Having now released music in eight different decades, Dion DiMucci’s incredible career reads like a de facto history of rock and pop.
He put out his first single way back in 1957, after which his vocal group Dion And The Belmonts became stars of the original rock’n’roll era and toured with Buddy Holly. His huge subsequent solo hits, including “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer”, influenced the likes of The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen.
In the late ’60s he successfully reinvented himself as a singer-songwriter, and 1975’s Phil Spector-produced Born To Be With You in particular continues to be cited as a cult classic.
Now 82, he’s more active than ever. Last year’s Blues With Friends featured big-name Dion disciples including Springsteen, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Jeff Beck and Billy Gibbons – oh, and sleevenotes from one Bob Dylan. He’s about to follow that up with a new album due this autumn and you can hear the first single, “I’ve Got To Get To You” featuring Boz Scaggs, below:
So what do you want to ask Dion for our next Audience With feature? Send your questions to audiencewith@www.uncut.co.uk by Monday (September 13) and he’ll answer the best ones in the next issue of Uncut.