |
| | + | Five years later, Dion would have a top five giant hit with |
| | + | “Abraham, Martin and John”, an anthem that flooded the nations airwaves |
| | + | in response to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother |
| | + | Robert Kennedy and civil right leader Martin Luther King. |
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| | + | Dion was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. |