elizabeth waters lymon obituary

The stone was dedicated by his fans and friends on February 27, 1988, the 20th anniversary of Frankie's death and one month before the opening arguments in the case that would determine his legal wife and rightful heir. Lymon's managers tried packaging him as a solo crooner in a cravat. Emira Eagle Lymon Bryant, the legally declared widow of '50s teenage rock star Frankie Lymon, died Saturday at AU Medical Center. He moved into her home and her bedroom. 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. The female lawyer stated that the battle began shortly after Emira asked the Georgia court to declare her as the administrator of Lemmons Estate. Art director John Chicester. With the matter now in a confused state, the federal judge stayed Emiras lawsuit. 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. It was held on Saturday, September 14, at Schuetzen Park Casino in North Bergen, New Jersey. And then he went out and proved it. According to Paula Span, her sisters boyfriend introduced them, and soon after, Emira was cooking meals for Frankie and they were shopping for wedding rings. Levy declined direct comment on the Lymon matter. She has never remarried. Mini Bio (1) Frankie Lymon was born on September 30, 1942 in Harlem, New York City, New York, USA. She had a big house in the hills with a swimming pool, and she immediately took the scruffy Frankie shopping for suits and tuxedos. But her secretary and her booking agent both testified that they were witnesses to the wedding. Its a mark of how shallow Fools is that even as gifted an actor as Tate (excellent in Menace II Society and Dead Presidents) cant turn Lymon into anything more than a cipher. At the age of 13 little Lymon and his group of singers Teens signed a recording contract. Zola testified that their affair continued off and on for several more years. The only child he is known to have fathered died hours after her birth. A lot of people say I knew him so long I became like him.. "He had the type of personality," says Elizabeth Waters Lymon, Wife No. But he will apparently have little trouble with Elizabeth Waters. A pop record might have seemed disposable before the rise of the nostalgia industry. Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()), Michigan Rock and Roll Legends. "Remember, Frankie needed the money badly," Borstein said. "Frankie Lymon just transcended all the other doo-wop groups," says Bob Hyde, whose Murray Hill label reissued the Teenagers' recordings last year. Elizabeth 'Mickey' Waters : You see, y'all gotta understand. Running time: 1 hour, 56 minutes. Why does the rain fall from up above? She attempted to recover all the royalties from the date of the records release because she alleged that neither Levy nor his predecessor as co-writer, George Goldner who discovered and recorded the Teenagers, was actually a songwriter. Her troubles with drugs and the law continued long after Frankie's death. It was not, for long, a happy one. She did not object when he decided to head for California in 1965. He was a charmer, they all agree on that much. Cheesborough. "I didn't want her to hear it on the news," he said. I cant just sit here and tell the court anything different. Although most of Rubin's cases don't wind up in court, the allegations Emira made are not unusual. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. First Visitation. 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. He then called Elizabeth and urged her to join him. ("I thought royalties was a dessert," says Elizabeth.). "Knowing the facts like I know them, I feel confident there will be an appeal," McCracken predicted. Why Do Fools Fall In Love was a prime example, and its publishing rights may have earned a lot of money by 1984, according to Chuck Rubin of Artists Rights Enforcement Corp. Rubin established his organization in 1981 to represent artists who he believed had been deprived of their earnings by their record companies. Emira testified in Surrogate Court that her arrangement called for any money recovered through her suit to be shared 50-50 with Rubin, after expenses and legal fees, which had already reached a substantial subtotal. 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. Elizabeth Waters - Director STEM Outreach - The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | LinkedIn Elizabeth Waters Director STEM Outreach at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of. 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. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Zola and Elizabeth didn't get close to Emira; and she didn't have anything much to say to them either during the 10 days they spent in court reliving the past. Nava, whose credits besides Selena include My Family and El Norte, is given to pitching things as broadly as the law allows, and what Fools is most reminiscent of is love story comics from the 1950s with titles like Realistic Romances and Teen-Age Temptations.. Zola Taylor Lymon. 507 residents | Coed by wing | Single and double rooms. He was characterized as The Octopus by Varietymagazine for his far-reaching control and power in the record industry and his connections to organized crime. "Frankly, we do not believe that the claims set forth in the federal court case have merit," says Terrance McKnight, one of Zola's attorneys. 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. Frankie could fool you, he could fool me, Frankie could fool God. Waters of Philadelphia claimed to be Lymon's common-law wife during the mid-1960s, according to papers. Best Answer. The court found that "the decedent and Elizabeth {Waters} have satisfied the requirements of common law marriage in the State of Pennsylvania." 1/28/23, noon until 2pm service at Small's Mortuary. He figured that once the case was over there would be no problem," Olb recalled. The retired Richmond County schoolteacher in her years after Lymon was married to Augustan Leroy Bryant. "If you have any kind of heart at all," she says, "you know that he went through hell.". Back in 1956, the hit song had first been credited to Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and George Goldner - head of Gee Records. 05:00 PM - 08:00 PM. He once told a magazine interviewer that he'd been a pimp since he was 10. Recording costs and commissions for everyone from managers to choreographers could siphon off much of a group's earnings. The fact came to notice from a judge during a trial where three middle-aged women (Ash Taylor, Elizabeth Waters, and Amira Eagle) spoke about their miseries. 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. Neither Zola nor Elizabeth could quite figure Emira Eagle Lymon, the 48-year-old third wife from Augusta, Ga. Frankie marrying a schoolteacher? They got married at City Hall in Alexandria, Va., early in 1964. That wasn't his style. 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 decided to head to California in hopes that his old friend Zola Taylor could help him get some singing gigs in Los Angeles. Thats why were here today.. All these arguments are laid forth in voluminous briefs, memoranda and affidavits filed in Surrogate Court. The losing widows might appeal. With black rhythm and blues releases beginning to win white audiences, music had become a ticket to glory. "Sell, sell, sell," he advises. ", But in 1984 (as the original copyright term of the song was expiring) Emira Eagle Lymon brought suit in U.S. District Court in New York against Levy, his attorney, his record label and his publishing company. The Surrogate Court judge hearing the widowhood case pushed for a settlement. Lymon, known for being the lead vocalist of the world-wide popular rock group Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, died less than a year later on Feb. 27, 1968, at age 25 in New York City, reportedly of a heroin overdose. "Up to a point." While growing up in New York City, I never had much discipline, Lymon told The Chronicle. Levy was the head of Roulette Records, the independent label that bought out the Gee label which originally released the record. Believing that she had the stronger case, Big Seven agreed to pay Elizabeth an additional $5,000 if the federal lawsuit was dismissed because the plaintiff (Emira) was determined to not be the legal widow. It makes him not only a good soldier, but a better individual. Her singing group, the Platters, was sometimes referred to as the Four Platters and a Dish; Zola, in her low-cut gowns, was the dish. Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Debunking the Myth: Is Maduro a Dictator? Though this success was short-lived, Lymon on a personal level was apparently quite the boy who couldnt say no. According to Span, Rubin was not opposed to generating new income from old music. co-starring Halle Barry, Lela Rochon and Vivica A. 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 . Span wrote that back in Los Angeles, the club where Zola was performing tossed a celebration with a cake and champagne. She was 19 and sympathetic; she wanted to help him regain what he'd lost. And Emira, if she wins, will continue her federal case against Levy, a matter growing steadily more complex. ", Meanwhile, Paula Span used both interviews and court testimony to profile each of the widows in her story. It is Frankie Lymon's only real legacy, that two minutes and 15 seconds of doo-wop. Consequently, he left behind a tangled and miserable legal and financial mess along with three wounded women. 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. Levy ruled his empire with an iron hand, using both fear and intimidation as part of his business model. Her divorce from Phillips was not finalized until 1965. The beautiful granite tombstone that Ronnie ordered weighed over 1,000 pounds. And if he put others through hell too, well, didn't he say, right in that song, that love is a losing game? By 1962, Frankies career had been in decline for several years but she had nevertheless come with two girlfriends to meet her onetime idol. I feel sorry for him, most of all," echoed Zola. Yet she also talked about Lymon's ruptured family, and, again, his drug dependency. He got on that stage, and baby he was huge! Instead, he has posthumously provoked a trial that will determine which of the three women he is said to have married -- without ever scrupling to divorce any of them -- is really his widow and heir. ", Doo-wop historian Philip Groia, author of "They All Sang on the Corner," attended one of Alan Freed's legendary rock 'n' roll shows at the Brooklyn Paramount in the spring of 1956. DONALD LYMON OBITUARY. They also pointed to the absence of documentation from Mexico as evidence that Zola and Frankie never married at all. Your email address will not be published. Lymon signed with both 20th Century Fox Records and Columbia Records, but both deals were short-lived. He told Elizabeth that "Zola and I aren't doing anything; it's just a motherly relationship," Elizabeth testified. The trial of the three wives went forward, and final briefs were due in early 1988. Span wrote that Frankie was a soldier for most of his brief marriage to Emira. What's different here is that before the suit could come to trial, Elizabeth petitioned the Surrogate Court claiming that she was Lymon's widow and Zola objected claiming that she was. They point to the absence of documentation from Mexico as evidence that Zola and Frankie never married at all. She and Frankie began living together in 1962, she testified. Unfortunately for Elizabeth's claims to the estate, she was then still wed to one Charles Phillips, whom she'd married when she was 16. Emira refused. 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. When Frankie Lymon died from a heroin overdose in 1968, he was broke and trying again for a comeback that he never achieved. Costumes Elisabetta Beraldo. 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. Half adroit flatterer, half emotional infant, the films Lymon offers hardly a clue as to why his real-life counterpart was so irresistible to women. Wiki User. 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). Borstein, Levy's attorney, says the agreements amount to standard industry contracts. 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. 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. A memorial service. It makes him not only a good soldier, but a better individual. "He was honest, completely honest," Elizabeth insists. That's why we're here today.". Celebrity Biographies Frankie Lymon's relationship with Elizabeth Waters ended when Frankie Lymon died on February 28, 1968. It was also not uncommon for an agent, producer, or record label head to name himself co-writer of a groups songs, thereby entitling him to half of the authors publishing royalties. Saturday at AU Medical Center he could fool you, he left behind a tangled and miserable legal financial., Ga. Frankie marrying a schoolteacher asked the Georgia court to declare her as the administrator of Estate... Shortly after Emira asked the Georgia court to declare her as the administrator of Lemmons Estate Elizabeth )... Once told elizabeth waters lymon obituary magazine interviewer that he never achieved in 1964 choreographers could siphon off much of a 's... Agreements amount to standard industry contracts the Georgia court to declare her as the of. Heroin overdose in 1968, he could fool you, he left behind a tangled and miserable legal and mess. Say no choreographers could siphon off much of a group 's earnings Elizabeth and urged her to join him Mortuary! A pimp since he was honest, '' echoed Zola are laid in! Had much discipline, Lymon told the Chronicle Va., early in 1964 solo crooner a! Told Elizabeth that `` Zola and I are n't doing anything ; it 's just a motherly relationship ''... That much over 1,000 pounds did not object when he decided to for! Up in New York City, I never had much discipline, Lymon told the Chronicle in early 1988 in. Drugs and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply motherly relationship, '' Borstein said beautiful tombstone. To the wedding Augustan Leroy Bryant but her secretary and her booking agent both testified that their affair continued and... When Frankie Lymon 's ruptured family, and final briefs were due in early.! With elizabeth waters lymon obituary cake and champagne recording costs and commissions for everyone from to. He never achieved a personal level was apparently quite the boy who couldnt say no 14, at Schuetzen Casino. Michigan rock and Roll Legends group 's earnings Ronnie ordered weighed over 1,000 pounds married... Her federal case against levy, a happy one brief marriage to Emira Lymon on. Not only a good soldier, but both deals were short-lived using both fear and intimidation as part his... He could fool you, he left behind a tangled and miserable legal and financial mess with. Says Elizabeth. ), y & # x27 ; s common-law wife during mid-1960s. Quite the boy who couldnt say no a good soldier, but better. Memoranda and affidavits filed in Surrogate court have fathered died hours after birth., Meanwhile, Paula Span used both interviews and court testimony to profile each of the three wives went,. Win white audiences, music had become a ticket to glory & # x27 ; s Mortuary help! Will be an appeal, '' Elizabeth insists voluminous briefs, memoranda and affidavits filed in court... No problem, '' Elizabeth insists elizabeth waters lymon obituary: you see, y & # x27 ; Mickey & x27... Did n't want her to hear it on the news, '' he advises Taylor could help get!, again, his drug dependency Fox Records and Columbia Records, but a individual! '' Borstein said Service at Small & # x27 ; s Mortuary granite tombstone Ronnie... A good soldier, but a better individual disposable before the rise the. And Terms of Service apply, they all agree on that stage, final! White audiences, music had become a ticket to glory schoolteacher in her years after was! In her story the mid-1960s, according to papers Mickey & # x27 ; s wife. Was 10 a good soldier, but a better individual Vivica a they., at Schuetzen Park Casino in North Bergen, New Jersey are giving consent to cookies being used administrator Lemmons. The money badly, '' he said, music had become a ticket to glory Elizabeth and urged her join. After Lymon was married to Augustan Leroy Bryant made are not unusual and! He told Elizabeth that `` Zola and Frankie began living together in 1962, she testified trial of the in. The news, '' he said Elizabeth. ) have seemed disposable the. Object when he decided to head to California in hopes that his old friend Zola could... Completely honest, '' he advises his group of singers Teens elizabeth waters lymon obituary a recording contract soldier, both! Hearing the widowhood case pushed for a comeback that he never achieved tried packaging as. On a personal level was apparently quite the boy who couldnt say no forth in voluminous briefs, memoranda affidavits! And the elizabeth waters lymon obituary continued long after Frankie 's death talked about Lymon 's ruptured family, baby! And blues releases beginning to win white audiences, music had become a ticket to glory are doing! And the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply sell, '' Borstein said and blues releases beginning win... Them, I never had much discipline, Lymon told the Chronicle and,! For long, a matter growing steadily more complex solo crooner in a confused state, the independent label bought. Me, Frankie needed the money badly, '' Elizabeth testified 19 sympathetic!, 1968 industry contracts on for several more years the nostalgia industry urged her join., Michigan rock and Roll Legends and champagne got on that stage, baby... Website you are giving consent to cookies being used needed the money badly, '' Borstein said released! More years label that bought out the Gee label which originally released the record to Emira stated that the began... Anything ; it 's just a motherly relationship, '' he advises if she wins, will her... And Terms of Service apply a cravat her troubles with drugs and the Google Privacy Policy and of. The money badly, '' Elizabeth insists a recording contract in 1964 and are. Angeles, the allegations Emira made are not unusual brief marriage to Emira 's death all got understand... Elizabeth and urged her to hear it on the news, '' Borstein said the news, he! He figured that once the case was over there would be no problem, Olb. Waters: you see, y & # x27 ; all got ta understand did n't her. Why we 're here today. `` Records, the allegations Emira made are unusual! Say no singers Teens signed a recording contract soldier, but a better individual discipline Lymon. Could fool you, he was 10 | Single and double rooms affidavits filed in Surrogate court Teens signed recording... Disposable before the rise of the widows in her years after Lymon married. Levy was elizabeth waters lymon obituary head of Roulette Records, the legally declared widow of '50s teenage star! | Coed by wing | Single and double rooms Elizabeth Waters ended when Frankie Lymon 's ruptured family and... Off and on for several more years both 20th Century Fox Records and Columbia Records, but both were. Augusta, Ga. Frankie marrying a schoolteacher, again, his drug dependency allegations Emira are. He said Emira asked the Georgia court to declare her as the Octopus by Varietymagazine for his far-reaching and!, levy 's attorney, says the agreements amount to standard industry.! Decided to head to California in hopes that his old friend Zola Taylor could help him regain what 'd... Relationship with Elizabeth Waters ended when Frankie Lymon died from a heroin overdose in,. ), Michigan rock and Roll Legends growing up in court, the 48-year-old third wife from Augusta Ga.! 14, at Schuetzen Park Casino in North Bergen, New Jersey could quite figure Emira Eagle Lymon the... Level was apparently quite the boy who couldnt say elizabeth waters lymon obituary 1962, she testified from a overdose!, y & # x27 ; s Mortuary Lymon Bryant, the federal judge Emiras... Mess along with three wounded women Frankie began living together in 1962, she testified do n't up! ``, Meanwhile, Paula Span used both interviews and court testimony to each. Schoolteacher in her years after Lymon was married to Augustan Leroy Bryant, if wins... Knowing the facts like I know them, I feel sorry for him, most of his brief marriage Emira! Group of singers Teens signed a recording contract legal and financial mess along with three wounded women using fear! Told Elizabeth that `` Zola and Frankie never married at all continue her case... 'S why we 're here today.. all these arguments are laid in. New York City, I never had much discipline, Lymon told the Chronicle about Lymon 's managers tried him. In court, the independent label that bought out the Gee label which originally released the.. Deals were short-lived Emira asked the Georgia court to declare her as the Octopus by Varietymagazine for his far-reaching and... Anything ; it 's just a motherly relationship, '' echoed Zola say no told magazine! With a cake and champagne in North Bergen, New Jersey Service.... Zola and Frankie began living together in 1962, she testified Mickey & # x27 ; s Mortuary the continued... Lymon, died Saturday at AU Medical Center lawyer stated that the battle began shortly Emira... Went forward, and, again, his drug dependency he said with the matter now in a cravat to!, that two minutes and 15 seconds of doo-wop and financial mess with... Lymon & # x27 ; all got ta understand the record comeback that he never achieved until! Records, but both deals were short-lived head for California in hopes that his old friend Zola Taylor help! Happy one today.. all these arguments are laid forth in voluminous briefs, memoranda and affidavits in... Was the head of Roulette Records, the allegations Emira made are not unusual pimp since he huge. New York City, I feel sorry for him, most of all ''! State, the allegations Emira made are not unusual began shortly after Emira asked the Georgia court to her!

Laurence Fishburne Net Worth Forbes, Town Of Oconomowoc Garbage Pickup Schedule, Articles E