The Belmonts were an American doo-wop group from the Bronx, New York, that originated in the mid-1950s. The original group consisted of Angelo D'Aleo (born February 3, 1940), Carlo Mastrangelo (October 5, 1937 – April 4, 2016), and Fred Milano (August 26, 1939 – January 1, 2012). They took their name from Belmont Avenue, the Bronx street in which Mastrangelo lived, known as the Little Italy of the Bronx. From 1957 to 1960, Dion DiMucci (born July 18, 1939) served as lead vocalist, during which the group was billed as Dion and the Belmonts. At this time Mastrangelo sang the bass parts, Milano the second tenor, D'Aleo the falsetto (first tenor), and DiMucci did lead vocals. During this period, the group released four studio albums and one live album, charting numerous songs on the Billboard Hot 100. The group briefly had limited success after DiMucci's departure, charting several moderate and minor hits during the early 1960s with Mastrangelo on lead vocals. Mastrangelo was replaced in 1962 by Frank Lyndon and Warren Gradus, but the original group reunited in 1966, and thereafter performed together in numerous reunions over the years. They occasionally recorded new singles into the 1980s and performed live into the 21st century. Gradus continued performing live under the moniker until his death in October 2023.
Career Origins and work with DiMucci (1955–1960) The name the Belmonts was derived from Belmont Avenue in the Bronx; two of the four singers having lived on Belmont Avenue, while the other two lived nearby. Carlo Mastrangelo, Angelo D'Aleo, and Fred Milano were part of a gang called the Imperial Hoods. Later addition DiMucci was part of another gang called the Fordham Baldies.
The Belmonts' first single, "Teenage Clementine"/"Santa Margherita", was recorded in 1957 for arranger Irving Spice's New York based Mohawk Records. Unlike subsequent recordings, Milano did the lead vocal on the "A" side, "Teenage Clementine", and D'Aleo sang lead on "Santa Margherita". Also recording on the label was Dion DiMucci, whose first release was backed by a group he never met, the Timberlanes. DiMucci added the lead vocal to existing pre-recorded tracks, and the final composition was released as "The Chosen Few"/"Out In Colorado", by "Dion and the Timberlanes" (Mohawk 105). After receiving some airplay on the East Coast, the single was later leased to the larger Jubilee Records label for better distribution, although it failed to chart nationally. DiMucci states that he never knew then, or now, who the Timberlanes were: "The vocal group was so white bread, I went back to my neighborhood and I recruited a bunch of guys, three guys, and we called ourselves Dion and the Belmonts."
Initially billed as "Dion with the Belmonts", the new group recorded "We Went Away"/"Tag Along" on the Mohawk label before leaving for newly formed Laurie Records in early 1958. Known thereafter as "Dion and the Belmonts", their first Laurie release, "I Wonder Why" (Laurie Records first release, Laurie 3013), was recorded at New York's Bell Sound Studios and brought them immediate success. Released the first week of May 1958, it appeared on the national charts two weeks later, rising to number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. It led to their first appearance on the nationally televised American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clark. The group followed with the ballads "No One Knows" (Laurie 3015, number 19) and "Don't Pity Me" (Laurie 3021, number 40), which were also performed on Bandstand. Dion said of the Belmonts: Dion and the Belmonts were the sound of the city. Their roots were doo-wop groups like the Flamingos, the Five Satins and the Dells, acts who developed their sound in urban settings on street corners, mimicking instruments with their voices and even complex jazz arrangements.
They followed the hit with the ballads "No One Knows" (No. 19) and "Don't Pity Me" (No. 40), which they also performed on Bandstand. This early success brought them their first major tour in late 1958, with the Coasters, Buddy Holly and Bobby Darin, followed by the historic and tragic Winter Dance Party tour featuring Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. During at least one concert during the tour, photographs showed Holly filling in on drums for The Belmonts, whose drummer had frostbite. Being a skilled drummer already, Carlo Mastrangelo filled in on drums for several of the other acts, evidenced by photographs also. On February 2, 1959, after playing the Surf Ballroom, Holly arranged to charter a plane that could only take Holly and two of the other headliners. Holly decided it would be chosen by a coin toss. It was "the Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson who won the first coin toss and it was Dion who won the second coin toss. Dion believed the $36 cost to fly to the next venue was too much for such a short plane ride and declined. DiMucci's seat was given to Valens, who was sick with the flu and present in the dressing room where they all met with Holly to toss the coins. According to Dion, $36 was the price his parents paid for monthly rent. Shortly after midnight, on February 3, 1959, the plane crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa. Holly, Valens, The Big Bopper, and the pilot Roger Peterson were all killed. Bobby Vee, then an unknown artist, performed in Holly's place at the next concert. Later, Jimmy Clanton, Frankie Avalon, and Fabian were hired to finish the tour in place of the three deceased headliners. As of January 11, 2017, with the death of Holly's tour guitarist Tommy Allsup, DiMucci is the lone surviving member of the original Winter Dance Party lineup. (DiMucci's lone surviving Belmont bandmate, Angelo D'Aleo, was not on the tour, as he was in the US Navy at the time.)
In March 1959, Dion and the Belmonts' next single, "A Teenager in Love", became their first release to reach the top ten, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 28 on the UK Singles Chart. Written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, it's considered one of the greatest songs in rock and roll history.
D'Aleo went to great efforts to contribute his famous falsetto to the song. "I was in the Navy", the singer recalls. "I got a call from Fred. 'We've gotta finish up the album. You've gotta get over here'. So I got a flight and went in. One of the last songs we did was "A Teenager in Love". I listened and said, 'What? I hope this song doesn't go out as a single. It's a terrible song'. I hated the song. Later on, I'm heading to South America with the fleet and my friend in the radio shack said, 'Hey, get down here and listen to this!' It was "A Teenager in Love". In seven days, it became a hit!". Their appearance on "American Bandstand" was without D'Aleo, however, who returned to duty with the navy. At various times the group performed without him. During one national TV appearance on Clark's Saturday night program ("Live from the little theater on 44th Street in Manhattan"), he was filmed in his navy uniform, arriving just in time for the filming session. There were several picture sleeves from this era that did not picture D'Aleo, although he performed on all recordings. "A Teenager in Love" was followed by their first album, Presenting Dion and the Belmonts. Their biggest hit, "Where or When", was released in November 1959, and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the group making another national appearance on American Bandstand. Although publicity photos show the group as a trio without Angelo D'Aleo, he performed on all of their recorded material; these photos were presented for promotional reasons owing to his departure to serve in the U.S. Navy. After their top-ten success with "A Teenager in Love", Dion and the Belmonts recorded four more singles. By the time of their breakup, all eight Laurie releases charted Billboard. Every "A" side made the top 40, except "Every Little Thing I Do" (Laurie 3035), which made the top 50. Their biggest hit and largest-selling record, "Where or When" (Laurie 3044), climbed to number 3 on the Billboard charts in early 1960. The "B" side, "That's My Desire", highlighted D'Aleo's soaring falsetto. It also received considerable airplay, especially in the New York City area. This time their appearance on American Bandstand once again featured all four members. Other singles released for the group that year continued to chart on Billboard, but were less successful. In early 1960, Dion checked into a hospital for heroin addiction, a problem he had since his mid-teens. At the height of the group's success his drug dependency worsened. When "Where or When" had peaked on the charts, he was in a hospital detoxing.
According to Vermillion County First, "[b]y August of 1960, Dion [DiMucci] was making plans to forge ahead with a solo career..."
DiMucci's departure and singles success (1960–1971) Due to financial and musical differences between DiMucci, the Belmonts, and Laurie Records, Dion decided to leave the group in October 1960. "They wanted to get into their harmony thing, and I wanted to rock and roll," said Dion. "The label wanted me doing standards. I got bored with it quickly. I said, 'I can't do this. I gotta play my guitar'. So we split up and I did 'Runaround Sue', 'The Wanderer' and 'Ruby Baby'". In 1961, DiMucci said: “I'd like it understood right from the beginning that our split up was mutual. I didn't leave the Belmonts, nor did they leave me! Freddie, Carlo and Angelo are my closest friends. We've been together a long time. We've shared hard work and defeats as well as success. And each chipped in and done our share — gladly!” D'Aleo later recalled: "The breakup? I loved that guy. But there was a reason why he left. Our reason was we wanted to stick to light rock 'n' roll and standards, and he wanted to get into the blues. He said, 'I want to do blues and country. I think it's time to go our separate ways'. We agreed. There was no shouting or anything like that. We had 'Tell Me Why'. Dion had 'Runaround Sue' and 'The Wanderer'. He took off. Not the route he wanted, though. He loved the blues. But when you put out a single and people buy it, they're telling you what they want you to sing."
Simply known as Dion, DiMucci's first major solo hit, "Lonely Teenager", featured him backed by a female chorus. He eventually chose to work with the Del-Satins, who backed him (uncredited) on all his early Laurie and Columbia Records hits, which, besides the three aforementioned hits Dion quoted, also included "Donna the Prima Donna" ,"Drip Drop", "Lovers Who Wander", and "Little Diane". (DiMucci had 20 top 40 hits in the three years after leaving the Belmonts.) Later reissues of these songs would often be erroneously attributed to Dion and the Belmonts.
Including Billboard Hot 100 singles, Dion and the Belmonts charted 856 radio station surveys across the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. In 2000, the group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Dion (without The Belmonts) was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
Now a trio, they continued as "The Belmonts", with Mastrangelo singing lead. They continued to release records on their own label, Sabina Records, but with less success. In January 1961, before leaving the Laurie label, they released their own rendition of "We Belong Together" (Laurie 3080) covering the Robert and Johnny classic. The song bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100, charting at number 108. Although not a hit, it is still valued today by record collectors. Several of their post-Dion singles all received significant radio play in the New York City area. After leaving Laurie Records, The Belmonts continued to record throughout the 1960s on the Sabina, United Artists and Dot labels.