Beginnings with the Belmonts (1957–1960) In early 1957, Dion auditioned for Bob and Gene Schwartz, for their short-lived Mohawk Records label. They asked Dion to sing a song which had been arranged by
Hugo Montenegro, and recorded featuring
Vic Damone doing vocals. At first Dion refused, stating the song would sound like something his old fashioned parents would listen to, but the Schwartzes convinced him to give it a try. The backing vocals were by a group called "the Timberlanes", whom Dion had never met. The resulting single, "The Chosen Few", was released under the name "Dion and the Timberlanes", and became a minor regional hit. In a 2019 interview at "Crashing the Party" (a
radio program related to
Norton Records in Brooklyn, New York), Dion stated that "The Chosen Few" hit the Top Ten locally in Boston, which enabled him to perform this song on
American Bandstand. The kids at the show started screaming during his performance, and gave Dion his first impression of being a record star. In his autobiography,
The Wanderer, Dion explained that he didn't know who the Timberlanes were. "The vocal group was so white bread, I went back to my neighborhood and I recruited a bunch of guys – three guys – and we called ourselves Dion and
the Belmonts". Bob and Gene Schwartz signed Dion's friends, the Belmonts:
Carlo Mastrangelo,
Fred Milano, and Angelo D'Aleo. The vocal group was named for the
Belmont, Bronx neighborhood, with Dion singing as lead. The new group's breakthrough came in early 1958, when "
I Wonder Why" (on their newly formed
Laurie Records) made No. 22 on the U.S. charts. The record was the first release for
Laurie Records. Dion said of the Belmonts: Their initial hit was followed by "
No One Knows" and "Don't Pity Me", which also charted the
Billboard Top 100. This success won a place for Dion and the Belmonts on the ill-fated "The Winter Dance Party" tour with
Buddy Holly,
Ritchie Valens,
the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson),
Frankie Sardo and other performers. On February 3, 1959, after playing a concert in
Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly decided to charter an overnight flight to the next venue rather than travel on the tour bus. Dion was invited to accompany him but decided that he would not spend $36 ($382 in 2024) for the flight, as he considered 36 an unlucky number ($36 was the same monthly rent his parents paid for his childhood apartment) and he could not justify the indulgence.
The plane crashed, killing all on board: Holly, Valens, Richardson and the pilot Roger Peterson. Dion and the Belmonts continued on the tour, along with
Frankie Sardo, while
Bobby Vee (then an unknown artist) performed in Holly's place at the very next concert.
Jimmy Clanton,
Frankie Avalon, and
Fabian were later added to replace the other now-deceased headliners. Dion and the Belmonts' next single, "
A Teenager in Love", was released in March 1959. It eventually reached No. 5 on the U.S. pop charts and No. 28 in the UK. The group's biggest hit, "
Where or When", was released in November of that year, and reached No. 3 on the U.S. charts. However, in early 1960, Dion checked into a hospital for
heroin addiction, a condition he battled since his mid-teens. Further single releases for the group that year were less successful. With musical, personal and financial differences between Dion and members of the Belmonts, Dion left the group for a solo career in October 1960. By the time of their breakup, all
eight Laurie releases had charted on the Hot 100.
Solo stardom and touring worldwide (1960–1964) By the end of 1960, Dion produced his first solo album on
Laurie Records,
Alone with Dion, released in 1961. The single "
Lonely Teenager" rose to No. 12 in the US charts. The name on his solo releases was simply "Dion". 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 an up-tempo number co-written with
Ernie Maresca with a new vocal group,
the Del-Satins. The record, "
Runaround Sue", stormed up the U.S. charts, reaching No. 1 in October 1961, and No. 11 in the UK, For the next single, Laurie promoted the A-side, "The Majestic", but it was the B-side, Maresca's "
The Wanderer", which received more radio play and climbed swiftly up the charts to reach No. 2 in the U.S. in February 1962 and No. 10 in the UK. The 1976 re-release made the UK Top 20. Dion's first Columbia single,
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s "
Ruby Baby" (originally a hit for
the Drifters) reached No. 2, while "
Donna the Prima Donna" and "
Drip Drop" (another remake of a Drifters hit) both reached No. 6 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
drug addiction and changing public tastes, especially the
British Invasion, saw a period of commercial decline.
Belmonts reunion and renewed contract (1965–1968) Following a European tour, Dion returned to the U.S. and was introduced to classic
blues by Columbia's
John Hammond. To the consternation of his management, he began recording more blues-oriented material, including
Willie Dixon’s "
Hoochie Coochie Man" and "
Spoonful". These releases, some produced by
Tom Wilson with
Al Kooper on keyboards, were not commercially successful. Still with Columbia, Dion formed a new group to back him in 1965. The Wanderers were composed of John Falbo on guitar, Pete Baron (Pete Falciglia) on bass, and
Carlo Mastrangelo of
the Belmonts on drums. They made national appearances on
Dick Clark’s
Where The Action Is, and on
The Lloyd Thaxton Show. A number of self-penned tracks were recorded and released unsuccessfully as singles, and did not appear in album format until years later. In June 1965, he recorded fellow Columbia Records contemporary
Bob Dylan’s composition "
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", a half-year before
Them (featuring
Van Morrison)’s hit version. In 1966–67, Dion briefly reunited with the Belmonts, recording the LP
Together Again for
ABC Records. The album was unsuccessful, despite one classic self-penned song, "My Girl the Month of May". Two singles were released from the LP. While neither charted in the United States, they fared better in the UK. "My Girl The Month of May" entered the
Radio London "
Fab 40" at No. 9 the week of December 25, 1966. A ‘turntable’ hit at London underground clubs like
Middle Earth, the disc received a lot of play from
pirate radio DJ's
John Peel and
Kenny Everett. The follow-up, "Movin’ Man", reached No. 17 on the "Radio London" charts on Easter Sunday, March 26, 1967. "My Girl The Month of May" was later covered by English artists
Alan Bown in 1967, and
Island Records artists
The Bunch (featuring
Sandy Denny and other members of
Fairport Convention) in April 1972. During their brief mid-60's reunion, Dion and the Belmonts appeared on the popular
Clay Cole Show performing "Berimbau" and "My Girl The Month of May", In April 1968, Dion experienced what he identified as a powerful religious transformation. After
getting clean once again from his heroin
habit, an experience he documented in his 1970 song "Your Own Backyard", he approached
Laurie Records for a new contract. They agreed on the condition that he record the song "
Abraham, Martin and John", written by
Dick Holler (also the writer of
the Royal Guardsmen’s "
Snoopy vs. the Red Baron") in response to the assassinations of
John F. Kennedy,
Martin Luther King Jr. and
Robert F. Kennedy. The success of this song (released by Dion in August 1968 and later recorded by many others including
Marvin Gaye) which reached No. 4 in the US charts and No. 1 in Canada, resuscitated Dion's career. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a
gold disc.
Mature and Christian music period (1969–1986) 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 moderate sales, moving to the
Warner Brothers label in 1969. A live reunion show with
the Belmonts at
Madison Square Garden was recorded on June 2, 1972. It was released as a live album by Warner, titled
Reunion: Live at Madison Square Garden, the following year. In 1973, Dion and the original Belmonts performed together again, doing a sold-out concert at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York. However, no recording of the 1973 reunion was released. This was followed in 1975 by the album
Born to Be with You produced by
Phil Spector. The album was a commercial failure, but was praised by artists such as
Jason Pierce of
Spiritualized In 1978, Dion released an album drawing on many of his teenage influences,
Return of the Wanderer, another commercial failure. Thereafter, his recordings for several years were in a
contemporary Christian vein, in which he released five albums on the
DaySpring Records label, a division of Word Records in
Waco, Texas. These albums reflecting his
evangelical Christian convictions were
Inside Job (1980),
Only Jesus (1981),
I Put Away My Idols (1983) which charted at No. 37,
Seasons (1984),
Kingdom in the Streets (1985) and
Velvet & Steel (1986). Several singles were successfully released to
Christian radio, In 1984, Dion was nominated for a
GMA Dove Award (Christian Music Award) for the album
I Put Away My Idols. Dion ranked 23rd of
Christian artists during the 1980s.
Return to secular music and RRHOF induction (1987–1999) In 1987, Dion agreed to do a concert of his old hits at
Radio City Music Hall in New York. The two disc CD of this concert was released in 2005, There he shared the stage with fans such as
Bruce Springsteen,
Paul Simon and
Lou Reed, all of whom cited Dion as one of their prime influences. Dion's autobiography, ''The Wanderer: Dion's Story'', was co-authored by Davin Seay and published in the late-1980s. In 1989, DiMucci returned to rock music with the contemporary album
Yo Frankie, which included appearances by Simon ("Written on the Subway Wall"/“Little Star"), Reed,
k.d. lang,
Patty Smyth and
Bryan Adams. Produced by
Dave Edmunds (who also played guitar on the album), "
Yo Frankie has a sharp sound while never losing sight of Dion's soulful,
doo-wop voice." Overall, "the relevant and nostalgic statement from an artist who helped forge rock & roll's first wave" found his way back on radio and in music videos during this period (both on
VH1 and
MTV), as well as touring. In 1989, Dion was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), with an introduction by Reed. Controversially, when Dion's solo induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame occurred, the other original members of the Belmonts (
Carlo Mastrangelo,
Fred Milano and Angelo D’Aleo) were not inducted. In a
Billboard magazine article dated January 3, 2012, it stated: "There was strife between DiMucci and Belmonts members, who were not pleased when DiMucci was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame without them in 1989." In 1996, DiMucci joined
Scott Kempner and
Frank Funaro of
the Del-Lords, and Mike Mesaros of
the Smithereens, in a short-lived band called Little Kings. A live album was released in 2001, but not widely circulated or promoted. Dion's
The Best of the Gospel Years was released in 1997.
Grammy Hall of Fame and blues success (2000–2019) Dion has released several albums with contemporary rock artists. a lifelong fan of Dion. In 2002, he joined Springsteen onstage in Miami, for a performance of "
If I Should Fall Behind" from
Dream on Fire. In 2002, Dion was inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame for "
Runaround Sue". In January 2006, Dion released
Bronx in Blue, an album of
blues and
country standards, which was nominated for a
Grammy Award. It peaked at No. 2 on the Top Blues Albums chart. In November 2007, Dion issued a follow-up album titled
Son of Skip James, which peaked at No. 4 on the Top Blues Albums chart. In October 2008, DiMucci released
Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock, an album of his covers of early rock and roll songs he considers seminal to the genre. The album includes versions of songs originally recorded by
Buddy Holly,
Ritchie Valens,
Ricky Nelson,
Johnny Cash, and many other early rock guitarists. In October 2009, Dion performed "
The Wanderer" with
Paul Simon at the
25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert. An
audiobook and paperback by Dion and
Mike Aquilina, titled
Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth (Stories, Humor & Music), was published in April 2011. DiMucci shares stories about
The Bronx in the 1950s, how he ended up on the cover of ''
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'', and his travels with
Sam Cooke in the
Jim Crow South. Dion released
Tank Full of Blues on January 24, 2012. It peaked at No. 3 on the Top Blues Albums chart. While touring, Dion performed "
Donna the Prima Donna" live in
Las Vegas, on April 5, 2015. On July 11, 2015, he held a concert in Westbury, New York. That same year he released the single "
New York Is My Home" with Simon. The single was followed by the album
New York Is My Home, released February 12, 2016. The album peaked at No. 3 on the Top Blues Album chart. It was also awarded
AllMusic's Favorite Blues Albums of 2016. Dion planned four concerts in the U.S. during early 2016, and was invited as a keynote speaker for the 2016
SXSW in Texas. He spoke on the topic ''A Conversation with Dion: Rock's Enduring Voice'' on March 17, 2016. In May 2017, Dion released
Kickin’ Child: The Lost Album 1965 from
Norton Records, containing songs recorded in 1965 when he was with
Columbia Records (but were not previously released). The album was awarded AllMusic's Favorite Compilations and Reissues of 2017. an
independent record label created by
Joe Bonamassa and Roy Weisman for Dion and other
blues musicians to showcase their talents. The album features
Van Morrison,
Jeff Beck,
Paul Simon,
Bruce Springsteen and others (including
liner notes by
Bob Dylan). A
digital album (and a double
vinyl record set), Dion released a music video for every song from the album on his website and social media platforms, such as
Facebook and
YouTube. The album reached No. 1 on the
Billboard Blues Albums chart (9 weeks at No. 1 and 59 weeks total), and No. 4 on
iTunes. It also charted in United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Australia. The album was awarded
AllMusic's Favorite Blues Album of 2020. Dion also released two
Christmas songs in 2020: "Hello Christmas" (featuring
Amy Grant) and "You Know It's Christmas" (featuring Bonamassa). Both songs were co-written with
Mike Aquilina. Music videos were produced for both songs. Dion's song "Blues Comin’ On" (with Bonamassa) from
Blues with Friends was nominated for a 2021
Blues Music Award. In November 2021, Dion released
Stomping Ground (with music videos), which includes extensive liner notes written by
Pete Townshend. Except for a cover of "
Red House", the songs were written by Dion and Aquilina. Multiple guest artists participated on the album, including Springsteen and
Patti Scialfa on "Angels in the Alleyways". The album became Dion's second No. 1 blues album. In April 2022, Dion appeared in an interview on
EWTN's
The World Over with
Raymond Arroyo. They discussed his career, his
recent blues albums and
The Wanderer musical. In 2023,
Rolling Stone ranked Dion at No. 154 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. On April 24, 2024, he was one of four musicians honored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at
Monmouth University in New Jersey. In March 2024, Dion released his third No. 1 blues album,
Girl Friends. In October 2024, he released a patriotic collaboration with
Carlene Carter, titled "An American Hero" (along with music videos for singles from the album). In January 2025, Dion released the
nostalgic single "New York Minute" and
biographical book ''Dion: The Rock 'N' Roll Philosopher'' (co-written with
recovery and performance coach Adam Jablin). The book covers Dion's personal life and rock-and-roll journey, with contributions from
Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Bishop
Robert Barron and
Stevie Van Zandt. His album ''The Rock 'N' Roll Philosopher'' followed in October 2025 and concerts in 2026. Dion also released a new version of his song "
Abraham, Martin and John" on the album. ==
The Wanderer musical ==