The Elegants were started in 1958 by Vito Picone,
Arthur Venosa, Frank Tardogno, Carmen Romano and James Mochella in South
Beach, Staten Island, New York. "Little Star" was the only
million seller for the group, and was written by Venosa and Picone. It
spent 19 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100. After "Little Star"
dominated the radio, the band, still in their teens, toured with artists
such as Buddy Holly, Dion and the Belmonts, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee
Lewis. However, none of their subsequent singles reached the charts at
all making them a prime example of one-hit wonders. After recording over
30 songs with various labels the original group disbanded when Artie and
Frankie were drafted into the U.S. Army, Jimmy got married, Carman tired
of the lifestyle and Vito received a permanent eye injury from an
accident. The Beatles of course didn't help the situation. In early
1970s, lead singer Picone returned to the group replacing Tardogno as
the lead singer. That group comprising Vito Picone, Freddie Redmond,
Nino Amato and Bruce Copp have been together ever since. Freddie Redmond
died of emphysema in 2006, and was replaced by original member, James
Moschella. The Elegants are still performing at concerts and events
throughout the United States, under the name "Vito Picone & The
Elegants"
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