Frankie Lymon- Biography

Frankie Lymon was an American rock & roll singer and composer who was born Franklin Joseph Lymon. He was best known as the main singer of The Teenagers, a New York City-based rock & roll band made up of five young lads. ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love,’ ‘I Want You to Be My Girl,’ ‘I Promise to Remember,’ ‘The ABCs of Love,’ ‘I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent,’ ‘Out in the Cold Again,’ and ‘Goody Goody’ were among the group’s big singles.

The rock and roll singer appeared on many albums as a solo performer. ‘Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers,’ ‘Frankie Lymon at the London Palladium,’ ‘Rock & Roll with Frankie Lymon,’ and ‘Complete Recordings (Bear Family)’ were some of his hit albums. Lymon, who began abusing drugs after his career fell apart, died of a heroin overdose at the age of 25. He was interred in New York City’s Saint Raymond’s Cemetery after his tragic death. In terms of his personal life, the American singer was a polygamist who was married to three stunning women until his death. ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love?’ was a 1998 film that chronicled his musical career.

Early Life and Bio

Franklin Joseph Lymon, better known as Frankie Lymon, was born on September 30, 1942, in Harlem, New York City, New York, United States. His mother, Jeanette Lymon, worked as a maid, while his father, Howard Lymon, drove a truck. They were both members of the Harlemaires, a gospel ensemble.
Lymon began working as a grocery boy at the age of 10 to help his family make ends meet. He met the lead vocalist of the local doo-wop group Coupe De Villes, Herman Santiago when he was 12 years old. He eventually became a member of the band, which was later renamed The Ermines and The Premiers.

Career

• A neighbor handed the Premiers some love letters written by his girlfriend in 1955 to encourage them to write their songs. The boys were inspired by this and wrote a song called ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love.’
• The Teenagers, as they were now known, went on to audition with American record producer George Goldner. When Santiago, the original lead singer, failed to show up for the audition, Lymon stepped in and sang in his place.
• The trio was signed to Gee Records by Goldner in 1956, and their first single, ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love,’ was published. The singles ‘I Want You to Be My Girl,’ ‘I Promise to Remember,’ ‘The ABC of Love,’ and ‘I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent’ was released after that.
• The Teenagers were renamed Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers shortly after. In December 1956, their album ‘The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon’ was released. Several singles were issued the next year, including ‘Teenage Love,’ ‘Out in the Cold Again,’ and ‘Everything to Me.’ In 1957, Lymon and the Teenagers split up while on tour in Europe.
• Frankie Lymon then began performing as a solo performer, with Roulette Record publishing his tracks. In 1957, he released the songs ‘My Girl’ and ‘Little Girl.’ The rock and roll vocalist launched his solo album, ‘Rock & Roll with Frankie Lymon,’ shortly after these singles.
• He released the single ‘Up Jumped a Rabbit’ in 1959. In 1960, he recorded the singles “Little Bitty Pretty One” and “Buzz Buzz Buzz.” Lymon’s career began to wane in the early 1960s. The singer’s voice transformed to a deeper baritone when he grew hooked on heroin.
• He followed up with the hits ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ ‘Change Partners,’ and ‘Young.’ Roulette later terminated their contract with him, and Lymon joined a drug treatment facility.
• The American vocalist battled through short-term partnerships with Columbia Records and 20th Century Fox Records during the next four years. He was able to release the singles ‘To Each His Own’ and ‘Somewhere’ under these recordings.
• Lymon then performed in a revue at the Apollo. He also attempted but failed to videotape several live performances. Then, in 1968, he was signed to the Big Apple label, which issued his single “I’m sorry.”

What is the Net Worth of Frankie Lymon? Salary, Earnings

Frankie Lymon estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, lifestyle & many more details have been updated below. Let’s check, How Rich is Frankie Lymon in 2022-2023?  

Frankie Lymon Net Worth:
$1 million to $5 million

Married Life

• Frankie Lymon started seeing Elizabeth Waters and married her in 1964.
• The couple had a baby girl, who died at Lenox Hill Hospital barely two days after her birth. Few people are aware that Lymon’s marriage to Waters was unconstitutional because she was still married to her first husband.
• After his marriage to Waters fell up, Lymon began dating Zola Taylor. The couple is said to have married in 1965. Their marriage, however, was thought to be a PR gimmick, as there was no formal paperwork of their union. Lymon’s drug addiction caused the pair to split up in 1968.
• Meanwhile, Lymon had fallen in love with another woman, Emira Eagle, in 1967. In June of 1967, they married.
• Lymon was a polygamist who married three women before his death: Waters, Taylor, and Eagle.
  On February 27, 1968, he was discovered dead from a heroin overdose. He died while he was only 25 years old. He was laid to rest in the Catholic cemetery of Saint Raymond.

Facts

• ‘The Golden Throat’ was his moniker.
• Frankie Lymon has been described as one of Michael Jackson’s, Diana Ross’, Ronnie Spector’s, The Chantels’, George Clinton’s, The Temptations’, Len Barry’s, Smokey Robinson’s, and The Beach Boys’ idols.

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