Web Page No 856

Top Picture: Frankie Lyman in his Hey Day





Bottom Picture: The Long Haired Lover from Liverpool, Jimmy Osmond





Child Stars
One who fell by the wayside and one who progressed



Frankie Lymon was born in New York on 30th September 1942 and died in the same city on 28th February 1968 at that time he had been married to Emira Eagle for only eight months.
He most noted for the song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" which he sang with a group of school friends in a group called the Coupe de Villes, later renamed the Teenagers. "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?," was released in 1955 and the following year he and the group appeared in films Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr. Rock and Roll, During late 1955 and early 1956 they toured Britain but after a musical disagreement Frankie Lymon left the group the following year. From then on he decended into the world of drugs and in 1961 entered a drug rehabilitation program. A reunion and reworking of their music was tried in 1965 but did not succeed.
Frankie Lymon's short life took him from modest beginnings, to international stardom at 13 then down a long descent into drug addiction and an early death. He was the first African American teen heartthrob and inspired a host of other young musicians, such as Michael Jackson. Frankie Lymon's career was born at the very beginning of the rock and roll era and the song with which he remains identified, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, is now considered a classic. "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" was released in January of 1956 and shared the charts with Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins, it reached Number One on the R&B charts and Number Six on the pop charts and became a hit in England reaching Number One. Despite competition from cover versions by white singers, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" topped the charts for several weeks.
However he could not cope with his sudden fame and who spent the final years of his life battling drug addiction. He worked hard to resurrect his career and took drumming lessons. However, his attempts at a musical comeback were overshadowed by his abuse of drugs and in 1964, he was arrested on drug charges. In February 1968 he left for New York to make a publicity appearance. When his wife tried to contact him she was unsuccessful. On February 28th, he was found dead of a heroin overdose in his grandmother's Harlem apartment.
Following his death, a bitter court battle ensued to determine ownership rights to "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" All of the Teenagers filed suit and two of the members, Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant, eventually won the case. At the same time, two women who claimed to have been married to Frankie Lymon battled his widow, Emira, for rights to his estate. The court determined that Emira was the sole heir to Lymon's fortune.
Despite Lymon's troubled life and tragic death, the popularity of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" has not diminished. It is considered a rock and roll standard and many artists, including Diana Ross, have recorded versions of the song. The song also appeared on the soundtrack of George Lucas's 1973 hit film American Graffiti. In 1998 his life became the subject of a movie, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?," which showcased both his years of stardom and the miseries of his later life.

Jimmy Osmond is a multi-faceted entrepreneur, who has had success on and off stage. Through his vast experience and knowledge in the entertainment industry he has produced and promoted record breaking world-wide tours, ice shows, a variety of commercials and coordinated celebrity commercial endorsements. He is the youngest member of the famous Osmond family and received his first award at when only seven receiving a gold record for a song he recorded in Japanese, “My Little Darling.” The same year he was named Japan's “Male Vocalist of the Year.” As a solo artist he has six gold records, one platinum record, and two gold albums. In addition, Jimmy and his family have sold over 100 million records and share 51 gold and platinum recordings along with numerous other awards.
Before he was 15, Jimmy had developed and supervised most of the Osmonds' merchandising business and launched a successful advertising agency that handled production campaigns for corporations such as Yamaha and Coca-Cola. Also he starred in his first film, “The Great Brain” and went on to feature in two award winning episodes of “Fame”; plus also starring in his own show to sell-out crowds in Madison Square Garden.
In addition to live performances, Jimmy and his companies have produced over 1100 hours of programmes including films, TV movies, TV specials, music videos, commercials and industrial videos for major corporations. Jimmy served as the executive producer of the ABC television movie, “Inside The Osmonds” and as a consultant to Warner Brothers. He was also asked by the Chinese government to be the producer and consultant for live entertainment shows in China.
In 1992 he married Michelle Larson and they have four children. Soon after they were married, Jimmy moved his operations from Los Angeles, to Branson, Missouri and since then Jimmy’s production company, Osmond Family Theater Productions have been hugely successful. Jimmy was honored by the US Junior Chamber of Commerce as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans in 1999. Other Outstanding Young Americans in the past include John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Howard Hughes, Elvis Presley, and Christopher Reeve.
Throughout his time in the business, Jimmy has continued to tour with the family. In 2004 he made his solo debut in a musical performing in “Boogie Nights” for the summer season in the seaside resort of Blackpool. The show broke box office records and paved the way for Jimmy to take his “Jimmy Osmond’s American Jukebox Show” back to Blackpool the following year, brothers Jay and Wayne joined him in this variety show. Whilst in Britain he appeared in ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here’, ‘Celebrity Family Fortunes’, ‘Everybody Dance Now’ and ‘Celebrity Come Dine With Me’. In December 2008, Jimmy made his debut in Pantomime as Buttons in ‘Cinderella’ and made his debut in the West End in “Grease” in January 2009.
He is also an accomplished artist and cartoonist, holds numerous board positions, and as a member of the National Board of Governors for the Children's Miracle Network, he has assisted in raising over 4 billion dollars to benefit Children's hospitals in the US. His passion for the work of this charitable foundation has resulted in him accepting a position on the UK Board and he is working with them to bring the same benefits to Children’s Hospitals in the UK.
This young entrepreneur has not rested on his laurels but has continued to live under the strict Mormon discipline guidelines of integrity, wholesome entertainment, and hard work. Whether it's family, business, or civic duties, Jimmy Osmond strives to be the best

Keep in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

You Write:

Roland Writes:- The New Inn was a great centre for the young element of Drayton. It was to the New Inn that one would go to hear about up-coming weekend parties and to meet new and old friends.


News and Views:

Roy Rogers horse fetches $266,500 Trigger, the stuffed horse belonging to actor and singer Roy Rogers, has fetched $266,500 (£174,000) at an auction. Christie's auction house, which ran the sale along with Western auctioneer High Noon Americana, said the collection of items related to Roy Rogers and his wife Dale Evan's roles on television and in the movies brought in $2.9 million. Trigger, the palomino horse which Roy Rogers had stuffed after it died in 1965, was bought by rural US cable television station RFD-TV for $266,500, while his saddle fetched $386,500 (£252,000) from a private buyer. Other top sellers included Roy Rogers' 1963 Pontiac Bonneville. The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum, which was based in Branson, Missouri was closed in 2009. Roy Rogers died in 1998 at age 86 and Dale Evans in 2001. The more than 300 items included in the sale ran from Roy's sunglasses to a sterling silver belt buckle to a Roy Rogers director’s chair.


On this day 23rd July 1960-1965.

On 23/07/1960 the number one single was Good Timin' - Jimmy Jones and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.


On 23/07/1961 the number one single was Temptation - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 23/07/1963 the number one single was Confessin' - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 23/07/1964 the number one single was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Postal strike ends.

On 23/07/1965 the number one single was Mr Tambourine Man - Byrds and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions