Can't Stop the Music, Musicians Disrupt Aging Music
Dion and the Disrupters
Who says you can' t do what you love into your 70s and beyond Not these folks
Allison Michael Orenstein Dion Francis DiMucci – known simply as Dion – is an American singer-songwriter whose work incorporates doo-wop, rock, R&B and blues. The musical artist pictured here had his first hit record two years before ran for president, a songwriter who paved the way for , , and . The Boss correctly hailed this gentleman as "the real link between and rock 'n' roll." Can you give me the full name? Yo, no more hints! It's , doo-wop son of the Bronx who recently released his 38th album, New York Is My Home, and a beautiful, haunting single of the same name, performed with Paul Simon. If you are, like me, an American of a certain age, you can probably hum a few lines of Dion's 1950s hits with the Belmonts, like "," or solo classics like "," or his 1968 tribute to our fallen leaders, "." Having ridden out the shock and tumble of more than a half-century in the music business, along with kicking a serious that began in his teens, Dion, at 76, has a few things to say about aging gracefully: "There are certain joys we only know when we're young," he told me. "There are others that come with age but seem to be off-limits to the young. Wisdom is precious." Dion has for years been a deeply religious man who credits his Christian faith for his vigor and his success. "My whole life is a dialogue with him," he says. "My music is my response. It keeps me young, in a way." AARP Dion and the Belmonts were a leading American vocal group of the late 1950s. All members were from the Bronx, New York City. You can label him a survivor, if you like clichés, but I would anoint Dion a 21st-century disrupter of society's expectations about aging. Like actor and Movies for Grownups Career Achievement winner who continues to grow and work into his 70s, Dion just keeps doing what he loves — "Making new songs is a deep need for me" — and pays little heed to his chronological age. Both men are also prime examples of the ethos that AARP CEO lays out in her new book, , which is excerpted . "No one's possibilities should be limited by their age," she writes. "Experience has value." And experience teaches us to value the wisdom of our elders. Dion never fails to mention the blues statesmen he grew up listening to — , , — and early rockers like , , the Everly Brothers and : "They gave me a wonderful foundation, and I still appreciate and respect that music. But I do live in the present and love the here and now. Life has always been full of wonder, awe and mystery to me. I still have a passion to learn and grow." Robert Love is the Editor in Chief of AARP The Magazine Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
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