written by Dion DiMucci and Ernie Maresca

produced by Gene Schwartz

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I’m making this page July 18th, 2021, the 82nd birthday of rock,

R&B and doo-wop singer Dion Francis DiMucci, who professionally

goes by his first name alone. Happy Birthday, DD!!

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Dion was born in the Bronx, New York. His dad was a vaudeville performer, who brought Dion along to his shows, where he was introduced to show business and cultivated his fondness for doo-wop, blues and country music. As he grew, he began singing a capella in streets and clubs. In his teens he formed a group called The Belmonts, named for a Bronx neighborhood, and auditioned with them for record executives Bob and Gene Schwartz.

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Dion spent the next couple of years performing with The Belmonts, to close out the decade of rock ‘n’ roll, doo-wop and benevolent innocence. 1959 began, and this is where the tale of Dion DiMucci almost takes a scary, tragic turn—which it did for some other artists accompanying him on ’59’s Winter Dance Party tour. Artists who decided that instead of riding the tour bus, they’d prefer to fly. For personal and financial reasons, Dion declined the flight... and it saved his life. Most notably among the passengers were Frankie Sardo, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly... and if you know of the fate met by these individuals, then you know where this is going. On one hand, this incident, which took place on February 3rd, 1959, was one of the most heartbreaking disasters in the history of popular music. On the other, while not to seem callous, had Dion decided to join his fellow artists on the flight, the song covered on this page would not exist today.

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The ’60s, however, also opened on a shaky note for Dion. He admitted himself into a hospital to be treated for his addiction to heroin. Also in 1960, differences and disputes arose between Dion and the other Belmonts. By the end of the year, he was going it alone, with his first solo record. 1961 was the “magic” year, as it was, for Mr. DiMucci. This song, “Runaround Sue,” burned up the chart and hit #1 in the autumn, and shortly after, the same fall, Dion released his other biggest hit, “The Wanderer.” It couldn’t quite reach the same charting spot, but made it to #2 in early ’62.

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Shortly hereafter, Dion switched from Gene and Bob Schwartz’s label Laurie Records to Columbia, and holds the distinction of being Columbia’s first signed rock ‘n’ roll artist. Being that his peak years were before my time, my introduction to Dion—and “Runaround Sue”—was via a feel-good movie from 1994, a family-friendly baseball flick called Little Big League. It’s about a baseball-savvy 12-year-old whose grandfather owned the Minnesota Twins, and left the team to the grandson when he passed. The team’s performance is mediocre at best, and the kid manages to stir up their spirit and talent by reminding them to just have fun. Inevitably, they go through the struggles, the turmoil, the slump, and eventually find their way out. When they take a collective step back and go out to have fun again, the success returns, narrated by the post-intro entirety of “Runaround Sue.”

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Dion is still recording and performing, into his 80s. In 2020, he released the record Blues With Friends, featuring collaborative efforts with a score of other artists, as the name suggests. ...Whew.

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P.S. Dion’s website’s link is below, though I’m not sure if it’s secure.

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Have notes to add? Let me know!

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YT:

full version

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Dion’s official website