Frankie Lymon was a young Doo-Wop and R&B; singer and leader of the all-male vocal group Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. Best known for his Soprano vocals Lymon's signature song, the 1956 hit "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", is also the name of a 1998 biopic based on his life.

At the age of twelve, Lymon heard a local doo-wop group known as the "Coupe De Villes" at a school talent show. He befriended their lead singer, Herman Santiago, and eventually became a member of the group which had changed its name to both "The Ermines" and "The Premiers".

Merchant and Santiago, with Lymon's input, wrote the song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" from several of their neighbor's teenage love letters. The Premiers once again changed their name to The Teenagers and got their first break after impressing Richard Barrett, a singer with The Valentines. Barrett got the group an audition with record producer George Goldner. Herman Santiago was the original lead singer but, after Goldner noticed Frankie's voice in the background, he was asked to have a try at singing lead.

Goldner signed the quintet to Gee Records, and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" became their first single in January 1956. The single peaked at number 6 on the Billboard pop singles chart, and topped the Billboard R&B; singles chart for five weeks. The group's success made Lymon the first African-American teen idol. Lymon went solo in the late 1950s and was met with limited success. After his voice changed, he lost his signature soprano voice. Lymon' addiction to Heroin, a habit he'd had since the age of 15, caused his career to decline sharply. Never able to fully recover, Lymon was found dead from a heroin overdose on February 27, 1968.

• Lyrics and Songs: Frankie Lymon