Danny
& The Juniors, individually Frank Maffei, Danny Rapp, Joe Terranova and
Dave White, began singing together in the early 1950's at ages 13 and 14 in
Philadelphia where they were fans of the local rhythm and blues radio
stations. It was there they they heard the first stirrings of a new
music soon to become known as Rock 'n Roll. The Juvenaires, as they were
called then,
quickly decided to become part of the new movement and began to
perform the new songs as well as their own original material at school dance,
local clubs and restaurants.
At
that time, record companies were engaged in a frenzied search for young people
who could perform the new music. It wasn't very long before they discovered
the youths, re-named them Danny & The Juniors and recorded them singing
one of their own original songs called At The Hop.
The song quickly became a monumental hit on five continents reaching #1 on the
pop, country and rhythm and blues charts. Early in 1958 Dick Clark presented
Danny And The Juniors with a gold record for At The Hop on American Bandstand,
the first of many awards and accolades they would receive over their career,
including Best New Group of 1957 and the prestigious Philadelphia Music
Alliance Achievement Award more recently.
Danny
And The Juniors have made almost fifty American Bandstand appearances and have
been on numerous television shows -- from the old Patti Page Big Record Show
to Nashville Now more recently. They've also been featured in three motion
pictures and their songs have been in many more. Danny And The Juniors have
been covered in many important national publications including Life,
Billboard, Cashbox and Teen. The latest of these is a recent USA Today article
that points out the broad appeal of Danny And The Juniors and their music
across many demographic categories.
Now,
in their fifth decade as performers, the group still appears at a multitude of
venues including conventions, theatres, clubs, casinos, fairs and festivals.
Their wholesome, fun-loving stage show is embellished with comedy,
impressions, bright costumes and audience participation -- while still
preserving the rich history -- and is regarded as one of the best in the
business.