A bunch of New York teenagers turned up for an audition seeking an audience with producer Richard Barret, calling themselves The Premiers. Liking them he instantly signed them up and renamed them “The Teenagers”.

The song they auditioned with that day was based on a poem written by a friend of the group, Richard White who played to him what was to become the song ‘Why Do Fools Fall In Love?’. Barret loved the song and had the group perform it to legendary record label owner George Goldner. Whilst Goldner liked the song and the lead vocal of Herman Santiago, he saw something in 13-year-old Frankie Lymon, the youngest member of the group.

“The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon” (as the group became to be called) with “Why Do fools Fall In Love” starts off with some wonderfully doowop-sha-wop harmonies and is then followed by Lymon’s angelic voice, which had still not broken.

The record reached number six in the USA, despite strong opposition from the likes of Gale Storm, and nailed the top spot in the UK on July 20th 1956. With a cheeky little cover from Alma Cogan squeezing in at number 30!

Here is the group performing on the Frankie Laine Show.