It worked and 'Turn Me Loose' went into the Top Ten, peaking at number 9.

Marcucci heavily promoted Fabian's next single, 'Turn Me Loose', using a series of advertisements saying 'Fabian Is Coming', then 'Who is Fabian?' then finally 'Fabian is Here'. Marcucci then gave Fabian a song written by Mort Shuman and Doc Pomus, 'I'm a Man', which Fabian later said he 'liked a lot and was very comfortable with, was giving me more experience, but I still felt like a fish out of water.' The song made the top 40. Not getting paid for it, but for the record company promotions. All during that period, I was doing record hops. Fabian later admitted this song 'was not very good either' but 'the response – they told me – was overwhelming. This helped Fabian meet Dick Clark, who eventually put the young singer on American Bandstand where he sang 'I'm in Love'. The song was 'Shivers', which was a local hit in Chicago. For some reason, Georgie Woods played it.'

I rehearsed and rehearsed, and I really felt like a fish out of water. Fabian later said 'I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew my goal, to try to make extra money. He also kept working part-time at a pharmacy as well as studying at South Philadelphia High School, while practicing his singing. Singing stardomįabian was given an allowance from the record company of $30 a week. 'They gave me a pompadour and some clothes and those goddamned white bucks', recalled Fabian, 'and out I went.' 'He was the right look and right for what we were going for', wrote Marcucci later. Frankie Avalon, also of South Philadelphia, suggested Forte as a possibility. When Fabian's father returned from hospital he was unable to work, so when Marcucci persisted, Fabian and his family were amenable and he agreed to record a single. I looked at the guy like he was out of his mind. He comes up and says to me, 'So if you're ever interested in the rock and roll business. I had a crew cut, but this was the day of Rick Nelson and Elvis. Fabian later recalled, 'He kept staring at me and looking at me. One day, Fabian's father had a heart attack, and, while he was being taken away in an ambulance, Marcucci spotted Fabian. Marcucci was a friend of Fabian's next door neighbor. At the time, record producers were looking to the South Philadelphia neighborhoods in search of teenage talents with good looks. Discoveryįorte was discovered in 1957 by Bob Marcucci and Peter DeAngelis, owners of Chancellor Records. Fabian Forte is the son of Josephine and Dominic Forte his father was a Philadelphia police officer.

Fabian forte house