Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was an American
rock and roll/
rhythm and blues singer and
songwriter, best known as the
boy soprano lead singer of the
New York City-based early rock and roll
group,
The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid-teens. The original lineup of the Teenagers, an
integrated group, included three
African American members, Frankie Lymon, Jimmy Merchant and Sherman Garnes, and two
Puerto Rican members,
Herman Santiago and
Joe Negroni.