Recording costs and commissions for everyone from managers to choreographers could siphon off much of a groups earnings. The first decision was made in Waterss favor; Eagle appealed, and in 1989 the New York State Supreme Court Appeals Division overturned the original decision and transferred ownership of Lymon to Eagle. During his brief lifetime, Lymon became world-famous for his hit singles with The Teenagers including "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" Elizabeth Waters was a struggling part-time bill collector from Philadelphia. I know its been good for me.. With the trial about to begin and still believing that he had a firm agreement with Emira, Ronnie ran a second benefit concert in the fall of 1985 to raise additional funds for Frankie Lymons tombstone. Her divorce didn't come through until 1965. Fox), a prison-hardened former shoplifter and prostitute. Emiras case was just beginning when Elizabeth Waters Lymon petitioned the Surrogate Court claiming that she was Frankie Lymons widow, and Zola Taylor also objected claiming that she was Lymons rightful widow. Cinematographer Ed Lachman. He had always regarded Zola as his stage mother, she said. Elizabeth went on to testify that she also saw Frankie the day before he took his last, fatal dose of heroin. Mini Bio (1) Frankie Lymon was born on September 30, 1942 in Harlem, New York City, New York, USA. Elizabeth, now 46, said she had been born again, but she still strove for glamor, her skirt fashionably above the knee, her fingernails long and orange. None of whom had ever divorced, was his legal widow and heiress. I caught Frankie at a good time in his life. The small wedding party celebrated by getting very drunk, not an uncommon state for Frankie at the time. The elephant in the room was the large sum of money that would be awarded to whoever was determined to be the songwriters of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love. It was copyrighted in the names of Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy. Director Gregory Nava. Elizabeths attorneys argued in response that she and Frankie lived in Philadelphia and therefore established a common-law marriage under Pennsylvania law. Emira came to New York to arrange for his funeral mass and burial, and she paid the bill -- $2,000. In his book, Me, the Mob, and the Music, Tommy James characterized Levy as willing to strong-arm the artists signed to Roulette, and that the label was notorious for not paying its artists for their record sales. The record company executive has other problems: He was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison for his conspiracy conviction arising from an FBI investigation of racketeering in the recording industry. She and Frankie were riding a tour bus together in 1956, doing 81 one-nighters with a rock 'n' roll cavalcade that included Chuck Berry, the Coasters, the Penguins and Bo Diddley, as well as the Platters and the Teenagers. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Evan Rachel Wood denies allegation that she manipulated Marilyn Manson accuser, Ben Kwellers son Dorian Zev killed in car crash: No idea how to deal with this , Justin Biebers Justice world tour canceled after several postponements, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Newsom rescinds Californias COVID-19 state of emergency, marking an end to the pandemic era, Blake Shelton embarks on last season of The Voice before doing a little bit of nothing, Madonna salutes late brother Anthony Ciccone for blowing my mind as a young girl, L.A. Phils 2023-24 season lineup celebrates the 20th anniversary of Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cardi B changes tune on community service, calls it best thing, spiritual journey, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. Emira's attorneys have advised her not to talk to reporters until after the Surrogate Court decision. Back in New Jersey, Ronnie Italiano and the UGHA had adhered to Emiras aforementioned wishes and held off on moving forward with their project to acquire and place a memorial tombstone on Frankie Lymons grave until her lawsuit was settled. Neither Zola nor Elizabeth could quite figure Emira Eagle Lymon, the 48-year-old third wife from Augusta, Ga. Frankie marrying a schoolteacher? It is in fact three wives who face the camera, one after another, each claiming to be Lymons true love and legal spouse. Elizabeth Lymon said in court papers that she married Lymon on Jan. 23, 1964, in Alexandria, Va., and had his daughter, Gloria Francine, who died shortly after birth in 1965. At her insistence he checked into a Manhattan hospital to cure his drug habit, and maybe he succeeded for a time. The opinion by Surrogate Court Judge Marie Lambert entitles Waters to an estate that may be worth $750,000 in accumulated royalties from Lymon's 1956 hit and its more recent incarnations. According to Spans story, Frankie moved into Zolas home and her bedroom. In fact, Rubin calls them "mundane, everyday.". Pearl, who emulated Frankie Lymon with a distinctive sound all her own, sealed the deal for Robinson, and the Kodaks were signed to the Fury label. In lieu of sentencing, Frankie was allowed to undergo another rehab programAfter completing another rehab program and was inducted into the Army in December 1966. That don't make me a Catholic. Kenneth Turan is the former film critic for the Los Angeles Times. Emira's attorneys have alleged that the other two widows "acted in concert" with Levy, and point to contracts that Zola and Elizabeth each signed with Levy's publishing business, Big Seven Music Corp. Each assigned the song's copyright to Big Seven in exchange for an advance ($10,000 in Elizabeth's case, $7,500 in Zola's) against her share of future royalties. While growing up in New York City, I never had much discipline, Lymon said. Their affair continued off and on for several years. They became lovers, Zola testified, one night in Bangor, Maine, when Frankie had won $1,700 gambling with Clyde McPhatter and she had gotten "a little loaded drinking scotch and water." With the matter now in a confused state, the federal judge stayed Emiras lawsuit. "Remember, Frankie needed the money badly," Borstein says. "He was honest, completely honest," Elizabeth insisted, "Up to a point." Editor Nancy Richardson. He was previously married to Emira Lymon, Zola Taylor and Elizabeth Waters. He was a hustler, a liar and a thief. Elizabeths claim to be Frankies wife and heir was weakened by the fact that she was still legally married when she wed Frankie in 1964. He followed it with Im Not a Juvenile Delinquent, I Want You to Be My Girl and other songs characterized by his trademark piercing high voice. Royalties were underestimated or simply never paid. Rubin gets his share, too: Emira testified in Surrogate Court that her arrangement called for any money recovered through her suit to be shared 50-50 with Rubin, after expenses and legal fees, which have already reached a substantial subtotal. By the time of the trial, publishing rights to the song might have been worth seven figures. "He had been busted in California again for drugs." It is copyrighted in the names of Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy, head of Roulette Records, an independent label that bought out the Gee label, which originally released the record. He was clean for a time when she became pregnant in 1963, and he was deeply saddend by the death of their infant daughter. "He had always regarded Zola as his stage mother," Elizabeth explained during the trial. "Knowing the facts like I know them, I feel confident there will be an appeal," McCracken predicted. At the trial, Elizabeth testified that she saw Frankie on that visit, as she had a number of times both before and after his wedding to Emira, which she said she knew nothing of. We played down certain things and fudged others to make it work as a film," said director Gregory . The death certificate said he died of "acute intravenous narcotism.". Next comes the feisty Elizabeth Waters (Vivica A. Instead, he has posthumously provoked a trial that will determine which of the three women he is said to have married -- without ever scrupling to divorce any of them -- is really his widow and heir. That eventually led to singing on street corners with friends and being discovered at age 12 by George Goldner of GEE Records. As Water's claim went to court, Zola Taylor ex-member of the Platters, claimed that she had been sexually active with Lymon as early as the "Biggest Rock "n" Roll Show of 1956" tour. And if Zola wins she's also decided to record an album of Frankie's hits -- "I Want You to Be My Girl," "I Promise to Remember," all the big ones. ", "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" was part of the American Graffiti film soundtrack and album, a big pop hit single and album for Diana Ross in 1981, and had been used in a greeting card commercial. "He had been busted in California again for drugs. Artists Rights helped secure a financial settlement for Richard Berry, composer of "Louie, Louie" just before the song was used in a wine cooler ad. Whie serving at Ft. Gordon in Georgia, Frankie married again. ", Meanwhile, Paula Span used both interviews and court testimony to profile each of the widows in her story. Borstein also says that Lymon, who was always pestering Levy for money, sold Levy the copyright to all his songs and that Levy has a signed document to that effect. Ash Taylor, Elizabeth Waters, and Amira Eagle reached out to Morris Levy, a music entrepreneur who retained Lymons copyrights and copyrights, claiming to be Lymons legal widow; Lymon didnt bother to divorce any of them. She told the judge that Frankie Lymon was a charmer. He had a bad year in 1966. Lymon was only 12 when he hooked up with the foursome that became the Teenagers, but there was an aura about him that the city's doo-wop entrepreneurs recognized. Paralleling the spectacle of these three women battling over Lymons heritage is the way different elements of this film, directed by Nava from a script by Tina Andrews, are in conflict with one another. All these arguments are laid forth in voluminous briefs, memoranda and affidavits filed in Surrogate Court. Frankie Lymon Music - Singer Why Famous: Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, band Age: 25 (8/30/1942 - 2/27/1968) Frankie Lymon's Relationships (3) Elizabeth Waters Other - Spouse Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Set decorator Jackie Carr. Zola, the second supposed wife, got to be pretty friendly with the first. These scans come from my rather large magazine collection. The Associated Press AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Funeral services have been held for the widow of '50s rock star Frankie Lymon. Rodgers, who had been Roulettes top-selling artist in the 50s and early 60s with his #1 hit Honeycomb and 26 other charting singles, suffered traumatic head injuries from a blunt instrument in the beating. "The only thing {Morris Levy} had to do with it was to collect the money," Santiago says. US fails miserably against Russia at the crucial UN Vote. "He had such presence, he'd just take over a stage and wipe an audience out. But the case may not end there, of course. Paula Span reported that Frankie and Elizabeth got married in Alexandria, Virginia, in early 1964. As soon as the hearing began, Emiras attorneys alleged that the other two widows acted in concert with Morris Levy. Eagle claimed that Levy had committed fraud and copyright infringement by crediting himself as coauthor of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (a not uncommon practice in the history of early rock 'n' roll). It teaches him responsibility and how to stand on his own two feet. According to Paula Spans story, he was arrested a least three times in New York for grand larceny or heroin possession, and the Selective Service, hungry for recruits as the war in Vietnam escalated, was after him. The Happenings' 45. When a touring musical about Lymon's life came to the Imperial Theater in May of 2013, the cast invited Bryant to be the honored guest with her family and took photos with her after the show. "Kids didn't know about royalties," says Bob Hyde of Murray Hill Records. There may be further delays, though, while that executive faces federal extortion charges. Last in line is Emira Eagle (Lela Rochon), a demure, well-bred Southern educator. The doo-wop classic (its earnings boosted by Diana Ross' 1981 version and by its use in a greeting card commercial) was recorded by Lymon's group the Teenagers. They're awaiting the decision now, the quiet schoolteacher from Georgia, the brassy singer from California and the struggling part-time bill collector from Philadelphia, all nursing their separate memories of life with a former teen idol. He was apparently a bigamist, or maybe a trigamist. Art director John Chicester. At the least, records and witnesses' recollections seem to indicate that Frankie Lymon did stand before a magistrate or minister on three occasions to promise himself to each of these women until death parted them, which turned out to be a fairly short time. Levy had been arrested earlier in 1986 as part of the F.B.I. She met Frankie when he was 20-years-old, backstage at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. She was 19 and sympathetic; she wanted to help him regain what he'd lost. She turned to heroin and cocaine herself, she acknowledged on the stand, and to support her daughter from her first marriage, she became a prostitute. 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