Royal Teens - Legacy

Legacy

Bob Gaudio later became a member of The Four Seasons. Fourteen-year-old member Al Kooper sometimes appeared with the Royal Teens on the road in 1959, and later founded the groups "The Blues Project" and "Blood Sweat & Tears" (originally known as "Al Kooper's Blood, Sweat and Tears"). Kooper also performed as a session musician on several of Bob Dylan's albums in the mid-60's. Vocalist Joe Francovilla (also known as Joey Villa) joined them in late 1958. He previously sang with the Three Friends who had a minor hit with "Blanche". With several briefly tenured members of the Royal Teens, he went on to form Joey and the Twisters which released a few minor hits ("Do You Want to Dance," "Bony Maronie") in 1961–1962 and frequently played the Peppermint Lounge in New York City as contemporaries of Joey Dee and the Starlighters. Billy Crandall would join The Knickerbockers in 1964, using the name Buddy Randell, and would sing lead vocal on the group's top 20 hit "Lies" in 1966. Crandall would later perform with the contemporary Messianic group Jerusalem Rivers before passing away in 1998.

The song "Short Shorts" was used in commercials for Nair in the 1970s, sparking interest in the group, and is now used in Japan for the opening tune of "Tamori Club" on TV Asahi Corporation.

When the show Jersey Boys came to Broadway, Bob Gaudio told Tommy that "Short Shorts" was being featured in the show. When the two original Royal Teens reunited at the August Wilson Theater the night of the premiere of Jersey Boys, Tommy said he was so proud to have traveled the first leg of Bobby's historical musical journey with him.

Billy Dalton died due to an apparent heart attack on Saturday, October 8, 2011. After his funeral Mass, Billy was interred in St. Patrick Cemetery in Rochelle, Illinois, on Thursday, October 13, 2011—what would have been his 71st birthday.

In 1974, lead vocalist for the Royal Teens, James "Dino" Cusumano moved to California and founded and led the growth of several public technology companies. One of them, Catalytica Pharmaceuticals, Inc., grew in less than five years from five people to nearly 2,000 people with sales of $500 million and a market value of $1 billion before it was sold at a premium. He then formed Chateau Wally Films where he produced the successful feature film “What Matters Most,” which was released in more than 50 countries.

His next move was to Prague in the Czech Republic where with his wife Inez, he bought and renovated a castle, Chateau Mcely into an internationally award-winning luxury hotel, spa and forest retreat. Dino and Inez used Chateau Mcely to launch Mcely Bouquet, a line of natural cosmetics and also formed Chateau Mcely Forum™, an organization that brings leading thinkers from around the world to the Czech Republic to teach Inspired Leadership to corporate executives.

Using his given name, James A. Cusumano, Dino became a prolific writer. He is the co-author of “Freedom From Mid-East Oil,” and the author of “Cosmic Consciousness—A Journey to Well-being, Happiness And Success,” and “Balance: The Business-Life Connection.” (4)