There are at least 2 artists named Dion:
1) Dion DiMucci, 1960s Italian-… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least 2 artists named Dion:
1) Dion DiMucci, 1960s Italian-American singer
2) Dion, Australian rapper and member of 1Team

1. Dion Francis DiMucci (b July 18, 1939), better known as Dion, is an Italian-American singer-songwriter now widely recognized as one of the top vocalists of his era, blending the best elements of doo-wop, traditional pop, and rnb styles, as well as a forerunner in the development of rock and roll.

Early years

Dion was born to an Italian-American family in the Bronx borough of New York City. As a child, he used to accompany his father, a vaudeville entertainer, on tour, and developed a love of country music – particularly Hank Williams – and the blues and doo-wop stars he heard in local bars and on the radio. His singing abilities were honed on the street corners of Crotona Avenue, where he rounded up other local singers inventing acapella licks, and in local clubs.

In early 1957 he auditioned for Bob and Gene Schwartz, who had just formed Mohawk Records. They recorded him with a vocal group, The Timberlanes, and released a single "The Chosen Few", arranged by Hugo Montenegro, which became a minor regional hit.

With the Belmonts, 1957-1960

Schwartz also signed up Dion's friends, The Belmonts, named after nearby Belmont Avenue. Their breakthrough together came in early 1958, when "I Wonder Why" made # 22 on the national US charts, followed up with "No One Knows" and "Don’t Pity Me" which were also chart hits.

This success won Dion and the Belmonts a place on the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. On 2 February 1959, after playing at Clear Lake, Iowa, Dion decided that he could not afford the $36 cost of a flight to the next venue [1]. The plane crashed, and Holly and the other stars were killed.

In March 1959, Dion and the Belmonts’ next single, "A Teenager In Love", was released, making # 5 in the US pop charts and # 28 in the UK. Their biggest hit, "Where or When", was released in November 1959, and reached #3 on the US charts. However, in early 1960, Dion checked in to hospital for heroin addiction, a problem he had had since his mid-teens. Further single releases for the group that year were less successful, there were musical and financial differences between Dion and members of the Belmonts, and in October 1960 Dion decided to quit for a solo career.

Solo stardom, 1960-1964

1961 album coverBy the end of 1960, Dion had recorded and released his first solo album, Alone With Dion, and the single "Lonely Teenager", which rose to # 12 in the US charts. Follow-ups "Havin’ Fun" and "Kissin’ Game" had less success, and the signs were that Dion would drift onto the cabaret circuit. However, he then recorded, with new vocal group the Del-Satins, an up-tempo number co-written with Ernie Maresca. The record, "Runaround Sue", stormed up the charts, reaching # 1 in the US charts in September 1961, and # 11 in the UK, where he also toured.

For the next single, the record company promoted the A-side, "The Majestic", but it was the B-side, Maresca’s song "The Wanderer", which received the radio plays and again rose swiftly up the charts, reaching # 2 in the US charts in December 1961 and # 10 in the UK. As a classic oldie, it made the UK top twenty again in 1976.

By the end of 1961, Dion was a major star, with a worldwide touring schedule, and he followed up with a string of hit singles – "Lovers Who Wander" (# 3), "Little Diane" (# 8), "Love Came To Me" (# 10) and "Ruby Baby" (# 2) all making the top ten in 1962. Several of these were written or co-written by Dion. He also had successful albums with Runaround Sue and Lovers Who Wander.

At the end of 1962, Dion moved from Laurie to Columbia Records, the first rock and roll artist ever signed to that label. Although the first single, Leiber and Stoller’s "Ruby Baby", was a big hit, reaching # 2, several follow-ups were less so, although "Donna the Prima Donna" and "Drip Drop" both reached # 6 in the charts in late 1963. Nevertheless, problems with his addiction and changing public tastes did cause him to enter a period of commercial decline.

Changing fortunes, 1964-1968
Following a European tour, Dion returned to the USA and was introduced to classic blues music by Columbia’s John Hammond. To the consternation of his management, he began recording more blues-oriented material, including Willie Dixon’s "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Spoonful", but these releases – some produced by Tom Wilson, with Al Kooper on keyboards - were not commercially successful.

In 1966, Dion briefly reunited with the Belmonts for the album Together Again on ABC Records. Again, this bombed, despite one classic self-penned song, "My Girl The Month Of May". Although by this stage Dion’s career appeared to be nearing an end, he retained enough credibility to be, along with Bob Dylan, the only pop artist featured on the album cover of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967.

In April 1968, Dion had a powerful religious experience. After getting clean from drug use, he approached Laurie Records for a new contract, and they agreed on condition that he record the song "Abraham, Martin and John", written by Dick Holler (also the writer of The Royal Guardsmen’s "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron") in response to the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F Kennedy during the summer of 1968. The success of this song – later recorded by many others including Marvin Gaye – which reached # 4 in the US charts, resuscitated Dion’s career.

The mature period, 1968-1986

Born To Be With You, 1975For the next few years, Dion’s music became radically different, moving to more contemplative and mature material. He released several albums essentially as a singer-songwriter, to critical acclaim but moderate sales, moving to the Warner Brothers label in 1969.

There followed a one-off live reunion show with the Belmonts at Madison Square Garden in 1972, released on album. This was followed in 1975 by the album Born To Be With You, eccentrically produced by Phil Spector. The album was a commercial failure, but has been subsequently praised by such artists as Jason Pierce of Spiritualized and Pete Townshend of The Who.

In 1978 Dion released an album drawing on many of his teenage influences, Return of the Wanderer, another critical success and commercial failure. In December 1979 he experienced a life-changing religious experience, documented in this article [1]. Thereafter, his recordings for several years were in a contemporary Christian music vein, in which he released a number of albums on the Dayspring label reflecting his religious convictions.

Recent work
In 1987 Dion agreed to do a concert of his old hits at Radio City Music Hall in New York. This helped free him to celebrate both his past and his future, and led to a series of special appearances, including a fundraiser for homeless medical relief. There he shared the stage with fans such as Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Lou Reed, all of whom cited Dion as one of their prime influences.

In 1988 Dion's autobiography (co-authored by Davin Seay) titled The Wanderer: Dion's Story was published. In the following year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the induction speech being given by Lou Reed.

In 1989 he returned to secular rock music with the album Yo Frankie, and since then has released several albums with contemporary rock artists. His Déjà Nu album in 2000 found him covering Bruce Springsteen, a major follower over the years.

He joined Scott Kempner of the Del-Lords and Mike Mesaros of The Smithereens in a short-lived band called Little Kings. A live album was later released, but not widely circulated or promoted.

In January 2006 he released Bronx in Blue, an album of blues and country standards, which was critically acclaimed and nominated for a Grammy. As a practicing Catholic, Dion pursues prison ministry and reaches out to men going through addiction recovery.
www.diondimucci.com/

2. Dion is a musician from Sydney, Australia. Currently, he is part of the 1Team music collective alongside Joeyy, Bic Flame, Facy, B9 and Shotti. Dion has been active since 2016, though he has essentially quit music twice, with large time gaps between any new releases.

(as best we know) Dion has a producer alter-ego: Avail, previously known as Deadman.

Dion frequently collaborates with Sudi (another Sydney based artist), Scrap Club (a collective from Stockholm, Sweden) and Redpriest.

Book of Dreams
Dion Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm standing in the backyard, listening to the party inside
Tonight I'm drinking in the forgiveness this life provides
The scars we carry remain, but the pain slips away it seems
Oh, won't you, baby, be in my book of dreams

I'm watching you through the window with your girlfriends from back home
You're showing off your dress, there's laughter and a toast
From your daddy to the prettiest bride that he's ever seen

Oh, won't you, baby, be in my book of dreams
Ohh, won't you, won't you, baby

In the darkness, my fingers slip across your skin, I feel your sweet reply
The room fades away and I'm way up high
Just holdin' you to me as through the window the moonlight streams
Oh, won't you, baby, be in my book of dreams

Now the ritual begins: 'neath the wedding garland we meet as strangers
The dance floor is alive with beauty, mystery and danger
We dance out 'neath the stars' ancient light into the darkening trees
Oh, won't you, baby, be in my book of dreams

Come on, baby, be in my book of dreams
Oh, won't you, baby, be in my book of dreams

Overall Meaning

In "Book of Dreams" by Dion, the singer is outside a party while listening to the sounds of laughter and celebration emanating from inside. He is drinking in forgiveness and finding solace in the fact that the pain of the scars he carries with him has started to dissipate. He longingly watches his lover through the window, admiring her as she shows off her dress and is having a good time with her girlfriends. He observes the toast raising, a heartfelt gesture from her father, who finds her to be the prettiest bride he has ever seen. The singer wants his beloved to be in his book of dreams, symbolizing his hopefulness for the future.

The song progresses to him describing a memory of a moment when he was holding his lover intimately, and the world around him began to disappear into oblivion. As she melts into his arms, the setting and the world around them seem unimportant. He desires that this moment remains in his book of dreams.

It then takes a sudden turn, and we find out that it is related to a wedding ceremony of strangers. Dancing to the rhythm of the music, the couple moves out under the glittering stars and into the mysterious forest.

"Book of Dreams" is a song that centralizes around the theme of hope and forgiveness. The lyrics of the song resonate with many people on a personal level. The references to the scars in the song portray the idea that the pain that we experience in life follows us, but we have to learn and grow from it, making us better versions of ourselves in the long run.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm standing in the backyard, listening to the party inside
I am outside surrounded by the faint sound of happiness and celebration from inside the house.

Tonight I'm drinking in the forgiveness this life provides
I am embracing the grace and absolution that life has to offer with a refreshing drink tonight.

The scars we carry remain, but the pain slips away it seems
The wounds we bear stay with us, yet the torment seems to steadily dissipate.

Oh, won't you, baby, be in my book of dreams
I implore you, darling, to become a part of my collection of aspirations and desires.

I'm watching you through the window with your girlfriends from back home
Observing you and your former acquaintances from outside the window.

You're showing off your dress, there's laughter and a toast
You are proudly exhibiting your wedding gown while surrounded by revelry and congratulatory speeches.

From your daddy to the prettiest bride that he's ever seen
Your father is offering a toast to the most beautiful bride he has ever laid eyes on.

In the darkness, my fingers slip across your skin, I feel your sweet reply
Amidst the shadows, my fingers travel over your skin and your response to my tender touch is overwhelmingly positive.

The room fades away and I'm way up high
My surroundings dissolve and I am transported to a state of elation and euphoria.

Just holdin' you to me as through the window the moonlight streams
I am simply holding you to my chest as I witness the serene, glowing light of the moon outside the window.

Now the ritual begins: 'neath the wedding garland we meet as strangers
The ceremonial tradition has started: we begin as though we are strangers meeting under the wedding decorations.

The dance floor is alive with beauty, mystery and danger
The dance area is bustling with beauty, secrecy, and peril.

We dance out 'neath the stars' ancient light into the darkening trees
We sway and spin under the gleaming, timeless stars into the enveloping darkness of the trees.

Oh, won't you, baby, be in my book of dreams
Once more I plead with you, my love, to become a cherished component of my assemblage of dreams and desires.

Come on, baby, be in my book of dreams
Encouragingly persuading you, my darling, to be part of my treasury of aspirations.

Oh, won't you, baby, be in my book of dreams
Reiterating my fervent wish for you to hold a special place in my list of dreamlike desires and hopes.

Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS