"As far as I know, he was a very nice guy. and never miss an insightful take by the TFIGlobal team, This website uses cookies. Despite hearing that Emira had changed her mind, Ronnie maintained faith in their original agreement and ordered a headstone from a company in North Arlington, New Jersey. Frankie Lymon had been on his record label for most of his career, and Levy knew much more about the singer than Emira, who had only been with him for a year. No one foresaw that the people who grew up with the music would refuse to relinquish it, repeatedly recycling it into movie sound tracks and albums, cover versions, oldies compilations and TV commercials. Her complaint charges fraud, misappropriation and copyright infringement, among other offenses. With the matter now in a confused state, the federal judge stayed Emiras lawsuit. Zola and Elizabeth didn't get close to Emira; and she didn't have anything much to say to them either during the 10 days they spent in court reliving the past. As legacies go, it's not bad. Big Seven agreed to pay Elizabeth an additional $5,000 if the federal lawsuit is dismissed because the plaintiff (Emira) is not the legal widow. When she returned in April, the house was in foreclosure and Frankie was gone with the money. Zola Taylor, a former member of the teen-age doo-wop group the Platters, also said. She told Span that she never recovered financially from the loss of her home and still feels "cheated." Her complaint charged fraud, misappropriation and copyright infringement, among other offenses. The Surrogate Court judge hearing the widowhood case has been pushing for a settlement. Although Emiras attorneys advised her not to talk to Paula Span until the Surrogate Court reached a decision, Anne Pomeroy of the Artist Rights Enforcement Corporation, who was working with Emiras lawyers, spoke with the reporter. The marriage to Eagle is valid, so she is entitled to a fief. "I'm not a person to hold a grudge. They pointed to the contracts that Elizabeth and Zola signed with Levys publishing business, Big Seven Music Corp. Each assigned the songs copyright to Big Seven in exchange for an advance ($10,000 for Elizabeth and $7,500 for Zola) against her share of future royalties. He was used and misused, and he used others also, she concluded. The beautiful granite tombstone that Ronnie ordered weighed over 1,000 pounds. She had a big house in the hills with a swimming pool, and she immediately took the scruffy Frankie shopping for suits and tuxedos. The fact came to notice from a judge during a trial where three middle-aged women (Ash Taylor, Elizabeth Waters, and Amira Eagle) spoke about their miseries. Rubin's 200 or so clients constituted an honor roll of early rock and roll. Taylor,. Parts of the above testimony and chronology of events were disputed in court. The Taylor sections are the most fun, largely because Taylor knew Lymon when he was at his performing peak and director Gregory Nava, whose last film was Selena, does an energetic job of re-creating the exuberant rock stage shows of the period. And that led to his 1955 smash hit "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?," singing for Queen Elizabeth II at the London Palladium and performing in nightclubs and theaters worldwide. The Surrogate Court judge hearing the widowhood case pushed for a settlement. Unfortunately for Zola, she was unable to locate records documenting her Mexican wedding to Frankie, or documentation of her Mexican divorce from her previous marriage (her second). You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Copy. Mini Bio (1) Frankie Lymon was born on September 30, 1942 in Harlem, New York City, New York, USA. 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. Zola Taylor Lymon, now 50, one of the original Platters, had flown in from Los Angeles. Here are 10 you cant miss, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Moroccan singer convicted of rape in Paris, gets 6-year term, Jonas Brothers promise Broadway residency will be a walk down musics memory lane, Toxic sex, social anxiety, 90s guitars: How L.A.s Blondshell pulled off the rock debut of 2023, Rihanna making the FCC work, work, work, after Super Bowl viewers file 103 complaints, Brad Paisley drops new song featuring President Zelensky to mark one year of Ukraine war. 22, 2021. That case can now proceed, their attorney says. People sometimes compare him with the young Michael Jackson, who also knew how to combine innocence and knowingness. "Even though she had said no, she had said yes in the beginning; so Ronnie went ahead without going back and contacting Emira again. Frankie Lymon/Wife. That's why we're here today.". But her secretary and her booking agent both testified that they were witnesses to the wedding. This legal drama was made into a movie earlier this year, named after his hit song Why fools fall in love. Though Waters was not yet divorced from her first husband when she and Frankie Lymon married in a civil ceremony in Alexandria in 1964, their union became valid when that divorce became final in 1965, the judge found. He established his Artists Rights Enforcement Corp. in 1981 to hound, bully or sue record companies that he thought were depriving artists of their earnings, taking a substantial cut for his efforts. 1200 Observatory Drive | Madison, WI 53706-1212 | Map. Who wrote "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"? Frankie's particular scam, she believed, was getting married. Levy was aware of all the details of Frankie Lymons love life, and he used it to his advantage by bringing in Elizabeth Waters and Zola Taylor to challenge Emiras claim to be Frankies widow and, by having the court determine her marraige to be invalid, derail her lawsuit. He recorded other songs, alone and with his group the Teenagers, but none has inspired the same affection. Times guidelines: a bloody beating and some genteel scenes of lovemaking. Best Answer. Elizabeth Waters claimed to have married Lymon in 1964 in Virginia. One of his records with the Teenagers was called "I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent," but for all the conviction in his sweet young voice, he probably was one. McCracken said his client "has a strong religious background and beliefs, so I don't think she'll be devastated, but I know she's disappointed to say the least. Elizabeth Waters claimed to have married Lymon in 1964 in Virginia. Both Elizabeth's and Zola's attorneys say Emira offered their clients 20 percent (for Elizabeth) and 5 percent (for Zola) of the estate. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Ten years after his initial success, however, he was wearing an Army uniform as a private at Fort Gordon. They got married at City Hall in Alexandria, Va., early in 1964. He was previously married to Emira Lymon, Zola Taylor and Elizabeth Waters. When you made a deal with Ronnie, it was usually oral, a real old-school type of business person. Next comes the feisty Elizabeth Waters (Vivica A. It was painfully revealed in court testimony, however, that Frankie Lymon, for all his talent, was a bigamist, hustler, liar, and thief. Gender inclusive room options available. Span wrote that Frankies relationship with Zola was not entirely maternal. Elizabeths attorneys argued in response that she and Frankie lived in Philadelphia and therefore established a common-law marriage under Pennsylvania law. 05:00 PM - 08:00 PM. I loved him like a brother.". Get our L.A. Also Read:Family of Lorenzo Dominic Lavalle. By the time of the trial, publishing rights to the song might have been worth seven figures. He lived for 26 years, was a star for one and a half of them, and left behind a miserable financial and legal mess and three wounded women. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. became part of the "American Graffiti" sound track and album, was a No. The opinion dismisses the claims of Taylor, who was unable to produce "credible proof" of her marriage to Lymon or her divorce from her previous husband, both of which she said occurred in Mexico. The Happenings' 45. Published by Mobile Register and Baldwin County from Jan. 25 to Jan. 27, 2023. At the age of 13 little Lymon and his group of singers Teens signed a recording contract. , A thief turns to prostitution to help Lymon fund his drug addiction. The sum, he says, "might have been $1,500. It was also Rubin who located Emira, put her in touch with an attorney, helped line up witnesses and documentation. Waters bore Lymon's only known child, a daughter who died shortly after birth. US fails miserably against Russia at the crucial UN Vote. Zola and Elizabeth declined, but say they were willing to accept an equal, three-way split. "Just make sure the artist or writer gets his share." Last to the altar is Eagle, the sister of one of the singers Army buddies. Both Zola and Elizabeth think their agreements with Levy fair, and neither plans to take legal action against him if she is found to be Lymon's widow. He had the type of personality that would draw people, she said. Lymon was one of hundreds of kids in Harlem who had taken to street-corner harmonizing in the 1950s, rehearsing in apartment house hallways and echoey subway stations. Mays Mortuary, 1221 James Brown Blvd. Paula Span revealed that if Elizabeth or Zola was found to be his widow, they agreed to share the proceeds of his estate equally. The original lineup of the Teenagers, an integrated group, included three . Lymon, known for being the lead vocalist of the world-wide popular rock group Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, died less than a year later on Feb. 27, 1968, at age 25 in New York City, reportedly of a heroin overdose. Macron wont let go off Africa so easily, he is love sick, Canadas Debt Crisis: A Never-Ending Burden Passed On From Generation to Generation, Alcohol tax in Canada: Canadian government is taking a sip out of your beer. Director Gregory Nava. It was Bryant who was depicted in the 1998 movie "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" Her divorce didn't come through until 1965. As a child star, however, I was subjected to discipline from agents, managers and lawyers, but it was a discipline that protected me from myself so to speak. All these arguments are laid forth in voluminous briefs, memoranda and affidavits filed in Surrogate Court. She's going to call it "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?". When she and Frankie fought about it, Elizabeth told the court, he pulled a gun on her and fled. Waters provides convenient access to libraries, the . When trading Miss Thing"-type insults doesnt clear the air, a lawsuit to determine the identity of the true widow and heir to Lymons royalties becomes inevitable. They were married in June 1967 at the Beulah Grove Baptist Church, with 50 members of Emiras family in attendance and a reception afterward at the Capri Lounge. Her adversary, Morris Levy, was a powerful force in the music business. Next comes the feisty Elizabeth Waters (Vivica A. By 1962, Frankies career had been in decline for several years but she had nevertheless come with two girlfriends to meet her onetime idol. 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. Did Ukraine use innocent civilians as human shield against Russia in the name of evacuation? She has been in one celebrity relationship averaging approximately 4.1 years. Sound Veda Campell. What is less clear from the file is why, 20 years afterward, it has become so important to be Frankie Lymon's legal widow. Why does the rain fall from up above? For part of Lymons appeal to women was how uncommonly young he was; the singers first hit came before he was 14, younger than most romantic leads can play. She did not know the druggie described in this trial. As a been-around woman never at a loss for an insulting put-down (He dropped you like a whores panties is one example), Fox gives Fools most engaging performance. However, it turned out she had been married to someone else at the time. Span wrote that Rubin gets his share too. He claimed that both women thought that their agreements with Levy were fair, and that neither planned to take legal action against him if she is found to be Frankies widow. The Platters. The court found that "the decedent and Elizabeth {Waters} have satisfied the requirements of common law marriage in the State of Pennsylvania." Back in Los Angeles, the club where Zola was performing tossed a celebration, with a cake and champagne. Emira came to New York to arrange for his funeral mass and burial, and she paid the bill -- $2,000. 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 the true imponderable, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?". Emira refused. Lymon didn't even leave a grieving widow to serve as keeper of his flame. 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