An interview with Dion
The brilliant singer-songwriter joins me to discuss a career that has lasted for over six decades.
On last week’s episode of Free Speech Nation, I spoke to music legend Dion. Known for hits such as “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer”, Dion has been working in the music industry since 1957 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. He has just released a new album called Girl Friends in which he duets with some of his favourite female blues singers.
Here’s the full interview…
And for those who are interested to see the influence of doo-wop music that was mentioned in the interview, here’s some rare footage of Dion and the Belmonts performing “I Wonder Why” on American Bandstand in 1958.
Later, Dion was to say of the Belmonts: “I’d give ’em sounds. I’d give ’em parts and stuff. That’s what ‘I Wonder Why’ was about. We kind of invented this percussive rhythmic sound. If you listen to that song, everybody was doing something different. It was totally amazing. When I listen to it today, often times I think, ‘Man, those kids are talented’.”
And if you’d like to know more about “The Day the Music Died”, the tragic plane crash of 3 February 1959 that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, “The Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson, you can hear Dion’s memories of that fateful tour in this video. He describes how he had won the coin toss with Ritchie Valens for a seat on the flight, but ultimately decided against it.
Dion’s new album Girl Friends is available to buy here on CD or MP3 download. It can also be bought on vinyl.
Andrew thank you for this! I was not a Dion fan but certainly of that era! What great fun. I think there are quite a few of us hip oldies out there!!
This was fantastic, Andrew! Really welcome diversion from the regular riff-raff of news.
Sending it to my “kids” two of whom are professional musicians that perhaps wouldn’t listen to Mom’s links because [take yer pick.]