The Belmonts

The Belmonts, an American doo-wop group from the Bronx, New York, were formed in the mid-1950s. The original lineup consisted of Angelo D’Aleo, Carlo Mastrangelo, and Fred Milano. They took their name from Belmont, a street in the Bronx known as Little Italy. In 1957, they released their first single "Teenage Clementine" / Santa Margherita on Mohawk Records. The group's breakthrough came when Dion DiMucci joined them, forming Dion and the Belmonts. Their first release with Laurie Records, "I Wonder Why", reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1958. They followed this success with hits like "No One Knows" (number 19) and "Don't Pity Me" (number 40). In 1959, they participated in the Winter Dance Party tour, which tragically ended with the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson in a plane crash. Their subsequent release, "A Teenager in Love", reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. By 1960, all eight Laurie releases charted on Billboard, with their biggest hit, "Where or When" (number 3), and its B-side, "That's My Desire". Dion DiMucci left the group in 1960 due to musical differences. Carlo Mastrangelo was swapped out for Frank Lyndon and Warren Gradus in 1962, and The Belmonts continued releasing singles into the 1980s. They performed live until Fred Milano’s death in January 2012. Warren Gradus continued performing under the moniker until his death in October 2023.

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