Doo-Wop Legends: Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers

In its infancy, Rock n' Roll was as much categorized by Doo-wop as it was by blues and jazz. Then known simply as R&B acts or even literally as "vocal harmony groups," doo-wop artists helped shape the emerging landscape of rock music.

The Teenagers, one of Doo-wop's pioneers, got their start in the early '50s when second tenor Jimmy Merchant and bass Sherman Garnes formed such a vocal group. They eventually added lead singer Herman Santiago and baritone Joe Negroni, and went through several name changes.

The group, initially formed as the Earth Angels, hired singer Frankie Lymon in 1955, and then tried out a few other names, becoming the Ermines and the Premiers before settling on the Coupe De Villes.

By this time Lymon's talents were beginning to shine. He helped Santiago and Merchant retool one of the songs they composed, and soon came up with "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". The tune earned the group an audition with George Goldner's Gee Records, but on the day they were to try out, Santiago ended up being too sick to sing the lead.

To avoid having to walk away from the opportunity, Lymon stepped in and sang lead on the song, and they consequently were signed to Gee as The Teenagers, with Lymon as lead singer.

"Why Do Fools Fall In Love" became a huge hit for the group, having been broadcast to international audiences by legendary DJ Alan Freed (who also coined the term Rock n' Roll). Audiences were also exposed to the group by their appearance in the 1956 Freed film "Rock, Rock, Rock."

The following year, the Teenagers (which were also Rock's first act comprised solely of teenagers) grew increasingly vexed by the positioning of Frankie Lymon at the head of the group. The band were constantly being billed as Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, and relations within the group soured.

At that point, Goldner extracted Lymon from the group to concentrate on a solo career. The Teenagers brought on a new singer, Billy Lobrano, to take over on lead vocals, but they would never find the same success they had with Lymon in the lineup. Lymon's career continued to decline as well, and at 25 he was found dead of a heroin overdose.

Though their career together may not have spanned very long, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers became one of Rock n' Roll's early trendsetters, influencing later artists such as Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson with their Doo-wop classics. 

Watch Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers perform "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" below. The performance is from a 1956 episode of The Frankie Laine Show, and marked their first nationally televised broadcast.
 

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