They wanted to impress their friends in school by being on the radio. I cant just sit here and tell the court anything different. Sound Veda Campell. She has never remarried. Last to the altar is Eagle, the sister of one of the singers Army buddies. "She's a square," Zola decided, noticing that Emira was coming to court in sneakers. Royalties were underestimated or simply never paid. He then located Emira, put her in touch with an attorney, and helped line up witnesses and documentation. Zola testified that their affair continued off and on for several more years. Lymon's work had largely been reduced to lip-syncing at record hops; he said Zola could help get him some gigs in Los Angeles. Zola, the second supposed wife, got to be pretty friendly with the first. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP6P329DMKY. "He sort of changed my life for me," Elizabeth says. He was clean for a time when she became pregnant in 1963, and he was deeply saddend by the death of their infant daughter. Then, two months after his dishonorable discharge (for repeatedly being AWOL), he went to New York, telling Emira he wanted to see about reviving his career. US fails miserably against Russia at the crucial UN Vote. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Waters, who on the witness stand acknowledged a long struggle with drugs and prostitution during her tempestuous relationship with the onetime star, got the news from her attorney Monday night. Lymon was discharged a year later, he'd said "I do" once more. I often tell people that Frankie didnt end up living a glorified life. He took the bus to the post from her familys home each day. By the time Frankie showed up, unannounced, in Los Angeles, Zola had done well for herself. Emira refused their counter offer. The sum, he says, "might have been $1,500. (All three women used the surname Lymon in court documents at least part of the time.) Span reported that Zolas secretary and her booking agent both testified that they were witnesses to the wedding, and that her attorneys argued that California law made her a putative (believed to be) spouse entitled to share in Frankie Lymons property. "Emira's Frankie Lymon is not this drunken bum," Pomeroy says. Her divorce from Phillips was not finalized until 1965. It is copyrighted in the names of Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy, head of Roulette Records, an independent label that bought out the Gee label, which originally released the record. The retired Richmond County schoolteacher in her years after Lymon was married to Augustan Leroy Bryant. "He had the type of personality that would draw people," she said. 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. It teaches him responsibility and how to stand on his own two feet. When a touring musical about Lymon's life came to the Imperial Theater in May of 2013, the cast invited Bryant to be the honored guest with her family and took photos with her after the show. Her sister's boyfriend introduced them; soon, Emira was cooking meals for Frankie and they were shopping for wedding rings. So the trial went forward. But I couldnt get my hands on him, couldnt find him. According to Elizabeth and several other witnesses, Frankie was back in New York telling them that his marriage to Zola had only been a publicity stunt. The elephant in the room was the large sum of money that would be awarded to whoever was determined to be the songwriters of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love. It was copyrighted in the names of Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy. She claimed to have . He was a hustler, a liar and a thief. "I didn't want her to hear it on the news," he said. Absent the kind of star performance Jennifer Lopez gave in Selena (and that films cleaner, more direct story line), cornball dramaturgy can take audiences only so far and not one note further. After learning of this, Elizabeth went to court to request the suspension of the law. Why does the rain fall from up above? As a child star, however, I was subjected to discipline from agents, managers and lawyers, but it was a discipline that protected me from myself so to speak. The Taylor sections are the most fun, largely because Taylor knew Lymon when he was at his performing peak and director Gregory Nava, whose last film was Selena, does an energetic job of re-creating the exuberant rock stage shows of the period. Kids didnt know about royalties said Bob Hyde of Murray Hill Records. The Surrogate Court judge hearing the widowhood case pushed for a settlement. However, it turned out she had been married to someone else at the time. In 1984, as the original copyright term of Why Do Fools Fall In Love was expiring, Emira Eagle Lymon brought suit in the U.S. District Court in New York against Morris Levy, his record label, and his publishing company. And the true imponderable, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?". The court found that "the decedent and Elizabeth {Waters} have satisfied the requirements of common law marriage in the State of Pennsylvania." Her only marriage lasted 4.1 years. Not that their relationship was entirely maternal. Morris Levy had not become a force in the music business through fear alone; he was also very clever. Elizabeth Waters was a struggling part-time bill collector from Philadelphia. Artist Rights Enforcement Corporation was heralded by the New York Times as the white knight of rock n roll for its efforts in recovering uncollected royalties for a host of artists including Wilbert Harrison, Richard Berry, the Coasters, and the Dell Vikings to name just a few. Her published account of the trial and the three women contesting to be named Frankies legal wife and heir was titled The Three Wives: The Legacy Of Love. 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. They fought and separated continually. Paula Span reported that Frankie and Elizabeth got married in Alexandria, Virginia, in early 1964. The next morning, Feb. 27, an uncle found him unresponsive on the bathroom floor and called police. At the trial, Elizabeth testified that she saw Frankie on that visit, as she had a number of times both before and after his wedding to Emira, which she said she knew nothing of. The film travels back and forth in time to explore their relationship with the singer. Both Elizabeth's and Zola's attorneys say Emira offered their clients 20 percent (for Elizabeth) and 5 percent (for Zola) of the estate. His was a wasted life, and he was so talented., Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Back in 1956, the hit song had first been credited to Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and George Goldner - head of Gee Records. When she returned in April, the house was in foreclosure and Frankie was gone; she never saw him alive again. The Associated Press AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Funeral services have been held for the widow of '50s rock star Frankie Lymon. She met Frankie when he was 20-years-old, backstage at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. Mini Bio (1) Frankie Lymon was born on September 30, 1942 in Harlem, New York City, New York, USA. Im sure it probably would bring back some good memories, she said of the show that was being staged at the Imperial. Cinematographer Ed Lachman. DONALD LYMON OBITUARY. Lymon didn't even leave a grieving widow to serve as keeper of his flame. She told the judge that Frankie Lymon was a charmer. The Surrogate Court judge hearing the widowhood case has been pushing for a settlement. He was previously married to Emira Lymon, Zola Taylor and Elizabeth Waters. Paula Span, Frankie was addicted to drugs and alcohol and Elizabeth, who was 19 at the time, was sympathetic. According to the obituary published Sunday in The Augusta Chronicle, funeral arrangements will be announced by W.H. Ash Taylor, Elizabeth Waters, and Amira Eagle reached out to Morris Levy, a music entrepreneur who retained Lymons copyrights and copyrights, claiming to be Lymons legal widow; Lymon didnt bother to divorce any of them. He had a bad year in 1966. "Remember, Frankie needed the money badly," Borstein said. "Remember, Frankie needed the money badly," Borstein says. Set decorator Jackie Carr. According to Spans reporting, Emira paid the $2,000 bill. I feel sorry for him, most of all," echoes Zola. Elizabeth Waters may be entitled to an estate worth $750,000 in accumulated royalties from Lymon 1956 hit and it's more modern iterations, according to Surrogate Court Judge Marie Lambert's ruling. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Evan Rachel Wood denies allegation that she manipulated Marilyn Manson accuser, Ben Kwellers son Dorian Zev killed in car crash: No idea how to deal with this , Justin Biebers Justice world tour canceled after several postponements, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Newsom rescinds Californias COVID-19 state of emergency, marking an end to the pandemic era, Blake Shelton embarks on last season of The Voice before doing a little bit of nothing, Madonna salutes late brother Anthony Ciccone for blowing my mind as a young girl, L.A. Phils 2023-24 season lineup celebrates the 20th anniversary of Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cardi B changes tune on community service, calls it best thing, spiritual journey, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. Friday, November 06 2020. Frankie's particular scam, she believed, was getting married. It was modified to just Lymon and Goldner on subsquent recordings for the next decade before Goldner's name was replaced by Levy's. As legacies go, it's not bad. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When she returned in April, the house was in foreclosure and Frankie was gone with the money. Owning the rights to 1950s rock and roll songs meant more in the 1980s than it did when they were hits. 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