ABRAHAM, MARTIN AND JOHN
“Abraham, Martin and John” is a 1968 song written by Dick Holler and first recorded by Dion. It is a tribute to the memory of four assassinated Americans, all icons of social change, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, shortly after the assassinations of King and the younger Kennedy. The original version, recorded by Dion, featured a gentle folk rock production from Phil Gernhard and arrangement from John Abbott. “Abraham, Martin and John” was a major American hit single in late 1968, reaching #4 on the U.S. pop singles chart, being awarded an RIAA gold record for selling a million copies. In Canada, it topped the charts, reaching #1 in the RPM 100 on November 25, 1968. In 2001 this recording would be ranked number 248 on the RIAA’s Songs of the Century list. (More from Wikipedia)
Dion DiMucci was one of the leading rock and rollers of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, and his work still sounds great to me to this day. He was the front man for Dion and the Belmonts and had several hits beginning with “I Wonder Why” in 1958.
Dion became a solo artist by 1960 and had another string of wonderful hit songs, “The Wanderer”, “Runaround Sue”, “Donna the Prima Donna”, and “Ruby Baby” among them. In the wake of the horrific political assassinations of the 1960’s, Dion later had another hit song in the summer of 1968 with the simple but highly effective song, “Abraham, Martin and John”.
(September 2012)
