| DION (ARTIST BIOGRAPHY)
Dion Francis DiMucci (born July 18, 1939), better
known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter who blended elements
of doo-wop, pop, and R&B styles.
By the end of 1960, Dion had recorded and released his first solo
album, Alone with Dion, and the single “Lonely Teenager”, which rose
to #12 in the US charts. The performer name on his solo releases was
denoted simply as “Dion” without the last name. Follow-ups “Havin’
Fun” and “Kissin’ Game” had less success, and the signs were that
Dion would drift onto the cabaret circuit. However, he then recorded,
with new vocal group the Del-Satins, an up-tempo number co-written
with Ernie Maresca. The record, “Runaround Sue”, stormed up the
charts, reaching #1 in the US charts in September 1961, and #11 in
the UK, where he also toured.
For the next single, the record company promoted the A-side, “The
Majestic”, but it was the B-side, Maresca’s song “The Wanderer”,
which received the radio plays and again rose swiftly up the charts,
reaching #2 in the US charts in December 1961 and #10 in the UK. As
a classic oldie, it made the UK top 20 again in 1976.
By the end of 1961, Dion was a major star, with a worldwide touring
schedule, and an appearance in the Columbia Pictures musical film
Twist Around the Clock. He followed up with a string of hit singles
– “Lovers Who Wander” (#3), “Little Diane” (#8), “Love Came To Me”
(#10) - all making the top 10 in 1962. Several of these were written
or co-written by Dion. He also had successful albums with Runaround
Sue and Lovers Who Wander.
At the end of 1962, Dion moved from Laurie to Columbia Records, the
first rock-and-roll artist ever signed to that label. The first
Columbia single, Leiber and Stoller’s “Ruby Baby”, was a big hit,
reaching #2, and “Donna the Prima Donna” and “Drip Drop” both
reached #6 in the charts in late 1963. (Dion also recorded an
Italian version of “Donna the Prima Donna” using the identical
backup vocals.) His other Columbia releases were less successful,
and problems with his addiction and changing public tastes caused
him to enter a period of commercial decline.
For the next few years, Dion’s music became radically different,
moving to more contemplative and mature material. He released
several albums essentially as a singer-songwriter, to critical
acclaim but moderate sales, moving to the Warner Brothers label in
1969.
There followed a one-off live reunion show with the Belmonts at
Madison Square Garden in 1972, released on album. This was followed
in 1975 by the album Born To Be With You, produced by Phil Spector.
The album was a commercial failure, but has been subsequently
praised by such artists as Jason Pierce of Spiritualized and Pete
Townshend of The Who.[citation needed]
In 1978 Dion released an album drawing on many of his teenage
influences, Return of the Wanderer, another critical success and
commercial failure. In December 1979 there was a radical spiritual
change in Dion, who had become a born-again Christian.[2] Thereafter,
his recordings for several years were in a contemporary Christian
vein, in which he released a number of albums on the Dayspring label
reflecting his evangelical Christian convictions. Singles were
successfully released to Christian radio, notably “Still in the
Spirit” from his 1985 release entitled Kingdom in the Streets.
In 1984 he wins the Dove Award (Christian Music Award) for the album
‘I Put Away My Idols’. He was also nominated for Grammy award, best
male Gospel performance, for the same album. |
