Musicians had their share of struggles and conflict
By Craig Harris
Correspondent
A life in rock and roll may seem glamorous. But, for Angelo D'Aleo, tenor vocalist of the Belmonts, and Gary Troxell, lead singer of the Fleetwoods, a life in music has often meant conflict, miscommunication and personal struggle.
"It's been hard finding work," said D'Aleo, 66, from his New York home. "(A concert promoter) can get the Belmonts for three thousand dollars or Dion for eight thousand dollars. But they can get Dion and The Belmonts, and know that they're going to make a lot of money, for fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. That's what you want. So, if Dion does not want to do it, or vice versa, there is no show."
"I was upset with (original member of the Fleetwoods) Gretchen (Christopher) and finally got out of that picture," said Troxell in his hometown of Olympia, Washington. "She's a real 'me-me-me' person. Money is the big deal in her life. I got fed up with it."
Despite the hardships, D'Aleo and Troxell have successfully parlayed their love of music into careers that span more than four decades. Best remembered for the two year period (1957-1959) in which the Belmonts joined with Bronx-born vocalist Dion (DiMucci), and scored with such hits as "I Wonder Why", "Teenager In Love" and "Where Or When", the Belmonts continued to reach the hit parade on their own. "Tell Me Why", "Come On Little Angel" and "I Need Someone" were top twenty hits in the early-1960s.
"(Losing Dion) was like we had lost our left shoe," recalled D'Aleo. "But, it was like anything else. We adapted and went on. We made an act for ourselves and we were pretty good."
Troxell and the Fleetwoods enjoyed a much shorter moment in the spotlight, compacting most of their success into a one-year span (1959) during which they reached the top of the pop charts, and the top five of the R&B charts, with "Come Softly To Me" and "Mr. Blue".
Drafted into the United States Navy, at the height of their band's popularity, had profound effects on D'Aleo's and Troxell's careers, but, both found ways to remain involved with music. "I gave the guys a schedule of when I would be in port and they would schedule recordings around that," said D'Aleo. "I didn't do many of the jobs on the road but anytime I was in town, I would jump in."
"Before the Fleetwoods started," Troxell remembered, "I had joined the Naval Reserve. I was going to meetings once a month. Part of that sign-up deal was that, once you graduated from high school, you go on active duty for two years. (The owner of our record label, Mohawk Records) (Bob) Reisdorff talked to the commanding officer of our district a couple of times and I was able to get two different deferments. When I got the last one, I had to sign a paper saying that I will go in September 1960. That's when I had to go."
A more dramatic impact was felt when the arrival of the Beatles and the mid-1960s British Invasion signaled an end to America's domination of the hit parade. "The English musicians absolutely destroyed American rock and roll," said D'Aleo. "The gigs were few and far between for everybody. It was terrible."
"It caused our career to slow down seriously," recalled Troxell, "but, I think it was slowing down before that."
Both the Belmonts and the Fleetwoods, who perform a "Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame & Friends" concert at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Ledyard, Connecticut, on Jan. 13, were saved from becoming simply footnotes to history by an Oldies Revival that began in 1969. The original Fleetwoods, who had disbanded in 1964, reunited for a series of Oldies concerts. "Gretchen, Barbara (Ellis) and I got back together to do some of those shows," said Troxell, "but, Barbara decided that she just didn't want to do it anymore and retired in 1974."
Although they continued to briefly work together, conflicts between Troxell and Christopher caused them to split in the 1970s. Troxell was out of music, by 1979, and working at a plywood plant. "I had never been a performer," said Troxell. "That's what's so different between Gretchen and me. She's devoted her life to anything that has to do with music."
In the early-1990s, Troxell hooked up with Cheryl Huggins, who had worked with Christopher in a reconstituted Fleetwoods, and Bonnie Hannukaine, to form his own version of the trio.
"We did shows for private organizations where we had to drum up our own band," explained Troxell," but, we decided that we didn't want to do that anymore. It was just too much work. Now, we do Oldies shows."
The Belmonts and Dion reunited for the first time in twelve years, in 1972, for much-publicized concerts at Madison Square Garden and the Nassau Coliseum and a subsequently released live album. "It started a revival like you can't believe," said D'Aleo. "We were on the road for six years. It was unbelievable."
Nearly three decades later, the fascination for the roots of rock and roll has yet to ebb. For D'Aleo and Troxell, that has translated into a renewing of their musical careers. "We're continuing to do concerts," said D'Aleo. "We're still recording because we love to record. We're working on a new album and will use the Internet as a way of distribution."
Troxell, however, takes a much different view of his revived career. "I've always joke about this being the last time," he said. "That's how I feel when we have to go to the airport. I hate that. As far as doing the shows, it ruins the weekend and I like weekends."
|
|
