Dion Explores Bluesy Side of His Hits and the 'Pain' of Buddy Holly Plane Crash

It was with his street corner buddies from the Bronx, Carlo Mastrangelo, Angelo D'Aleo and the recently deceased Fred Milano that Dion DiMucci changed the musical world. As Dion and the Belmonts, they all but owned the late-1950s pop charts with tunes including 'I Wonder Why' and 'A Teenager in Love.' DiMucci found even more meteoric success with his solo hits 'Runaround Sue,' 'The Wanderer' and 1968's 'Abraham, Martin and John.'

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, today Dion lives in Florida with his wife of 48 years, Sue. And now, the legendary rock 'n' roller releases his new album, 'Tank Full of Blues,' which you can stream below. It's his third blues-themed album in the trilogy of recordings that started in 2006 with the release of 'Bronx in Blue.' Unlike Dion's two preceding blues albums, his latest release is comprised almost entirely of original, newly written songs. It's a personal, evocative collection that finds the artist in exceptional form.

Dion recently spoke with Spinner about the new album, his storied career, Bob Dylan and "The Day the Music Died."

Many people don't know your connection to "The Day the Music Died."

Right, the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. We were on that tour and it was pretty cold for those guys. Buddy and Big Bopper were from Texas, and Richie was from L.A., so they weren't used to winter. Buddy hired the plane and I won a coin toss with the Bopper for two of the extra seats but it would have cost me $36. Plus, the cold didn't really bother me so I just told Ritchie to go instead in place of me. And look at what happened. Hard to describe. My life has taken many interesting turns. It's another thing with the blues, it's a chance to reflect on the pain of life and what it teaches you.

Of all the original rock 'n' roll stars from the late 1950s, you're one of the only ones still making original music.

I feel more relevant today than when I was making hit records. Your opinions change over the course of your lifetime, your worldview changes and you have more to say, so I just keep on trying to push ahead. The writer, Dave Marsh, spoke to me not too long up at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He said to me, "You're the only artist from the '50s who has remained creative." I wanted to argue with him because that's a hell of a thing to say, but what it did for me is it pushed me. It made me think, "OK, now I'm going to have to express who I am: Write my own songs, make my own statement within this form" and so I went for it. And I ended up with 'Tank Full of Blues.' Do you feel like there's a connection between your early hits and the new record?

Absolutely! I know the blues is known for being deep music that deals with serious emotions. But even 'Teenager in Love' has questions about life and love and pain. I once asked Bob Dylan to write something for an album I was doing, for the liner notes. He wrote all about 'Teenager in Love,' four paragraphs' worth, and he talks about that song and the depth of it that people might overlook if they don't read between the lines. Dylan stressed that it wasn't claptrap, and that it had deeper meaning that may not be evident at first. He totally understood and I love him for that.

Even the song 'I Wonder Why' has wonderful questions about life, the same concerns that people have about abandonment, fears: All the right questions people need to have in life and, not coincidentally, things that usually turn up in the blues.

Also, listen to 'The Wanderer.' It's a deeper song than people think. Those lyrics: "Oh well, I roam from town to town/I go through life without a care/And I'm as happy as a clown/I with my two fists of iron and I'm going nowhere." That's not just some throwaway song. There's a lot more going on than you might think. I used an image from Pagliacci. My grandfather took me to that opera as a kid and that inspired the song.

And I always say that 'Runaround Sue' is a blues song cleverly disguised as rock 'n' roll [laughs].

Listen to Dion's Full 'Tank Full of Blues' Album for Free

Is there a highlight for you on the new record?

There are several, but one in particular is called 'Ride's Blues (for Robert Johnson).' I started putting together this imaginary conversation I had with blues legend Robert Johnson. I never bought or even liked the folklore idea that he sold his soul to the devil. People just never wanted to admit that he was gifted. And so like Dylan says, "Get under the spout of creativity." That's how I wrote this song about him, just allowed myself to get lost in the concept. Most blues tunes are guitar oriented, obviously, but I wanted to put some songs together that focus on the narratives, the stories. This song is about a special conversation that I have often imagined, and I'm very happy with it.

People love to talk about the old days with you, too. Do you still embrace your past?

It's natural thing for me to respect all those old tunes -- I'd never trample on 'Runaround Sue' or 'The Wanderer' or 'Teenager in Love.' Those songs mean more to me now than ever. As times moves on, they become even more valuable to me. I treasure the memories. Those songs are like sharing your childhood. At the same time, I like to grow and explore. You heard the original Robert Johnson records a long time ago.

I may have heard the records before Clapton. I'm talking 1961, when John Hammond at Columbia Records played me those records, the original Robert Johnson recordings. Now that I'm the age I am, I look back and think about sitting in John's office, hearing those songs, as well as records by Furry Lewis, Fred McDowall -- all the blues legends. I had 23 gold records on the wall and I still worshiped these guys. That was always the real music to me.

You have a personal definition for the blues.

I define the blues as "The naked cry of the human heart longing to be whole or at peace with one's self." You can express anything in the blues -- pain, joy, fear, love -- the whole gamut of life fits in that form of music. It's American roots music, a precious way to express oneself, a God-given form of music to help us on our journey.

I've been many places in my life, but I'll never forget the feeling standing at Robert Johnson's tombstone in Mississippi. I think about it a lot. And I'm telling you, this is the music I'm supposed to be singing right now.


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