Song:Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Album:The Very Best Of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
Despite his premature death, Frankie Lymon was a very important figure in pop music because he was the first black teenage pop star. He was born Sept. 30, 1942 in New York City. His father was a truck driver who sang gospel part time. At age 12, he heard a local vocal group called The Coupe De Villes and was invited to join by lead singer Herman Santiago. They were also called The Ermines and then The Premiers. Apparently a neighbour gave the group some love letters and Santiago and Jimmy Merchant wrote Why Do Fools Fall In Love based on those letters. They were now called The Teenagers. Richard Barrett of The Valentines got them an audition with Gee Records owner George Goldner. Santiago sang lead but Goldner noticed Lymon and he sang lead on Why Do Fools Fall In Love. Joe Negroni & Sherman Garnes were the other members. The song was released in Jan. 1956 and topped the R & B singles chart and reached #6 on the pop charts. They had some other hits but Lymon left to go solo in 1957. Then his voice changed and Lymon never had any further success in music. Of course it didn't help that he got hooked on heroin and died of a drug overdose on Feb. 27, 1968 at age 25. This Rhino comp is definitive but you can also get Why Do Fools Fall In Love on The Doo Wop Box. Here's Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers performing Why Do Fools Fall In Love on The Frankie Laine Show 1956.
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