Actually, the writer of the song was born in Dayton. Tommy James was born in Dayton, on April 29th, 1947, and was raised in Michigan. James would grow up to become a rock singer, who would start his own band, Tommy James and the Shondells.
Tommy, and the Shondells, released their biggest hit , Mony Mony, in 1968. The song was written by James, and songwriter/producers Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom. It was a smash that reached number three on Billboard's Hot 100 music chart. It's since become a classic and a pop culture staple that you've heard on tons of commercials, television shows, and movies. There have also been several remakes of the song, most notably, Billy Idol's version of Mony Mony, which topped Billboard's Hot 100 chart at number one in 1987.
Go ahead and rock out on your lunch break, or, dance in your cubicle (really, more like your own house, probably. Covid Life and all.) after playing the clip below. There's no shame in it. Mony Mony rocks.
And so does Dayton.
Miami Valley Music Focus explores the places and people behind the music of Southwest, Ohio. This series is made possible by support from Ohio Arts Council.
