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.
Runaround Sue
Dion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's about a girl that I once knew
She took my love then ran around
With every single guy in town
Hey, hey
Whoa (bum de hey, de hey, de hey, hey)
Whoa (bum de hey, de hey, de hey, hey)
La, la, la, la
Whoa (hey, hey, bum de hey, de hey, de hey, hey)
(Bum de hey, de hey, de hey, hey)
(Bum de hey, de hey, de hey)
(Ah)
Yeah, I should have known it from the very start
This girl'll leave me with a broken heart
Ah, listen people what I'm telling you
A keep away from a Runaround Sue, yeah
I might miss her lips and the smile on her face
The touch of our hand and this girl's warm embrace
So if you don't want to cry like I do
A keep away from a Runaround Sue
Whoa (hey, hey, bum de hey, de hey, de hey, hey)
Whoa (bum de hey, de hey, de hey, hey)
Whoa (bum de hey, de hey, de hey)
(Ah)
She likes to travel around, yeah
She'll love you and she'll put you down
Now people let me put you wise
Sue goes out with other guys
Here's the moral and the story from the guy who knows
I fell in love and my love still grows
Ask any fool that she ever knew, they'll say
Keep away from a Runaround Sue
Yeah, keep away from this girl
I know, know what she'll do
Keep away from Sue
(Ah)
She likes to travel around, yeah
She'll love you and she'll put you down
Now people let me put you wise
She goes out with other guys
Here's the moral and the story from that guy who knows
I fell in love and my love still grows
Ask any fool that she ever knew, they'll say
Keep away from a Runaround Sue, yeah
Stay away from that girl
Don't you know what she'll do now
Whoa (hey, bum de hey, de hey, de hey, hey)
Whoa (hey, hey)
Dion's song "Runaround Sue" paints a picture of a woman who is notorious for running around with multiple guys, leaving broken hearts in her wake. The singer's heartache is palpable as he reflects on the girl who took his love and ran around with every guy in town. He warns others to stay away from her and avoid the pain that he's experienced.
Throughout the song, the singer laments the loss of the girl's warmth and affection, but ultimately recognizes that her tendency to travel around and put others down is not worth the pain. The implied lesson is that sometimes, we must let go of the things we love if they're only going to cause us heartache and pain.
At the same time, the song also serves as a critique of the hypocrisy of double standards related to promiscuity. While the singer warns others to stay away from "Runaround Sue," it's clear from the lyrics that he's still in love with her, despite her infidelity. By the end of the song, he acknowledges that there's something thrilling and seductive about the "bad girl" image that "Runaround Sue" embodies.
Overall, "Runaround Sue" is a catchy, upbeat song with a deeper message about love, heartbreak, and sexuality. It's an interesting example of the way that popular music can both reflect and shape cultural perceptions of gender and sexuality.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's my story, it's sad but true
I have a story to share that is unfortunate yet factual
It's about a girl that I once knew
This story concerns a girl I used to know
She took my love then ran around
She took my love and then proceeded to have relations with many other men
With every single guy in town
She had relations with every eligible man in town
Yeah, I should have known it from the very start
I should have realized this would happen from the beginning
This girl will leave me with a broken heart
This girl was capable of breaking my heart
Now listen people what I'm telling you
Please pay attention to what I am about to say
A keep away from a Runaround Sue yeah
Avoid pursuing a girl like Runaround Sue
I might miss her lips and the smile on her face
I might miss physical aspects of her, like her smile and her lips
The touch of her hair and this girl's warm embrace
I might miss her physical intimacy, like the way she touched my hair and hugged me
So if you don't want to cry like I do
If you do not want to experience the same level of sadness as I have
A keep away from a Runaround Sue
then avoid pursuing a girl like Runaround Sue
Ah, she likes to travel around
She has a wandering spirit
She'll love you and she'll put you down
She is capable of loving you while simultaneously making you feel terrible about yourself
Now people let me put you wise
Let me impart some knowledge to all of you
Sue goes out with other guys
Sue has romantic relations with many other men
Here's the moral and the story from the guy who knows
Here is the lesson to be learned from someone who has experienced this firsthand
I fell in love and my love still grows
Although I fell in love with her, my affection for her still exists
Ask any fool that she ever knew, they'll say
If you ask anyone who has had previous relations with her, they will tell you
Keep away from a Runaround Sue
to avoid pursuing a girl like Runaround Sue
Stay away from that girl
Avoid that particular girl
Don't you know what she'll do now
Are you not aware of what she is capable of doing?
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dion Di Mucci, Ernie Maresca
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Momma Donna
on Only You Know
Check out Joe Leone Music on YouTube for a great cover of this song.
https://youtu.be/iYrkDhA4wGM
Momma Donna
on Only You Know
Joe Leone did a beautiful cover of this song.
https://youtu.be/iYrkDhA4wGM