Dion DiMucci Biography

Fast Facts

• Had his first Top 40 hit with the Belmonts with 1948's "I Wonder Why" and made it into the Top 10 with "A Teenager in Love" a year later
• Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989
• Began his music career as a member of the vocal group Dion and the Belmonts with Fred Milano, Angelo D'Aleo and Carlo Mastrangelo in 1957
• Was the second artist to be signed to Mohawk Records and released his first single "The Chosen Few" in 1957, becoming successful enough to quit school and work on his music full time
• Best known as a rock and doo-wop singer-songwriter whose hit songs include "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer․"
• Was invited to join the chartered flight that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J․P․ "the Big Bopper" Richardson on February 3, 1959, but didn't want to pay the $35 fee to accept it