Frankie Lymon

The singer-songwriter of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love."

Founded

September 30, 1942 in Harlem, New York

Full Name

Franklin Joseph Lymon

Date of Birth

September 30, 1942 in Harlem, New York

Still Alive

Date of Death

February 27, 1968 in Harlem, New York

Influenced By

The Harlemaires (his mother and father), early doo-wop groups

Later Influenced

Ronnie Spector, Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel

Frankie Lymon, second from the left, and The Teenagers in a promotional photo circa 1956.

About The artist

Frankie Lymon set the mold for male teenage rock & roll, R&B, and pop artists. Upon first hearing his Motown labelmate Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye said, "It was Frankie Lymon all over again."

Did you know...

On a July 19, 1957 episode of Alan Freed's live ABC TV show The Big Beat, Lymon began dancing with a white teenage girl while he was performing. His actions caused a scandal, particularly among Southern TV station owners, and The Big Beat was subsequently canceled.