Just wanted to make a video on one of my favorite artists from the 50s! tipjar to support: echoes-from-the-past.ck.page/... Contact info: rishavc300@gmail.com
Thanks for the outpour of support! I made a tipjar if you would like to support! echoes-from-the-past.ck.page/products/echoes-from-the-past These are the videos I have planned for next: Cab Calloway, The Ronnetes, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Ricky Nelson, Bobby Driscoll & More... If you have any recommendations, comment below!
Loved this! So well done. One of my favorite bio pics is "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," about his life. But it doesn't get into his "mothers," like this does. It's an important aspect. He was a baby and was being groomed and abused although he didn't even realize it. I hope that his soul is resting in peace.
I’m so sad for him. Hooked on heroine at 15, grown women old enough to be his mother assaulting him, greedy managers and producers just wanting to use his talent for their own benefit and not helping nurture him. Every adult in his life were predators.They should all be ashamed of themselves.
He sex trafficked little girls when he was only 11 years old and used the money he made from that to smoke weed. Any sympathy I might have had for him immediately left after that.
When his voice changed it was fantastic. But like you said in the video nobody wanted to work with them to get his voice prime. His voice was really good. When he got older it was deep. He was definitely a baritone to listen to his last two recordings before he passed, you can hear it. His voice was chilling
Usher had his first single at like 14 or 15 and then puberty happened and his voice changed and nobody wanted to work with him because he didn’t have that cutesy voice anymore. When he met Justin he immediately got him a voice coach and let him know hey he’s 15 his voice is going to change Help with that transition.
Greedy music producers stealing from talented men of color is a tale as old as time. Sad this young brother got screwed over in life so bad, it couldn’t have been easy being a young black boy in the industry back then. While it’s true his own vices were his undoing, I still wish that someone was there to stand up for him when he needed it.
So many African-American singers started in a church choir, but went secular, and ended up on the bottle, the needle, or snorting nose candy, then dead and gone. Why? "You can't serve two masters."😔
Wow! He basically was being molested by older women. If he were a little girl and was sleeping with men two times his age people would be upset, but because it’s a boy folks think he is lucky to have an older woman. This kid’s life was doomed from the start. Working a full time job at 10 years old, we’re there not any labor laws back then? I know there were some because the record companies had to have a lawyer and a guardian representing the child’s interest and make sure they only worked a certain amount of hours. Dead at 25, he went through so much in his young life. The movie about his life was good and looks pretty accurate. Another child star tragedy, sad, so much remiss if he could’ve stayed out of his own way. I love Goody, Goody and ABC…RIP young brotha
Your just complaining about a phenomenon that is just the way it is, and has always been. Any 15 yr old young man would be tickled to death to have the romantic attention of an "experienced" attractive older woman. A fair amount of 15 yr old girls might feel taken advantage of by an older male and might even try to get him into trouble if he made advances toward her, so no matter what you would like to think, the genders are NOT the same. So the double standard is not something that has just been dreamed up, it clearly has validity. Males and females are just different when it comes to this issue. Accept it.
ITS SO TRAGIC, THIS YOUNG MAN HAD TO GROW UP TOO FAST , SEEMS LIKE HIS CHILDHOOD STOPPED AT 10. OH MY GOSH OLDER WOMEN KNEW BETTER. SMH. THAT POOR YOUNG MAN, FORCED INTO ADULTHOOD.
The kind of older women he was messing with weren't typical motherly older women, they were often women of loose morals or fallen women who were immature, weak- minded, childish and moronic for their ages.
It was a different time. Youre acting like this was 2020. You think he was the only boy working at 10? Its good for them. You ever notice when we stopped allowing child labor. Gangs popped up. These kids will make money by hook or by crook.
@@JohnGalt916 If Frankie had been a star today in 2023 the women who was sexually involved with him would've been arrested and imprisoned for statutory rape.
@@JohnGalt916absolutely. Especially public school systems. Makes the kids rotten. Hanging around bunches of children all day. They need to learn work and responsibility. It will cut out more than half the bs.
My father was the man who introduced Frankie to the 3rd woman that he married. My father and Frankie were bunkies in the Vietnam war for exactly 2 years from 1965-1967. He slept on the top bunk. My dad told me he was addicted to drugs.
That's why if you noticed from an excerpt from Dick Clark's "Saturday Night Beechnut Show" in 1958, the white girls in the audience seemingly didn't look too enthused, even though you can tell that they probably wanted to jump up on the stage and grab, hug and kiss him. They were likely instructed not to show any excitement; that would have been considered shocking in 1958, a bunch of white girls screaming over a young black man. That wasn't uncommon back then: just a year earlier, Frankie was seen on TV dancing with a white girl on a popular dance show, "The Big Beat" at the time. The show was canceled two weeks later. When black singers-especially if they were men- appeared as guest stars on popular dance shows of the era the studios were very careful to be sure that white girls were to express no kind of emotion for them unlike white male singers, whom they would openly scream and swoon over. This shows the rampant racism that existed in the music industry back then.
The audience on the Dick Clark show weren't enthused because Frankie's version of Little Bitty Pretty One was not good. At least two other versions were out. Bobby Byrd's(the original) and Thurston Harris' version. Both were hits. Frankie was not doing the type of material that made him famous. Plus I have never seen women rush the stage and grab a performer on a Dick Clark show. It's always a controlled environment.
@@r.jackson7162 No, But I'll betcha they wanted to. But given the time period, it would have still been considered shocking for white girls to be screaming over a black man, especially in the South at that time. Channels back then, like they do today, had southern affiliates, and they had to please them; white kids were watching the show in the South too, so the producers had to be careful that they didn't show anything on TV that might have been viewed as "offensive" to the racial norms of the time. One of those "norms" was that white girls did not openly fawn and swoon over black male singers, especially in public, no matter how they felt about them personally.
@@dariapoklemba2150 It was definitely a different world back then. If Frankie had been a star in today's world, those white girls would have been all over him and no one would have said a word.
@@jashary15 They may have wanted to but honestly Little Bitty Pretty One wouldn't be the inspiration for it. If it was one of the Teenagers songs definitely. And don't blame "southern" tv affiliates for their actions. Northern stations were just as bad. Bandstand wasn't integrated until the mid 60s. The audience can clap and scream but no rushing the stage whether it was Frankie Avalon or Lymon. Even Ed Sullivan's show was a very controlled environment. If those young ladies wanted to see the African American performers they would have to go where they would hang out like they had been for decades before. The same for Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.
by the way frank robinson was not totally forgotten, he is still alive today and went to get an education, hes got multiple degrees, he chose on his own to stop music so hed have more time for his schooling. so i would call him one who fell through the cracks and became invisible he went on to do great things and still did music off and on just for fun.
So terrible he lost his oldest brother in 1960 and his mother in1961 everyone thinks his mom died in1960 his brother Howard died in 60 his mother died in 61
So sad all these older women slept with a child then wonder why he got addicted to drugs..so sad..think of your 14 year old child and older women sleeping with him ugggh
What a tragic life 😢 the drug problem has killed many singers I saw pictures of Billy Holiday she passed away at the age of 42. Many black singers struggled with racism, poverty and violence. They got to enjoy life never!!! 😢 They were taken advantage by mangers who stole their money 💰 😢.
My grandfather got the opportunity to perform and tour with the Teenagers a few years ago and that was the first time I heard of them. Such a sad and crazy story but I hope he found peace!
Frankie's story is so heartbreaking and a cautionary tale that demonstrates how remarkable Michael Jackson's own trajectory was. It is EXTREMELY RARE to be a child star and grow up to be a star, let alone a bigger star or, in the case of Michael, one of the biggest and most successful megastars ever, the second most popular person in history. You may have your opinions about Joseph's tactics as a dad, but it's thanks to him that Michael had the longevity and perfectionist drive that he had. He and Katherine should be eternally saluted for how they not only managed to raise 10 kids in a poor black neighborhood notorious for gang violence into superstardom without any of them getting waylaid by drugs and/or crime, but also kept the family together despite lots of acrimony that might have tested the tightest of bonds, particularly in the context of today's divorce-obsessed world of broken and dysfunctional families. I hope Frankie's soul found in death the peace he never quite got to enjoy in life, peace I hope his bastard thieving manager never enjoyed along with any satisfaction from a cent of the money he stole for what he did to Frankie.
I have been saying this same thing - about Joe and Katherine. You said it best. I saw the movie. It was good but depressing. Frankie’s life was so sad. And it was, and probably still is, common to pay artists with drugs. I really felt bad for the Teenagers. I hope that scum manager got his as well.
I actually don’t agree. I understand the logic but let’s be honest, Joseph was a tyrant and the mother was a door mat. I even heard he was sexually abusive to the girls. Just because we see the legacy does not mean the journey was justified
It so sad how he died so young omg 😢😢😢 And the way he died is so heartbreaking full of stress torment people looking down on him he just couldn’t take it anymore 😢😢😢 I miss u so much Frankie praying you in a better place
He really should have been one of the biggest stars that we've ever seen and very wealthy. He was supremely talented but took on too much at a young age. He needed a few more breaks.
I loved Frankie Lymon and the teenagers. It was my time growing up. I still to this day don't forgive him for leaving this world so young and so talented. I loved all their music.
So sad at age of 25 Frankie Lymon's life was so short. He must didn't have an childhood. Wow I didn't know about the true story of him besides married 3 women never divorced
Also he was a major influence on Smokey Robinson, Ronnie Spector (RIP) of The Ronettes, and Why Do Fools Fall In Love was also covered by The Beach Boys and featured in American Graffitti. He was inducted posthomously in 1987 along with Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, and Jackie Wilson and only Smokey was alive to get his trophy. The other Teenagers were later inducted. Also in another documentary about them, so many record companies tried to create boybands but none of them were as successful. The Schoolboys, Students, Ronnie & The Hi Lites and Louis Lymon (HIs Brother's Group), but none went far.
Hey man! Sure these videos take a while to make, just wanted to say I hope you’re making more! I’d love to learn more about this era! I’ve always loved older music & always knew Lyman’s name as well as his songs, & loved them! I remember when I first heard Why Do Fools Fall in Love I thought it was a woman singing & was so shocked to see a young kid! Keep up the good work, will be subscribing & waiting for more!
Can you imagine being that young and refuse intercourse with girls your age because they didn't know anything about life? That is some twilight zone stuff. Good video. Hope to see more.
Great story! I saw the the movie starring Lorenz Tate, and to be honest you revealed things that the movie didn’t. He was dating grown ass women. Wow! They left that part out - among other things.
He was living fast. Plus sleeping with those grown women. He was not the only man they would have been sleeping with. STIs always existed. He was sure brave.
he didnt lose his voice ! god it so tragic, i cannot understand for the life of me whey people felt that way about him.... because he had an amazing adult voice ! the songs; im sorry, and seabreeze, just name a couple of great ones and even the songs he did as an older teen, he had an amazing voice all his life, its too bad no one wanted to just let him keep going, he would have been huge ! he should have been, like, the 6th temptation ( instead of the temptations being a 5 man group they could have had him as a 6th), or something.
With drugs, it probably did an affect but he hit puberty cause he was young but it’s business, MJ was the only kid that really didn’t decline because of that cause he did crossover, Foster Sylver was a product of puberty.
Oh my gosh, your story is so much sadder than the movie that they made. I love that movie and this makes me so sad for him people who love music so much when they are told they can’t do it anymore or they are washed up. It’s so sad come to this, and he never got to see the fruits of his labor.
I remember Frankie from back in the day. Teenagers loved the group. Where were the parents. He was too young to be on his own. Poor child. He always could song
This is one of the saddest stories of doo-wop music ever how this boy came up in his youth in the tough Harlem streets got used by GEE music, didn’t get paid his fair share and passed away from heron overdose is so devastating. He didn’t even get to be a child which is the fucked up part.
Well, show business is not an easy business, especially for a child. When a child, unsupervised by mature, responsible adults and mentors is constantly surrounded by corrupt, immoral adults doing all sorts of evil things, they are not going to be children for long. They're going to wind up doing things with adults that no child-entertainer or otherwise-should be doing. Eventually, by the time they reach adulthood, if they even live that long, they're probably going to wind up like Frankie, a spent-up has-been before he was even 20 and dead by 25, who never had the chance to grow up as a normal, healthy child, teenager and young adult because the negative adult influences around him wouldn't let him.
I asked my father who is older than frankie, did he know who frankie was, it took my dad a minute to remember but he only remembered him with the teenagers, my dad didn't even know he had a solo career. So guess he messed up leaving the teenagers
@@mechajay3358 I’d say Garys was more tragic. He dealt with medical issues his whole life, since he was a child. Frankie’s drug use (although substance abuse can be classified as a disease) was by choice. Just my opinion
Dame they had influences many pop groups, the first that cross over into mainstream audiences before for The Supreme The Temptations The Four Tops and The Jackson 5s. They opened the door for them .
Well researched and interesting. If I had made the video though, I would have at least had a few little short snippets of him singing though. That would have made the video even more professional and actually perfect.
They do this to so many groups...never go solo until its the right time ... some ppl are better in groups everyone isn't cut out to be a solo act...Frankie was fantastic and cute but he needed to be with others not by himself
I can't help but SCREAM!! This WAS A LITTLE 13 YEAR OLD CHILD WHERE WERE HIS PARENTS?????? They themselves were Musicians which means that they Knew & Understood just how bad & cruel that kind of life is surely they Understood how evil & wicked people in that line of work can be. So many times when i hear his story there's none or very little mentioning of his parents in his life... He was only 13 they should've been there or somewhere around, it's just sad so so sad every time i hear his story... He was only 13. 😢😭
You have some of the story mixed up. The group sang under Richard Barrett's ( not Barnet) window and he would chase them away. Barrett liked their sound and brought them to Goldner. When the group went to sing for Goldner the lead singer was sick and the reason Frankie sang lead is because he knew the words to the song. Teen groups already existed prior to the Teenagers like The Mello Moods and the Castelles.
Yeah but the casttelles and mellowmoods had a mature R and B sound to them , the teenagers had that bubblegum fun doowop sound that the kids liked , even me I started out with the groups like the teenagers and other little boy lead groups................took a while to develop a taste for the Castelles , mellowmoods, five keys , swallows , Clyde mcphatter , vibranaires , five diamonds , carnations ,five emeralds etc.....................Erik
I heard when he was found dead he was worth 4 million and when he died and how was giving a hot shot , and loosing who you love the most your mom all of us are mommas boys , so he may have wanted to be with his mom but record labels stole songs and money he shouldve had so much money.
In the book Rock Star there was a character named Bobby Mondella who could have been based on Frankie Lymon's life. Also chances are his parents are descendants of the south. In 1959, you saw he was doing drugs, the heroin really affected his teeth.