Fred Milano

Who was Fred Milano?

Fred Milano was an American doo-wop singer. Born in New York, he was a member of The Belmonts who became successful in the late 1950s as Dion and the Belmonts, and in the early 1960s. The Belmonts got their name from the street that Milano lived on, Belmont Avenue.

Milano died on January 1, 2012, from lung cancer in New York, at the age of 72. He had participated in every one of the Belmonts' recording sessions dating back 54 years. Dion DiMucci said of his death; "I was shocked, obviously, because it was so sudden. It was already in stage four when he found out there was anything wrong with him. It hit hard because a relationship like we had, it’s ingrained in you. We knew each other from our teenage boyhoods; even though we weren’t close and didn’t talk in later years, what we went through together made us like family. He and the Belmonts—they were the very best. Freddie was almost like a genius with vocal harmony. I was humbled to sing with Freddie, Carlo and Angelo."

In 2000, Dion and the Belmonts were inducted in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.