Danny Rapp

Danny Rapp
Birth name Daniel Earl Rapp
Born (1941-05-09)May 9, 1941
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died 3 April 1983(1983-04-03) (aged 41)
Quartzsite, Arizona, United States
Genres Doo-Wop
Years active 1955–1983
Labels Swan, ABC, Guyden, Mercury, Capitol
Associated acts Danny & the Juniors

Daniel Earl Rapp (May 9, 1941 – April 3, 1983) was an American musician and the frontman for the group Danny & the Juniors. The group is best known for their 1958 hit "At the Hop".

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a large Irish American family, the youngest of seven siblings. Although his birth certificate states his date of birth was May 10, he was in fact born at home on May 9 and registered the following day.

Career

Rapp's musical career began in 1955 with the formation of his group The Juvenairs, which later became known as Danny and the Juniors. Their 1957 song "Do the Bop" came to the attention of Dick Clark, who suggested they rename it to "At the Hop." After limited initial success with the song, it became a worldwide hit when it was played on American Bandstand. The Juniors went on to have two more hits "Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay" and "Twistin' USA". The Juniors released several more records in the 1960s but were not able to produce any more hits. In the 1970s, they capitalized on a strong '50s nostalgia movement by touring and rerecording "At The Hop" in 1976.

Danny and the Juniors broke up and regrouped over the years, and split into 2 groups in 1978. One featured Joe Terranova and Frank Maffei, while the other featured Rapp with various backing singers. Both groups performed under the "Danny and the Juniors" name.[1]

Rapp's last performance was in Phoenix, Arizona at the Silver Lining Lounge of The Pointe Tapatio Resort in a month-long engagement which was scheduled to end on Saturday, April 2, 1983.[2]

Death

On Saturday, April 2, Rapp checked into the Yacht Club Motel in Quartzsite, Arizona, a small town 165 miles west of Phoenix and just east of the California border. He was seen on Saturday drinking heavily in the Jigsaw, one of the two bars in town. Sometime over the weekend, he bought a .25-caliber automatic from a private individual.[3]

Rapp's body was found in his hotel room on Sunday, April 3, 1983, with a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right side of the head.[4] He was a few weeks short of his 42nd birthday.[5] and was survived by his two sons Francis (Frank/Frankie) Rapp-Romolini & Alexander (Alex) Rapp-Romolini, his sisters Mabel, Cass and Estelle, brothers Robert and Bill, numerous nieces and nephews.

Tributes

The first track on the self-titled debut album from The Constantines called "Arizona," is based on Rapp's suicide. The song begins with the lyric "This is a song about the death of Danny Rapp. And that great gospel jest called rock 'n' roll."

Daniel Johnston's song "Danny Don't Rapp" from the album Yip/Jump Music was recorded shortly after Rapp's death in 1983.

References

  1. ↑ Comments ascribed to Joe Terry (fka Joe Terranova), "A DEATH ON THE ROAD—FOR DANNY RAPP, THE HOP WENT ON AND ON," Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), April 12, 1983, p 10.
  2. ↑ Comments ascribed to Ken Nagel, vice president of Pointe Resorts, "A DEATH ON THE ROAD—FOR DANNY RAPP, THE HOP WENT ON AND ON," Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), April 12, 1983, p 10.
  3. ↑ Comments ascribed to La Paz County Sheriff Rayburn Evans, "A DEATH ON THE ROAD—FOR DANNY RAPP, THE HOP WENT ON AND ON," Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), April 12, 1983, p 10.
  4. ↑ "A DEATH ON THE ROAD—FOR DANNY RAPP, THE HOP WENT ON AND ON," Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), April 12, 1983, p 10.
  5. ↑ "Singer's Body Identified". The New York Times. April 7, 1983. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
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