22nd Day of Black History Month: Six Days In Advance

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Love is a clown
That always fools around
Tears and laughter 

Are sure to be found

Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers
(1956)

Last week, it was my privilege
to watch a 45 minute interview
with  the surviving Teenagers,
Jimmy Merchant and Herman Santiago 

They are both alive and well in 2018

Two thousand and eighteen
 may also be 
how many times
they sang
Love is a Clown
BUT

It might be more accurate
to say that
two million and eighteen
is how many times
WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE
—their signature song—
has been recorded or performed
or exploited or poeticized
...

However,
Jimmy and Herman
would have been
nothing more than 
music trivia's delight
if 
FRANKIE LYMON
had never existed

But Frankie died
the same year as
Martin Luther King

The last day of this
Black History Month
will be
the 50th Anniversary
of Frankie Lymon's
departure

He died on
February 28, 1968

  

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Footnote
This series continues
here _______________________________________________________________________________________________