Rydell could really sing, Oli. Of the three big solo acts from Philly back then, I'd rate Rydell first, Frankie Avalon second--and I give credit to Avalon for learning to sing at all because he was a teenaged trumpet player when he was initially discovered--and Fabian third. Fabian was awful. And I mean awful.
For some reason, I thought Dion passed away years ago, not sure if I was confusing him with someone else. And, I can't believe that I forgot Avalon (my dad was a big fan of the beach movies with Avalon and Funicello), but that probably made me think of him as an actor before singer.
