ABOUT JIMMY MERCHANT
Jimmy Merchant is an original founding member of the 50's Doo
Wop vocal group, FRANKIE LYMON AND THE TEENAGERS and the
co-writer of their greatest hit song, WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN
LOVE...which along with their crossover commercial sound, they
gained worldwide acceptance, appealing to the masses while
exploding in the teenage community awaiting a message they
could identify with and dance to. Thereby becoming the prototype
for not only every boyband since, but pioneers of the entire youth
movement in music biz today.
Moved by the vocal group craze, Jimmy and three other
ninthgraders began in 1955 and quickly became streetcorner
serenaders in their neighborhood. Calling themselves The
Ermines, they sang the hits of the day in the local park, on nearby
stoops and in a tenement hallway, for the echo it produced. It was
in that hallway where they were given love letters by a big-brother
type who saw the potential.
Merchant turned one of the letters into a slow love song. Shortly
after, a highly gifted 12 year-old with a high soprano lead voice
named Frankie Lymon, joined them, they became the Premiers
and got discovered. At their audition he sang Why Do Fools Fall In
Love, uptempo. And in January 1956 Frankie Lymon and The
Teenagers made their mark in history...never to be forgotten.
Jimmy Merchant, today an international legend, is a member of
The Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, The Vocal Group Hall of fame, The
Doo Wopp Hall of Fame of America and others. He is also a
member of The Barbershop Harmony Society as a Bass singer with
The Peninsulaires, a Salisbury, MD chorus that competes as part of
The Mid Atlantic Division.
Still maintaining a vocal group and performing as a solo artist-
singing timeless classics, the legacy of this suave entertainer's
original group lives on.
BOOK A LEGEND----CREATE A LASTING MEMORY
To see this artist's 2D art, visit the website:
www.jimmymerchant.com.
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