"Why do Fools Fall in Love" by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, has long been on my all-time top ten singles list. It's been covered by The Beach Boys with Brian on falsetto lead, and also later by Diana Ross. I've got a poster of an original publicity shot of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers and that song, blue tinted for that extra Cold War patina.
Now an original Teenager, Jimmy Merchant, has performed the hit song that he wrote, "Why do Fools Fall in Love", at a Doo Wop/Rock'n'Roll revival show in Providence, wherever that is.
from
http://broadwayworld.com/article/Oldies ... 7_20090307 The biggest 'oldies but goodies' doo-wopp concert in decades will be coming to Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) on Saturday night, March 7, as seven major acts from the 1950's and 1960's come together on stage for HARVEY ROBBINS' ROYALTY OF DOO-WOPP AND ROCK 'N ROLL SHOW.
The president and founder of the Doo-Wopp Hall Of Fame Of America® has provided oldies but goodies to doo-wopp music lovers with concerts in Rhode Island and New England theaters since 1985, but the upcoming lineup at PPAC looms as one of the most fascinating ever.
"We always strive to bring not only wonderful music and memories to the audience, but find artists who gave us such great songs and who have been seldom seen in person. The PPAC show accomplishes this quest," noted Robbins.
Included in the concert will be all-time rockabilly star from the '50's, Dale Hawkins from Little Rock, Arkansas. He gave the music world the often copied, but never duplicated "Susie Q." Coming from Detroit will be the stars of the music sound track of "Dirty Dancing," The Contours of "Do You Love Me" fame from Motown. Also from Detroit will be the Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame inductees, The Diablos. These early recording stars from the Fortune label are best known for the classic ballad, "The Wind." Frankie Lymon's original Teenager, Jimmy Merchant, an inductee into both the Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame and the Doo-Wopp Hall Of Fame, will lead the way with the song he wrote, "Why Do Fools Fall In Love," and the other Teenagers' hits. Johnnie and Joe, the most beloved recording duo of the 'fabulous fifties' will perform all their classics, including their biggest of all, "Over The Mountain."
The Hall Of Fame Tune Weavers will perform, among others, "Old Man River" and their biggest hit, "Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby." Also on the show will be Harvey Robbins' Royalty Of Rock 'n Roll All-Stars with Hall Of Famer Billy Davis. Davis co-composed and was lead guitarist on the original recording of "The Twist" with Hank Ballard and The Midnighters. He was Jimi Hendrix' original guitar tutor and Jackie Wilson's original lead guitarist, while playing on "Higher and Higher." He recorded, "It's Your Thing" with the Isley Brothers and "Shining Star" with The Manhattans, among other hits.[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q96ylFiQK_I[/youtube]
This is a live performance from The Frankie Laine show which aired in 1956. It is their first national television broadcast.
and a fanzine at
http://www.rockinfifties.de/history.html
