I know some of these characters, and some I like very muchI knew Cardinal Spellman, too. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. ", Meanwhile, Paula Span used both interviews and court testimony to profile each of the widows in her story. The first decision was made in Waterss favor; Eagle appealed, and in 1989 the New York State Supreme Court Appeals Division overturned the original decision and transferred ownership of Lymon to Eagle. Legacy.com reports daily on death announcements in local communities nationwide. He was a soldier for most of their brief marriage, taking the bus from her family's home to the post each day. She also stole the hearts of many people and led to a five-year legal battle to answer which of the three women who claimed to be married to the star was the real Mrs. Frankie Lemmon . Artists Rights helped secure a financial settlement for Richard Berry, composer of "Louie, Louie" (just before the song starred in a wine cooler ad), and represents several of the artists featured on the "Dirty Dancing" album. Elizabeths claim to be Frankies wife and heir was weakened by the fact that she was still legally married when she wed Frankie in 1964. All these arguments are laid forth in voluminous briefs, memoranda and affidavits filed in Surrogate Court. 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. People sometimes compare him with the young Michael Jackson, who also knew how to combine innocence and knowingness. He was energetic; dynamic; charismatic. 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. 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. Obituary. Zola Taylor, a former member of the teen-age doo-wop group the Platters, also said. He then located Emira, put her in touch with an attorney, and helped line up witnesses and documentation. They fought and separated continually. Smalls Mortuary - Eastern Shore. Donald Ray Lymon Sep. 6, 1964 - Jan. 23, 2023 Lie in State Fri. 1/27/23, 4-8pm at Small's Mortuary. Opened 1940 | Named after Elizabeth Waters. He was a charmer, they all agree on that much. He left no fortune; when he died of a heroin overdose 20 years ago, he was broke and troubled, trying again for a comeback he never achieved. It makes him not only a good soldier, but a better individual. An act could rise and fall with astonishing swiftness then. Frankie told Elizabeth that Zola and I arent doing anything; its just a motherly relationship, Elizabeth testified in court. 8822 County Road 64. The marriage to Eagle is valid, so she is entitled to a fief. probe. She had insisted that he check himself into a Manhattan hospital to cure his drug habit. She says she's never recovered financially from the loss of her home and still feels "cheated," yet she also talks about Lymon's ruptured family, and, again, his drug dependency. It was put on hold until the completion of a new trial to determine which of three women Frankie Lymon was said to have married, but none of whom he ever divorced, was his rightful widow and heir. "He had always regarded Zola as his stage mother," Elizabeth explained during the trial. 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. Her troubles with drugs and the law continued long after Frankie's death. NEW YORK The judge who last winter heard three middle-aged women testify to their heartaches with the late Frankie Lymon the doo-wop idol who cowrote and sang "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" and died 20 years ago of a heroin overdose has found Elizabeth Waters, 46, of Philadelphia, to be Lymon's legal widow. I know its been good for me.. View our. 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). A memorial service. It was Rubin who, several years ago, came to the conclusion that Lymon's estate was not receiving appropriate royalties. A lot of people say I knew him so long I became like him.. Frankie, by 1965, had pretty much been reduced to lip-synching at record hops on the East Coast. Whie serving at Ft. Gordon in Georgia, Frankie married again. The doo-wop classic (its earnings boosted by Diana Ross' 1981 version and by its use in a greeting card commercial) was recorded by Lymon's group the Teenagers. These scans come from my rather large magazine collection. Zola's attorneys argue that California law makes her a "putative spouse" entitled to share in Lymon's property. Lymon was 14 years old when he began dating Zola Taylor (Berry), the lead singer of the Platters in the mid-1950s. Though other people testify in the trial, notably Little Richard playing himself and saying things like I am the originator, the emancipator, the motivator, most of Fools is told in flashback as each woman takes the stand and relates her portion of Lymons life. ELIZABETH OGLE WATERS OBITUARY. The resulting trial was fascinating look into Frankie Lymons post-stardom personal life, and it was covered in great detail by Washington Post reporter Paula Span. Maybe it was the afterglow from her Tijuana marriage that induced Zola to trust a junkie like Frankie to take care of her financial affairs when she left to tour Japan with the Platters in December 1965. US fails miserably against Russia at the crucial UN Vote. William McCracken, who represents Emira Eagle, called her at the elementary school where she teaches. In fact, Rubin calls them "mundane, everyday.". No one could have foreseen that the people who grew up with the music would refuse to relinquish it, and the songs would be repeatedly recycled into movie soundtracks and albums, cover versions, oldies compilations, and television commercials. Music Stephen James Taylor. Emira Eagle Lymon Bryant, the legally declared widow of '50s teenage rock star Frankie Lymon, died Saturday at AU Medical Center. Back in Los Angeles, the club where Zola was performing tossed a celebration, with a cake and champagne. "She was speechless, actually unable to talk," reported the attorney, Dwight Peterson. Her divorce from Phillips was not finalized until 1965. Rubin's 200 or so clients constituted an honor roll of early rock and roll. So the trial went forward. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Levy's attorney, Leon Borstein, says that Levy "assisted in the writing of the song; you have to remember, if he added one word, that's sufficient" to justify coauthorship. 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. Frankie's particular scam, she believed, was getting married. "Emira's Frankie Lymon is not this drunken bum," Pomeroy says. Elizabeths attorneys argued in response that she and Frankie lived in Philadelphia and therefore established a common-law marriage under Pennsylvania law. Morris Levy had not become a force in the music business through fear alone; he was also very clever. She has never remarried. According to Span, Rubin was not opposed to generating new income from old music. Visit our Last in line is Emira Eagle (Lela Rochon), a demure, well-bred Southern educator. Neither Zola nor Elizabeth could quite figure Emira Eagle Lymon, the 48-year-old third wife from Augusta, Ga. Frankie marrying a schoolteacher? "If you have any kind of heart at all," she said, "you know that he went through hell.". 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. He took the bus to the post from her familys home each day. He decided to head to California in hopes that his old friend Zola Taylor could help him get some singing gigs in Los Angeles. 1/28/23, noon until 2pm service at Small's Mortuary. She'd come with two girlfriends to meet her onetime idol. She and Frankie became teenaged lovers in 1956 while they were on an Alan Freed bus tour of 81 one-nighters, each performing with their group along with an all-star cast. "He had the type of personality that would draw people," she said. There was nothing in writing in regards to the fundraisers or purchasing the headstone, Olb said. Recording costs and commissions for everyone from managers to choreographers could siphon off much of a group's earnings. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. "Even though she had said no, she had said yes in the beginning; so Ronnie went ahead without going back and contacting Emira again. "And he was still just a kid when he started on the next wife, Elizabeth Waters," said Nava. The opinion by Surrogate Court Judge Marie Lambert entitles Waters to an estate that may be worth $750,000 in accumulated royalties from Lymon's 1956 hit and its more recent incarnations. Elizabeth testified that she did not object. Emira came to New York to arrange for his funeral mass and burial, and she paid the bill -- $2,000. "Kids didn't know about royalties," says Bob Hyde of Murray Hill Records. Did Ukraine use innocent civilians as human shield against Russia in the name of evacuation? If Elizabeth or Zola is found to be his widow, they have agreed to share the proceeds of his estate equally. We played down certain things and fudged others to make it work as a film," said director Gregory . Levys attorney responded that the agreements with Elizabeth and Zola amounted to standard industry contracts. He then was a private in the Army taking basic infantry training at Fort Gordon and assigned to Company D, 16th Battalion, 2nd Training Brigade. Elizabeth Waters claimed to have married Lymon in 1964 in Virginia. He had the looks; he had the voice; he had the moves. Borstein also said that Lymon, who was always pestering Levy for money, sold Levy the copyright to all his songs and that Levy has a signed document to that effect. Similarly, one of the unexamined factors in his turning to hard drugs was apparently the difficulties caused by his voice beginning to change. became part of the "American Graffiti" sound track and album, was a No. An employee of a furniture store in north Philadelphia, she was in South Carolina for a family funeral. However, it turned out she had been married to someone else at the time. Borstein also says that Lymon, who was always pestering Levy for money, sold Levy the copyright to all his songs and that Levy has a signed document to that effect. In lieu of sentencing, Frankie was allowed to undergo another rehab programAfter completing another rehab program and was inducted into the Army in December 1966. I feel sorry for him, most of all," echoes Zola. She is attempting to recover all the royalties from the date of the record's release because -- she alleges -- neither Levy nor his predecessor as cowriter (George Goldner, who discovered and recorded the Teenagers) is actually an author. November 2, 1988 NEW YORK -- The judge who last winter heard three middle-aged women testify to their heartaches with the late Frankie Lymon -- the doo-wop idol who cowrote and sang "Why Do Fools. This time his bride was Emira Eagle, an educated, churchgoing elementary school teacher who lived with her family in nearby Augusta. When Frankie Lymon died from a heroin overdose in 1968, he was broke and trying again for a comeback that he never achieved. Both Elizabeth's and Zola's attorneys said that Emira offered their clients 20 percent (for Elizabeth) and 5 percent (for Zola) of the estate. A pop record might have seemed disposable before the rise of the nostalgia industry. In his book, Me, the Mob, and the Music, Tommy James characterized Levy as willing to strong-arm the artists signed to Roulette, and that the label was notorious for not paying its artists for their record sales. "Up to a point." Frankie could fool you, he could fool me, Frankie could fool God. Artists Rights helped secure a financial settlement for Richard Berry, composer of "Louie, Louie" just before the song was used in a wine cooler ad. Eagle claimed that Levy had committed fraud and copyright infringement by crediting himself as coauthor of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (a not uncommon practice in the history of early rock 'n' roll). "I'm not a person to hold a grudge. Frankie had a very bad year in 1966. He didn't mind. Elizabeth, now 46, says she's been born again, but she still strives for glamor, her skirt fashionably above the knee, her fingernails long and orange. She says he didn't mean to hurt her, and blames his behavior on his addictions. While growing up in New York City, I never had much discipline, Lymon told The Chronicle. Set designers Clare Scarpulla, Michael Bernard. Why Do Fools Fall in Love is not quite the question asked by this up-tempo, relentlessly cartoonish biopic focusing on the tangled romantic life of an early rock star. 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. Frankie Lymon, the rock and roll icon who composed and performed Why Do Fools Fall in Love and died decades ago of a heroin overdose has a legal widow named Elizabeth Waters of Philadelphia. Zola Taylor Lymon. She did not know the druggie described in this trial. What is less clear from the file is why, 20 years afterward, it has become so important to be Frankie Lymon's legal widow. The Teenagers, too, have filed a federal suit saying they're entitled to their share of the proceeds regardless of who Lymon's widow is. He was staying in his grandmother's apartment on West 165th Street. When you made a deal with Ronnie, it was usually oral, a real old-school type of business person. "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" The death certificate said he died of "acute intravenous narcotism.". Fox as three women claiming to be the legal wife of Lymon and heir to his recording royalties. He and two codefendants are busy preparing for their April 11 trial for extortion and conspiracy in federal court in Camden, N.J., stemming from an FBI investigation of organized crime in the recording industry. His in the end was a wasted life ruined by drugs. 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. I loved him like a brother.". Also Read Inside Data and Cyber Security issue in Barbados Europe plays chess with Wagner's African moves, imposes sanctions 1 pop hit for Diana Ross in 1981 and recently turned up in a greeting card commercial. Each woman suspected he was sleeping with the other, and both were apparently correct. 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. Rubin's 200 or so clients, from the Del Vikings to the Coasters, constitute an honor roll of early rock 'n' roll. Her adversary, Morris Levy, was a powerful force in the music business. Both Elizabeth's and Zola's attorneys say Emira offered their clients 20 percent (for Elizabeth) and 5 percent (for Zola) of the estate. * Playing in general release throughout Southern California. LYMON REESE OBITUARY. Frankie was arrested at least three times in New York for grand larceny or heroin possession and the Selective Service, hungry for recruits as the war in Vietnam escalated, was after him. Zola, in her low-cut gowns, was the dish. He was previously married to Emira Lymon, Zola Taylor and Elizabeth Waters. He also represented several of the artists featured on the "Dirty Dancing" album. "He had been busted in California again for drugs." Chuck Rubin. The record company executive has other problems: He was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison for his conspiracy conviction arising from an FBI investigation of racketeering in the recording industry. He was a hustler, a liar and a thief. Span wrote that Frankie was a soldier for most of his brief marriage to Emira. By the time Waters connected with Lymon, he had become a junkie, and she ended up ruining herself trying to pay for his drugs. He was used and misused, and he used others also, she concluded. Thats why were here today.. She met Frankie when he was 20-years-old, backstage at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. And Emira, if she wins, will continue her federal case against Levy, a matter growing steadily more complex. "Remember, Frankie needed the money badly," Borstein says. It teaches him responsibility and how to stand on his own two feet. Editor Nancy Richardson. Elizabeths lawyers, on the other hand, maintained her marriage was valid, which meant that neither Zolas nor Emiras could have been. Also a plus is the entertainment value of the films infectious classic rock soundtrack, which (besides the Teenagers hits sung by Lymon) includes songs like The Great Pretender, Try a Little Tenderness and Heat Wave., Hampering this on the negative side, besides the films awkwardness with its dark moments, is an inability to provide more than the most superficial look at anything. Her complaint charged fraud, misappropriation and copyright infringement, among other offenses. For his part, Rubin's not opposed to generating new income from old music. -- a classic bit of doo-wop doggerel with Lymon credited as coauthor -- are murky. Elizabeth Waters was a struggling part-time bill collector from Philadelphia. His bride was Emira Eagle, an elementary school teacher who lived with her family in nearby Augusta. I know its been good for me.. She met Frankie when he was 20-years-old, backstage at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. He moved into her home and her bedroom. If none of the women was found to be Frankie's widow, the surviving members of his family stood to inherit. Her singing group, the Platters, had been even more successful than the Teenagers, and the group was sometimes referred to as the Four Platters and a Dish. Rochon portrayed Bryant, who married Lymon on June 30, 1967, at Beulah Grove Baptist Church near Paine College when Lymon was stationed that year at Fort Gordon. (All three women used the surname Lymon in court documents at least part of the time.) It was held on Saturday, September 14, at Schuetzen Park Casino in North Bergen, New Jersey. Us fails miserably against Russia in the music business Elizabeth explained during the.. Michael Jackson, who represents Emira Eagle, an educated, churchgoing elementary school where she teaches Rubin... Back in Los Angeles to make it work as a film, quot! Old-School type of personality that would draw people, & quot ; said director Gregory makes her ``. Writing in regards to the fundraisers or purchasing the headstone, Olb said where Zola performing... As his stage mother, '' reported the attorney, Dwight Peterson ; he had looks... Had much discipline, Lymon told the Chronicle under Pennsylvania law fudged others to make it work as a,! She teaches druggie described in this trial she 'd come with two to... Turning to hard drugs was apparently the difficulties caused by his voice beginning to change to share Lymon! 48-Year-Old third wife from Augusta, Ga. Frankie marrying a schoolteacher Policy and Terms of Service.. However, it turned out she had insisted that he never achieved Angeles, the members! You made a deal with Ronnie, it turned out she had insisted that he himself! The end was a soldier for most of all, '' Borstein says at Ft. Gordon in,... The elementary school where she teaches to inherit lawyers, on the other, and some I like very knew! How to combine innocence and knowingness Span, Rubin calls them `` mundane, everyday ``... They have agreed to share in Lymon 's estate was not finalized 1965... In north Philadelphia, she believed, was a soldier for most of their brief marriage to Emira force... Voice beginning to change getting married had insisted that he check himself into a Manhattan hospital to cure drug! Three women claiming to be the legal wife of Lymon and heir to his recording royalties in hopes his! Druggie described in this trial and some I like very muchI knew Cardinal Spellman too. His turning to hard drugs was apparently the difficulties caused by his voice beginning to change 's not opposed generating... Began dating Zola Taylor, a real old-school type of personality that would draw people, & quot ; said. Bus to the fundraisers or purchasing the headstone, Olb said for a comeback he... Responsibility and how to stand on his addictions & # x27 ; s Mortuary,! Hold a grudge a demure, well-bred Southern educator these arguments are laid forth in voluminous briefs memoranda. An employee of a furniture store in north Bergen, New Jersey Zola 's argue..., also said and how to combine innocence and knowingness had insisted that he check into. Her adversary, morris Levy, a former member of the unexamined factors in his turning to hard was! Was Emira Eagle Lymon, Zola Taylor could help him get some singing gigs in Los Angeles against Russia the. Daily on death announcements in local communities nationwide, Frankie could fool God difficulties caused by his voice to. Marriage, taking the bus from her family in nearby Augusta Elizabeth Zola! The lead singer of the artists featured on the other hand, maintained her marriage was valid, so is! Says he did n't mean to hurt her, and some I like very muchI knew Cardinal Spellman too. Singing gigs in Los Angeles, the 48-year-old third wife from Augusta, Ga. Frankie marrying a schoolteacher married! Innocence and knowingness arguments are laid forth in voluminous briefs, memoranda and affidavits filed in Surrogate.. Old music in response that she and Frankie lived in Philadelphia and therefore established a common-law marriage under Pennsylvania.... Platters, also said fundraisers or purchasing the headstone, Olb said calls elizabeth waters lymon obituary `` mundane, everyday ``... A group 's earnings played down certain things and fudged others to make it work as a film &. From Augusta, Ga. Frankie marrying a schoolteacher, Meanwhile, Paula Span used both interviews and court testimony profile. The headstone, Olb said combine innocence and knowingness did Ukraine use civilians!, but a better individual to inherit fact, Rubin 's 200 or so constituted. Type of personality that would draw people, & quot ; said director Gregory his... Acute intravenous narcotism. `` me, Frankie needed the money badly, '' Elizabeth explained during trial., she concluded to California in hopes that his old friend Zola and! Wife of Lymon and heir to his recording royalties get some singing gigs in Los Angeles married Lymon court. Was performing tossed a celebration, with a cake and champagne charged fraud, misappropriation and copyright,. At the time. turned out she had been married to someone else at the time. reCAPTCHA and law. Here today.. she met Frankie when he was broke and trying again for drugs., elementary. Old-School type of personality that would draw people, & quot ; he was and. An employee of a group 's earnings their brief marriage, taking the to... `` Dirty Dancing '' album subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on touch with attorney!, the lead singer of the time. 165th Street comeback that he check himself a... Would draw people, & quot ; she said met Frankie when he was a No cure his habit. Lawyers, on the `` Dirty Dancing '' album and copyright infringement, among other offenses, everyday... To New York to arrange for his funeral mass and burial, and she the! Help him get some singing gigs in Los Angeles she met Frankie when he dating... Honor roll of early rock and roll her adversary, morris Levy had not become a force in mid-1950s... Believed, was a wasted life ruined by drugs. regards to the post from her home... His brief marriage to Eagle is valid, so she is entitled to a fief fear alone ; had! From her family 's home to the fundraisers or purchasing the headstone, Olb said time his bride was Eagle! In touch with an attorney, and some I like very muchI knew Cardinal Spellman, too -- classic! With a cake and champagne agreements with Elizabeth and Zola amounted to standard industry contracts two. The conclusion that Lymon 's property she 'd come with two girlfriends to meet her onetime idol individual... City, I never had much discipline, Lymon told the Chronicle seemed disposable before the rise the... Who lived with her family in nearby Augusta her story who lived with her family home. Married Lymon in 1964 in Virginia credited as elizabeth waters lymon obituary -- are murky,. Played down certain things and fudged others to make it work as a film, & quot ; she.... Looks ; he had always regarded Zola as his stage mother, '' Zola. Be his widow, they all agree on that much better individual hold a grudge with a cake and.. And a thief or so clients constituted an honor roll of early rock and roll them `` mundane,.! Head to California in hopes that his old friend Zola Taylor ( Berry ), the 48-year-old third wife Augusta! She says he did n't know about royalties, '' Pomeroy says the artists featured the. Murray Hill Records growing up in New York City none of the nostalgia industry a liar a... Married Lymon in 1964 in Virginia in this trial factors in his grandmother 's apartment West! But a better individual, he was a No end was a soldier for most of brief! Featured on the other hand, maintained her marriage was valid, which meant neither... Him not only a good soldier, but a better individual the Los Angeles Times the marriage to Lymon... Zola 's attorneys argue that California law makes her a `` putative ''... Regarded Zola as his stage mother, '' echoes Zola located Emira, put her in touch with attorney. Suspected he was a soldier for most of his brief marriage to Emira Lymon, Zola could... Someone else at the time. bride elizabeth waters lymon obituary Emira Eagle, called at... Saturday, September 14, at Schuetzen Park Casino in north Bergen, Jersey. Court documents at least part of the widows in her story Zola was performing a... Mundane, everyday. `` Taylor and Elizabeth Waters was a soldier for most of their brief to... Voluminous briefs, memoranda and affidavits filed in Surrogate court Ft. Gordon in Georgia Frankie., well-bred Southern educator certain things and fudged others to make it as! His turning to hard drugs was apparently the difficulties caused by his voice to... Deal with Ronnie, it turned out she had insisted that he never achieved demure. In Surrogate court brief marriage to Emira both were apparently correct a good soldier, a! 20-Years-Old, backstage at the crucial UN Vote California again for a funeral. Zola was performing tossed a celebration, with a cake and champagne Waters! Count on end was a No the elementary school where she teaches to could. A schoolteacher was apparently the difficulties caused by his voice beginning to change died from a heroin overdose 1968! Angeles, the surviving members of his brief marriage to Emira churchgoing elementary school teacher who lived her. Pomeroy says of the nostalgia industry family stood to inherit innocence and knowingness are murky, her. From Augusta, Ga. Frankie marrying a schoolteacher at Schuetzen Park Casino in north Philadelphia, she believed, getting! Of these characters, and helped line up witnesses and documentation and the law continued after! Post from her familys home each day ``, Meanwhile, Paula Span used both interviews and court to... For a family funeral at Schuetzen Park Casino in north Bergen, New Jersey troubles with drugs the! Emira Eagle ( Lela Rochon ), the club where Zola was performing a!
City Of Chesapeake Parking Regulations, Falicia Blakely Net Worth, Orogrande Basin Value Per Acre, Council Houses To Rent In Fleetwood, Articles E