Dion and the Belmonts were a leading American vocal group of the late 1950s. The group formed when Dion DiMucci joined The Belmonts - Carlo Mastrangelo, Freddie Milano, and Angelo D'Aleo - in late 1957. History After an unsuccessful first single, the group were signed to Laurie Records. Their breakthrough came when "I Wonder Why" made # 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the group appeared for the first time on the Dick Clark TV show. They followed it with the ballads "No One Knows" (#19) and "Don?t Pity Me" (#40). This success won Dion and the Belmonts their first major tour in late 1958, with The Coasters, Buddy Holly and Bobby Darin, and this was followed up by the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. On 2 February 1959, after playing at Clear Lake, Iowa, Dion decided that he could not afford the $36 cost of a flight to the next venue. The plane crashed, and Holly and the other stars were

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # TAGS