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.
Ruby Baby
Dion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hear me talkin' now
This girl don't love me but I love her just the same
What'd I say?
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, Ruby, Ruby, I'm-a want ya
Like a ghost I'm-a gonna haunt ya
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby will you be mine, sometime
Ah, it does, Ruby
I tell ya I'm gonna steal you away from all those guys
Are they wise?
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, from the happy day I met ya
Now I made a bet that I was goin' to get ya
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby will you be mine?
Hear me talkin', in time, now, hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey, come to me, now
Hey-hey
Hey-hey, gonna get ya
Hey-hey, well, I tell ya
Now I love this girl I said-a Ruby is her name
Believe me, now
When this girl looks at me she just sets my soul aflame
Don't ya know?
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, I got some hugs and-a kisses, too
Yeah and now I'm gonna give-a them all to you
Now, listen, now Ruby, Ruby, when will you be mine?
Gonna get you sometime, Ruby
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey
Come to me baby, no, hey-hey hey
Hey-hey
Hey-hey hey
Hey-hey
Ah listen, listen, listen, now
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby will you be mine?
Ah, in time, everybody now
The song "Ruby Baby" by Dion begins by describing the singer's intense love for a girl named Ruby. Despite her lack of feelings towards him, the singer still loves her unconditionally. He begs for her attention, saying "Ruby, Ruby, I'm-a want ya/ Like a ghost I'm-a gonna haunt ya." The song then goes on to explain how each time he sees Ruby, he feels a deep longing for her and wants to steal her away. He promises that he has hugs and kisses to give, and begs for her to be his.
The chorus is repeated throughout the song, with the singer begging Ruby to be his. He promises to get her eventually, and throughout the song, it's clear that he won't give up on his love for her. The song has a classic old-school rock and roll sound, with the reverb-heavy guitars and driving beat characteristic of the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah now said I love a girl and-a Ruby is her name
The singer confesses his love for a girl named Ruby.
This girl don't love me but I love her just the same
Even though the girl does not reciprocate the singer's feelings, he still loves her.
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, Ruby, Ruby, I'm-a want ya
The singer expresses his strong desire for Ruby.
Like a ghost I'm-a gonna haunt ya
The singer is determined to pursue Ruby until she becomes his.
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby will you be mine, sometime
The singer asks Ruby if she will ever reciprocate his love for her.
Ah each time I see you, baby my heart cries
The singer's heart aches every time he sees Ruby, without mutual affection.
I tell ya I'm gonna steal you away from all those guys
The singer is confident that he can win Ruby's heart away from the other men pursuing her.
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, from the happy day I met ya
The singer has been in love with Ruby since the first day they met.
Now I made a bet that I was goin' to get ya
The singer is determined to win over Ruby's affection.
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby will you be mine?
The singer continues to ask Ruby if she will eventually love him.
Hear me talkin', in time, now, hey
The singer asks Ruby to listen to him and consider his feelings.
Now I love this girl I said-a Ruby is her name
The singer reaffirms his love for Ruby.
When this girl looks at me she just sets my soul aflame
Ruby's gaze makes the singer feel intense passion and desire.
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, I got some hugs and-a kisses, too
The singer has love and affection to give Ruby.
Now, listen, now Ruby, Ruby, when will you be mine?
The singer continues to ask when Ruby will love him back.
Gonna get you sometime, Ruby
The singer is still determined to win over Ruby.
Ah, in time, everybody now
The singer hopes that over time, Ruby will eventually come to love him back.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ladykatie251
I work at a nursing home and we had a resident named Ruby. She would come in from time to time to recover from something or get stronger. She was a card. Everyone loved her. Once she was able to go home, we’d be happy for her but we’d always miss her. So one time on her last night there I brought this song up on my phone at supper time and sat it on her table. Everyone had grins on their faces but Ruby’s was the biggest. We’d always say “Till next time.” She’d smile and say, “There ain’t gonna be a next time.” But there usually was, until the last time. She passed in our care. I miss her. This one’s for you, Ruby.
rnise1961
Awesome tribute. She's smiling
mavrini
What a lovely story, thanks for sharing.
Ken Fletcher
P
edward sosa
I was just about 12 and she came in from out of town...Calif. Finest Chick I every saw!! Fell in Love, but she didn't even look my way.. that's ok. cause I love just the same....about 63..Ed. in SA.
Einstein Jr
Great Story one of the most moving tributes I've ever come across. I wish I knew where? I love Ruby too.
almost brought a tear...
Fawn Spears
We need more of this in this crazy day and age! CLASSIC!
Dante Andolini
listen to donald fagens adaptation. brought me here
William Shilling
Dion could make anything sound great. Dude is so mellow. Dig it !!!!!!!
B'klyn Cowboy
Dig it brotha