The Journey of Dion, Rock's Original 'Wanderer'

'New York Groove: An Inside Look at the Stars, Shows, and Songs That Make NYC Rock' Book Excerpt

Photo byLaurie Records

Dion DiMucci was born in the Bronx, where he and his friends honed their talents singing a cappella doo wop tunes. In 1957 Dion brought three of the best singers together to form Dion and the Belmonts, named after the borough’s Belmont Avenue.

“Basically, man, we started out on the street corners and we sang,” Dion explained in the Indianapolis News in 1977. “We didn’t have $10,000 worth of equipment to get started. We came from a relatively poor neighborhood in the Bronx. My father never made enough money to pay taxes.

“I cut my teeth on all those Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Bo Diddley records. That type of song you could live out your fantasies. You know, 20,000 ladies standing in a line — I could take care of ’em in five minutes time and all that jazz. I believed it when I was 16.”

"The Wanderer" by Dion

Signed by Laurie Records on West 46th Street, Dion and the Belmonts scored hits with “I Wonder Why,” “A Teenager in Love,” and “Where or When.” The hits continued when Dion went solo in 1960 with “Runaround Sue,” “Lovers Who Wander,” and “The Wanderer.”

“Back then they didn’t know if rock ’n’ roll was a disease or what. It wasn’t such a big business then. It was a business that was being born. The ’50s were the renaissance of rock.”

An addiction to heroin that began in his teens would plague Dion throughout the 1960s. His popularity waned but when he recovered from his addiction, Dion recorded “Abraham, Martin & John.” The 1968 track was a contemplative look back at the assassinated leaders Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. “Abraham, Martin & John” reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Abraham, Martin and John (Live)" by Dion

The song’s success led Dion to record more introspective folk rock. Producer John Hammond of Columbia Records introduced Dion to classic blues, which he incorporated into his music. By 1979, Dion became a born-again Christian and his musical focus shifted to contemporary Christian music.

Dion returned to rock in 1989 with the album Yo Frankie, with contributions by Paul Simon, Lou Reed, and Bryan Adams. Dion was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. He has continued to record and has performed with Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, and Jeff Beck. Dion released “New York Is My Home” in 2016, a collaboration with Paul Simon that pays tribute to their hometown.

Frank Mastropolo is the author of New York Groove: An Inside Look at the Stars, Shows, and Songs That Make NYC Rock and Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever.