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Dion the Wanderer, Back 'In Blue'

Singer and songwriter Dion says that his latest project was inspired by a visit to Fresh Air. The acoustic CD, Bronx in Blue, has Dion exploring the blues music he heard during his youth.

In the late 1950s, Dion and his band the Belmonts topped the pop charts with hits like "I Wonder Why" and "A Teenager In Love," which earned the singer teen-idol status. Dion split amicably with the band in 1960 and continued to write Top 10 hits — "Runaround Sue," "The Wanderer" — until the British Invasion changed popular tastes.

Now in his 60s, Dion continues to produce, write and sing new material under his iconic single first name (he was born Dion DiMucci). He lives in Boca Raton, Fla.

This interview originally aired on Oct. 17, 2000.

Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

Terry Gross
Terry Gross is the host and executive producer of NPR's Fresh Air.