Dion

Dion's career first began in the late '50s, as the lead singer for the group, the Belmonts, releasing several early records of classic Italian-American doo wop. A few hits later, Dion went solo in 1960, moving away from a strictly doo wop sound towards R&B infused pop.

This new musical direction found Dion with a string of hits, including "The Wanderer," "Runaround Sue," "Ruby Baby" and "Lovers Who Wander," moving to Columbia Records in 1963. Struggling with a heroin habit since his teenage years, Dion's output by the mid-'60s slowed down, making few appearances, moving towards a blues-based sound on "Bronx Blues" that captured his output during these years.

By 1968, Dion had recovered from heroin addiction, finding a number four hit, "Abraham, Martin and John," with his gentle folk musings. Dion continued in this more mature, contemporary sound, finding critical praise yet moderate album sales. A reunion with the Belmonts in 1972 followed before releasing a new album, the pop-oriented "Born to Be With You," produced by Phil Spector. The album failed to impress, with Dion continuing his solo efforts to moderate success.

Despite failing out of popularity, Dion is often highly regarded by other musicians, cited as an influence to the likes of Dave Edmunds and Lou Reed. New albums arrived in the new millennium, with "Déjà Nu" in 2000, "Under the Influence" in 2005 and "Bronx in Blue" in 2006. Returning to major label after several years, "Son of Skip James" appeared on Verve records in 2007, continuing his blues explorations. A collection of classic rock & roll tracks arrived a year later, titled "Heroes" Giants of Early Guitar Rock," before the final piece in his blues trilogy, "Tank Full of Blues" arrived in January 2012.