Artist:Dion & The Belmonts
Song:I Wonder Why
Album:The Doo Wop Box
The 1958 hit I Wonder Why was the first hit by the short lived doo wop group Dion & The Belmonts. Because Dion DiMucci (born July 18, 1939 in Bronx, NY) went on to a significant solo career, I didn't realize how short lived the full group was. The other members of The Belmonts were Angelo D'Aleo, Fred Milano & Carlo Mastrangelo. They all attended Roosevelt High School in The Bronx and hung out together and sang. The Belmonts originally sang as a trio and recorded one single for Mohawk Records in 1957 that went nowhere. Then DiMucci heard one of their songs and joined the group. Bob Schwartz left Mohawk and started Laurie Records and took The Belmonts with him. I Wonder Why was their first single in 1958 and he billed the group as Dion & The Belmonts. The song reached #22 on the pop charts. Teenager In Love was an even bigger hit at #5. Their popularity was fueled by Dion's matinee idol looks and appearances on American Bandstand. The songs hold up well and the 4CD Doo Wop Box is the best place to get them. Dion DiMucci left The Belmonts in 1960 and had a lot of success as a solo artist. The Belmonts continued to record but didn't have as much success as Dion. The group even turned down The Wanderer before Dion went on to have a smash hit with the song. The oldies boom of the 70s featured a reuniting of Dion & The Belmonts at Madison Square Garden in 1972. And the group continues to tour the oldies circuit today. Here's Dion & The Belmonts performing I Wonder Why in Atlantic City in 2004.
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