Dion DiMucci was born in The Bronx in 1939. By the age of 5 he started

playing a guitar and on a Valentine's Day in 1954, his career started

taking shape.

Dion was a member of a gang, The Fordham Baddies, and was dabbling with

the drug heroin. As a gift for his mother, he recorded a demo tape of

two songs. The demo tape gave him confidence in his talents and soon he

was playing at clubs and for producers of teen programs up and down the

East Coast.

Dion joined up with a group of his friends who were calling themselves

the Belmonts, named for Belmont Avenue, where they all lived. The Belmonts

backed Dion up in the doo-wop style that was popular at the time and found

their first hit in 1958 with the song "I Wonder Why." Though

that song did not crack the top 20, their next hit, "A Teenager In

Love," made it all the way to number five. That song was followed

by "Where or When," which made it to number three on the charts.

That year, 1959, was also important in Dion's career for another

reason. In February, he had a chance to leave a concert in a plane with

The Big Bopper. He did not fly out with the Bopper and his friends, Richie

Valens and Buddy Holly, who died in a crash that evening.

solo. Dion's popularity was rising so much that he even made his

way to the silver screen in the 1961 film "Teenage Millionaire."

On his next several albums, Dion was backed up by the uncredited Del Satins.

By 1963, Dion had recorded seven more hits, but soon broke up with the

Del Satins.

Dion wanted more from music and wanted to stretch the boundaries of music

that were already crumbling due to the rumblings of the British Invasion.

In 1964, Dion released an unsuccessful album of cover songs, followed

in 1967, releasing the album "Together Again" in 1968. That

was also the year that Dion finally kicked his heroin habit, which had

nearly taken his life several times.

Clean and sober, Dion soon found his way to the top of the charts again.

He recorded the tribute ballad "Abraham, Martin and John," a

song about Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, and watched

it climb to number four on the charts. The song captured the spirit of

the times and the sadness of the generation's losses.

Dion spent the next several years playing at coffeehouses and working

on acoustic material. In 1972, he released an all-acoustic album, "Sit

Down Old Friend," and soon reunited with the Belmonts for a show

at Madison Square Garden.

Dion continued to play his hits at nostalgia shows over the next 15 years,

reuniting with the Belmonts from time to time. In June 1987, they played

a series of sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall. Dion then released

a brand new album in 1989, with Paul Simon as one of his co-producers,

called "Yo, Frankie." He also was inducted into the Rock and

Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and got recognition for his career.

In 1990, Dion toured with some old friends, The Fabulous Thunderbirds,

and later formed a band called the "Little Kings" with other

friends from the old neighborhood, including members of The Smithereens.

He still tours around, performing his wide range of classic hits and covers

and energizing audiences all over the country.

Dion will perform at 8 p.m. at the amphitheater Friday and Saturday, Aug.

25. Terry Lee and the GT's will open the show.Tickets are $25. Call

770-631-0630 to purchase tickets or for information on the summer concert

series.

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