The Teenagers

Frankie Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was the leader of a doo wop group called The Teenagers. The group released their debut single, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", to considerable success. A Top 40 suc

Frankie Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was the leader of a doo wop group called The Teenagers. The group released their debut single, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", to considerable success. A Top 40 success at age 13, Lymon was perhaps the first black teen idol. After several hits, Lymon's manager attempted to turn him into a solo artist, leaving his old friends in the group behind. Neither Lymon's solo career nor the group's attempts to carry on were successful.

Born in Harlem, New York, Lymon was credited as songwriter on "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", but his authorship was disputed. In December 1992, the U.S. Federal Court ruled that Herman Santiago, an original member of the group, was a co-author of the song. However, in 1996 the ruling was reversed by the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit (on the basis of the statute of limitations), and authorship of Why Do Fools Fall in Love currently remains in the names of Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy, not Herman Santiago. .