Dion DiMucci Biography

Dion DiMucci, better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter of Italian descent. Regarded as one of the top rock singers of the pre-British Invasion era, he is known for incorporating elements of rock, doo-wop, R&B styles, and straight blues in his muisc. Born in an Italian-American family in New York to a vaudeville entertainer, DiMucci accompanied his father on tours in his childhood and developed an interest in country music. He also developed love for the blues and doo-wop artists he heard performing on the radio and in the local bars. He started recording in the late 1950s, initially as the lead vocalist of Dion and the Belmonts. DiMucci went solo in 1960, producing great hits including "The Wanderer", "Runaround Sue", "Lovers Who Wander" and "Ruby Baby", to name a few. His stardom continued throughout the late 1960s the mid-1970s, earning him praise from the critics who had earlier pegged him as a mere teen idol. In 1989, the legendary singer was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.