Daniel Earl Rapp (May 9, 1941 – April 3, 1983) was an American singer and the frontman for the group

Danny & the Juniors Danny & the Juniors were an American doo-wop and rock and roll vocal group formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally consisting of Danny Rapp, Dave White, Frank Maffei and Joe Terranova, the group was formed in 1955. They are best know ...

. The group is best known for their 1958 hit "

At the Hop "At the Hop" is a 1950s pop song written by Artie Singer, John Medora, and David White and originally released by Danny & the Juniors. The song was first issued circa October 1957 on a small Philadelphia label (Singular 711) and included a ...

Career

Rapp's musical career began in 1955 with the formation of his group The Juvenairs, which later became known as Danny and the Juniors. Their 1957 song "Do the Bop" came to the attention of

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...

, who suggested they rename it to "At the Hop". After limited initial success with the song, it became a worldwide hit when it was played on ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...

''. The Juniors went on to have two more hits "

Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" is a song written by David White and first recorded by his group, Danny & the Juniors. Released in January 1958 by ABC-Paramount Records as the follow-up to the group's #1 hit "At the Hop", it reached #19 on the ...

" and "Twistin' USA". The Juniors released several more records in the 1960s but were not able to produce any more hits. In the 1970s, they capitalized on a strong 1950s nostalgia movement by touring and rerecording "At The Hop" in 1976. Danny and the Juniors broke up and regrouped over the years, and split into 2 groups in 1978. One featured Joe Terranova and Frank Maffei, while the other featured Rapp with various backing singers. Both groups performed under the "Danny and the Juniors" name. Rapp's last performance was in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, at the Silver Lining Lounge of The Different Pointe restaurant in the Pointe Tapatio Resort in a month-long engagement which was scheduled to end on Saturday, April 2, 1983.

Death

On Saturday, April 2, 1983, Rapp checked into the Yacht Club Motel in

Quartzsite, Arizona Quartzsite is a town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,413. Interstate 10 runs directly through Quartzsite which is at the intersection of U.S. Route 95 and Arizona State Route 95 wi ...

, west of Phoenix. He was seen on Saturday drinking heavily in the Jigsaw, one of the two bars in town. Sometime over the weekend, he bought a .25-caliber automatic from a private individual. Rapp's body was found in his hotel room on Sunday, April 3, with a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right side of the head. Danny is buried at New St. Mary's Cemetery & Mausoleum in

Bellmawr, New Jersey Bellmawr ( ) is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 11,707, an increase of 124 (+1.1%) from the 2010 Un ...

Personal life

Rapp married in 1962 and had two sons.

References

External links

Danny and the Juniors Official Website
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News story concerning Rapp suicide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rapp, Danny 1941 births 1983 suicides American male pop singers Danny & the Juniors members Singers from Philadelphia Singers from New Orleans American people of Irish descent Suicides by firearm in Arizona Doo-wop musicians 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers 1983 deaths