Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dion will bring a slice of music history and a set of his matchless classics to Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on December 9, 2012 at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale November 3 at noon.
Dion and his music represent a special time and place … a moment when a song could mean so much and a singer could sum up what it means to be young, in love and on top of the world. Yet, Dion is more than simply a cherished memory of a more innocent time. A singer, songwriter and performer of extraordinary versatility, range and resonance, Dion is fashioning music as relevant and revealing today as in the heydays of the ‘50s when, along with a handful of other innovators, he defined rock and roll for a generation.
Dion’s musical mastery began at a very early age on the street corners and in the bars of the Bronx, New York. While Influenced by R & B, blues, doo-wop and rock and roll, Dion’s took his initial inspiration from country’s great singer songwriter Hank Williams. It was Williams’ “Jambalaya” that Dion first professionally performed for Paul Whiteman’s radio and television shows.
Dion’s further honed his style on the stoops and street comers of Cartona Avenue, where he rounded up other local singers, inventing a capella licks. Then, in 1957, he brought the best of the neighborhood rockers together – Freddy Milano, Angelo D’ Aleo and Carlo Mastrangelo to form Dion & The Belmonts, named after Belmont Avenue in the heart of the Bronx.
“I Wonder Why” was Dion’s first hit with The Belmonts, and over the next two years, the group earned a reputation not only for topping the charts but for creating some of the most vital and exciting doo-wop music on the American scene. With songs such as “A Teenager in Love” and “Where or When,” Dion & The Belmonts earned a place in the history books. A national sensation, they toured extensively and were featured artists on the star-crossed Winter Dance Party, the tour that took the lives of Buddy Holly and other musical greats. Dion was, in fact, scheduled to fly in the fateful plane that went down “the day the music died.”
But the vitality of the music lived on when Dion, venturing out as a solo artist in 1960, racked up a string of quintessential rock classics including “Runaround Sue,” “Lovers Who Wander” and the anthemic hit, “The Wanderer.” As the first rock and roll artist ever signed to Columbia Records, he continued his streak with such smashes as “Ruby Baby,” “Donna The Prima Donna” and “Drip Drop.”
In 1968, a more mature Dion shot to the top of the charts, once again, with” Abraham, Martin and John.” What followed was a string of acclaimed LPs including such moving and deeply personal offerings as Sit Down Old Friend, You’re Not Alone and Sanctuary Suite For Late Summer.
During the following 15 years, Dion devoted himself and his music to folk blues and gospel, again earning a reputation as an innovator. He also recorded a series of albums that reflected an enduring faith in God, and was nominated for a Grammy in 1985.
In 1987, Dion performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City marking the beginning of, yet, another career phase that led to a series of special appearances including a 1988 fundraiser for homeless medical relief where he shared the stage with his renowned fans including Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Lou Reed.
A subsequent autobiography entitled The Wanderer (William Morrow) and his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame further highlighted Dion’s contribution to the state of the musical art helping to set the stage for his active return to recording. Yo Frankie, Dream on Fire and Rock and Roll Christmas are a collection of CDs showcasing the inexhaustible creativity and sheer exuberance that has made this artist one of rock music’s most authentic legends.
Tickets are $69, $59, $49 and $39*; all seats are reserved and available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.