Joe Negroni
Encyclopedia
Joe Negroni was a rock and roll
pioneer and founding member of the rock and roll group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.
to New York City
in 1930s during the Great Depression
era. The family lived in Manhattan
where Negroni met and befriended Herman Santiago
. In the early 1950s Negroni, Santiago and two other friends Jimmy Merchant and Sherman Garnes would get together in front of Santiago's stoops (building stairs) and sing songs to the beat of Doo-Woops.
Negroni, who had a baritone voice, and his friends called themselves the "Ermines" with Santiago as lead singer. On one occasion the Ermines performed alongside the "Cadillacs" at P.S. 143 (Public School 143). The Ermines changed their name to "Coupe de Villes" and later to "The Premiers".
In 1955, Richard Barrett, a scout for "Gee Records", heard them singing and introduced them to George Goldner, the owner of "Gee". Upon hearing them sing, Mr. Goldner signed them to a contract and changed the groups name to "The Teenagers".
The following day the group was supposed to meet with Mr. Goldner in the studio for a recording session. Santiago, who was the lead singer, was ill and could not accompany the other members, therefore he gave Negroni the music sheet with the words to the song that he had written. The song was "Why Do Fools Fall In Love
" (which was originally reworked from a poem called "Why Do Birds Sing So Gay") and since Santiago was not present, Mr. Goldner asked Frankie if he could sing the song. Frankie accepted and the song was recorded. Mr. Goldner then changed the group's name to "Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers" and released the record. The song became an instant hit in the United States and in the United Kingdom it also became the first top British hit of an American vocal group. In London, they played at the Palladium. Alan Freed signed them for two movies. Upon hearing them sing, young girls acted wild, a matter that bothered the establishment more than somewhat. The Teenagers had three other hits which reached the top 10 in the R&B charts, they were: "I Want You to Be My Girl" (#3), "Who Can Explain?" (#7) and "The ABC's of Love" (#8).
In 1993, Joe Negroni, Herman Santiago, Frankie Lymon, Jimmy Merchant and Sherman Garnes, the original members of "the Teenagers", were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
and in 2000 into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
. In the 1998 film "Why Do Fools Fall In Love
" the role of Negroni was played by actor Jon Huertas.
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
pioneer and founding member of the rock and roll group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.
Early years
Negroni's family moved from Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1930s during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
era. The family lived in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
where Negroni met and befriended Herman Santiago
Herman Santiago
Herman Santiago is a rock and roll pioneer and songwriter who claimed to have written the iconic hit "Why Do Fools Fall In Love".-Early years:Santiago was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in Manhattan, New York...
. In the early 1950s Negroni, Santiago and two other friends Jimmy Merchant and Sherman Garnes would get together in front of Santiago's stoops (building stairs) and sing songs to the beat of Doo-Woops.
Negroni, who had a baritone voice, and his friends called themselves the "Ermines" with Santiago as lead singer. On one occasion the Ermines performed alongside the "Cadillacs" at P.S. 143 (Public School 143). The Ermines changed their name to "Coupe de Villes" and later to "The Premiers".
The "Teenagers"
12 year old Frankie Lymon worked in a grocery store and one night The Premiers and Lymon's brother performed in a talent show held at JHS Stitt (Junior High School Stitt). Frankie approached the Premiers, telling them how good they sounded. They started jamming together and the Premiers were impressed with the sound of Frankie's high tenor/soprano voice. Lymon sang a few numbers with them, like "You Painted Pictures" and "Lily Maebelle," and by early 1955 they had invited him to join, singing first tenor behind Santiago's lead.In 1955, Richard Barrett, a scout for "Gee Records", heard them singing and introduced them to George Goldner, the owner of "Gee". Upon hearing them sing, Mr. Goldner signed them to a contract and changed the groups name to "The Teenagers".
The following day the group was supposed to meet with Mr. Goldner in the studio for a recording session. Santiago, who was the lead singer, was ill and could not accompany the other members, therefore he gave Negroni the music sheet with the words to the song that he had written. The song was "Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Why Do Fools Fall in Love (song)
"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a song that was originally a hit for early New York City-based rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers in 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 6 on Billboards Pop Singles chart, and number one on the UK Singles Chart...
" (which was originally reworked from a poem called "Why Do Birds Sing So Gay") and since Santiago was not present, Mr. Goldner asked Frankie if he could sing the song. Frankie accepted and the song was recorded. Mr. Goldner then changed the group's name to "Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers" and released the record. The song became an instant hit in the United States and in the United Kingdom it also became the first top British hit of an American vocal group. In London, they played at the Palladium. Alan Freed signed them for two movies. Upon hearing them sing, young girls acted wild, a matter that bothered the establishment more than somewhat. The Teenagers had three other hits which reached the top 10 in the R&B charts, they were: "I Want You to Be My Girl" (#3), "Who Can Explain?" (#7) and "The ABC's of Love" (#8).
Later years
In 1957, Frankie Lymon, upon the urging of Mr. Goldner, left "the Teenagers" and went solo. Eventually the group broke-up. Santiago tried to reunite "the Teenagers" in the 1970s and 1980s, in ill fated come back attempts. By the 1980s, Garnes had died from a heart attack and on September 5, 1978 Joe Negroni died from a cerebral hemorrhage.In 1993, Joe Negroni, Herman Santiago, Frankie Lymon, Jimmy Merchant and Sherman Garnes, the original members of "the Teenagers", were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
and in 2000 into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
. In the 1998 film "Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Why Do Fools Fall in Love (film)
Why Do Fools Fall in Love is an American romantic drama, directed by Gregory Nava and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film is a biographical film of the brief but intense life of R&B/Rock & Roll singer Frankie Lymon, lead singer of the pioneering rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & the...
" the role of Negroni was played by actor Jon Huertas.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Corsican immigration to Puerto RicoCorsican immigration to Puerto RicoCorsican immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of various economic and political changes in the mid-19th century Europe; among those factors were the social-economic changes which came about in Europe as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution, political discontent and widespread...