DION ABRAHAM,MARTIN and JOHN Reaction - First time hearing - One of the best songs ever!

[@davidholler1]

My father wrote this song a few days after Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June of 1968. While he is proud to have written it, he wishes the circumstances hadn't happened which brought him to write it. Yes, the Marvin Gaye version is the more popular of the two in Europe. Whitney Houston also does a heartfelt live version. Even Bob Dylan covered the song. Thank you HarriBest for your reaction. I'll play my dad your video. Peace & Love in 2024

[@pamstuckey8349]

Please tell your Dad thank your from me, a Boomer. I think it has to be hard for people younger than me to appreciate what these losses meant to our generation - how heartbreaking there were to our hopes. Because these were not even all of the important figures we lost

[@johnnyt.sollitto512]

Dion didn't write this song - or did he and you just don't carry your Dad Dion's surname?

[@billssportsandwrestlingchan]

@@johnnyt.sollitto512 The man who wrote the song is Dick Holler.

[@johnnyt.sollitto512]

@@billssportsandwrestlingchan thanks

[@teijaflink2226]

Your father wrote a beautiful song, very emotional. I really like Moms Maybley's version of it, makes me cry.

[@RichardArnista]

I’m 70 still brings tears to my eyes!

[@mr.2cents.846]

God bless you. Believe in Jesus. Christ is KING 👑 ❤️❤️❤️

[@islgrl292]

Song written by Dick Holler, sung by Dion, first recording.

[@mr.2cents.846]

This is the only version I want to hear.

[@leosag816]

Really brings up sad memories. This song is indelibly written in the minds of so many of us who lived thru the assassinations of JFK and MLK and RFK. It seems things should be better by now😢

[@Wordsmyth8]

Amen, brother. I was just a kid when all that was happening and it left a lasting imprint on my soul. It’s really very sad that things still haven’t changed.

[@owlshollow9599]

😪

[@wesedwards8925]

Yes, we loved RFK and MLK my senior year in high school when they were both tragically assassinated. And we saw RFK at a local park the day he was killed in LA. This song brings tears to me even today. We had so much hope back then!

[@beverlyastorga6825]

😣😣😣😣

[@WinifredOdriscoll]

They all tried to make it better theres no one today like them- i pray to God that he raise up men and women of this caliber. Notice how nobody’s trying to kill any of the leaders anymore- its telling❣️

[@robertacolarette1594]

This song can still make me cry. It’s so touching still after all this time.

[@christinewaide5249]

Me too. It gets me every time

[@reggiefokes6677]

Me too.

[@JulieVincent-v7g]

Listen to Bobby Kennedy jr plz I'm so sorry

[@Martin.Wilson]

I was 10 when JFK was shot and just old enough to understand the sadness that brought a nation to it's knees. Nothing prepared us for the horror of seeing MLK and Bobby Kennedy both shot within the next 5 yrs. By the time I was 16, I was already lamenting over what might have been. It's been 55 yrs since then, but for those of us that lived through those tearful days, it still seems like it was yesterday. Since then we have experienced so much and learned so little. Thanks, Harri, for the memories of those bittersweet days of my youth.

[@drmorqWarrenProject]

I was in first grade when JFK was shot.. cath-o-holic elementary school and we prayed about it for weeks... I remember how my parents reacted. It was like they were punched in the stomach... The same with my aunts and uncles.. It was much the same with Martin and Bobby..

[@garyarnett1220]

(Huge sigh) don't know where to start. I'm within a few months of your age, and often the memories come back. I saw Bobby get shot (almost) live after m/n one night. We had such hopes for the future. I think most everyone alive at that time could write at least a paragraph about their feelings.

[@nancygarreaud1534]

Well said. I was 9 and home from school with a cold when my dad called from his office and that was something he never did or tell me about JFK. He told me to turn on the tv. Even at 9 I got how momentous it was for the US.

[@greggary7217]

Facts.

[@avlisk]

My Mom (1912-2005) said America was changed that day and never recovered. When I see the disrespect MLK's message and legacy get today it makes his death even more tragic.

[@garyarnett1220]

This was released by Dion less than 4 mos. after Bobby's assassination , everything he sings about were still very fresh in our minds.

[@TomGorham]

These FOUR men were great. Abraham, Martin, John and Bobby. I mourn for all, killed in my lifetime. This song brings tears to my eyes. I watched Bobby killed on TV. He was the best hope for America at the time.

[@pamstuckey8349]

Same for me. These were all crushing losses

[@jessieball6195]

Well, there is no way that Lincoln was killed in your lifetime-that would make you pretty damn old.

[@John_Chu]

When Lou Reed inducted Dion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he called Dion one of the greatest voices in the history of rock music. He was absolutely right. A legend who would have been even more legendary if not for his heroin addiction taking a decade out of his prime recording career in the '60s.

[@greggary7217]

It might good to note that Dion is *still cranking out great tunes (check his KZbin channel) alone & in blues collabs with some very cool cats - Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, The Boss, Joe Bonamassa, the list goes on. He may have lost a decade but he’s never given up & he still looks sharp. His monologue on the loss of Buddy Holly (he was on that tour) should not be missed either.

[@stevefoulston]

Dion DiMucci born 1939 started singing In1957 and is still performing 65 years. Songs like The Wanderer, Run around Sue, Ruby Baby, Dion and the Belmont's brings back lots of memories. Peace out.

[@MommaBird52]

I love Dion. Thank Hod he was spared the day the music died!

[@jameskennedy721]

Every collection of 1960's music should include this song . You cant understand the decade without pondering this song and its hope in the face of national tragedy .

[@cathyortiz1280]

Such a touching song. I remember it coming in the radio with my dad driving & he had to pull over to cry. So very, very sad. 😞 No, Dion recorded it first & had the hit.

[@craigaust3306]

A stunning classic that is both sad and beautiful.

[@laurenldcchase403]

70 years old weeping through this !

[@pamstuckey8349]

Same

[@g.w.hampton5525]

I hear you... my heart was broken and I felt my innocence about the world breaking

[@ptournas]

Dick Holler wrote the song, but Dion released the first recording of it. Dick Holler started out playing in bands and was in a band that first released "Double Shot of My Baby's Love" but it wasn't a hit for them, although the cover by The Swinging Medallions became a hit a year later. Holler also co-wrote "Snoopy and the Red Baron", and he wrote "I'm Leaving It All Up To You". - Edit: Although his entry in the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame states "Holler’s next effort was I’m Leaving It All up to You, which had been a number one song for Baton Rouge duet Dale & Grace in 1963." Holler did not actually write that song, it was written by Don Harris and Dewey Terry, who also performed the first recording of the song.

[@texasnewt]

Thanks for the info, appreciate it.🙂

[@gpxo11]

Ironic that I'm Leaving It all Up to You by Dale & Grace written by Dick Holler was the last number one single before JFK was assassinated.

[@bobbistevens5648]

Thanks for this information. So interesting, I had no idea

[@davidholler1]

Thanks for your comments. Small correction: Dick Holler didn't write I'm Leaving It All Up To You. However, his band Dick Holler and Holidays released a cover of the song, then weeks later Dale and Grace also covered it and it went #1.

[@ptournas]

@@davidholler1 Thanks for the clarification, and also for the addition information on Double Shot! Much appreciated.

[@geniej9093]

Dion= a good man

[@walterpanovs]

There's another powerfully moving version of the song performed by the elderly comedienne Moms Mabley in 1969. She did it in mostly a spoken-word fashion with her distinctive cracked voice, which ultimately breaks down in heartbreaking fashion. Her version made it into the Top 40.

[@garyarnett1220]

Really? That would be nice to see.

[@tomroome4118]

She sounds like Louis Armstrong. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXesiol6p6ujnsk

[@kraig7777]

@@garyarnett1220 Moms Mabley--"Abraham, Martin and John"--1969 TV (Best Version) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXesiol6p6ujnsk

[@hevydavy]

Her version is my favorite!

[@videocat1366]

Thank you for the reminder. Yes, that was a classic.

[@cierakitty]

I was in the 8th grade when John was killed. Was taking a test which I had not studied for....so I had my little transistor radio down my blouse, ear-piece up under my long hair...grooving to an old dj station in Dallas when they broke in an announced he had been shot. I stood up and yelled the president has been shot ! !. I yanked out my ear-piece and turned up the radio...we all sat and listened.

[@lastrada52]

Dion DiMucci -- the Bronx singer who started his career as a successful 50s rock/doo-wop singer and went on to a great pop-rock career, spiritual & folk career. He was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame by Velvet Underground legend Lou Reed (who has sung on some Dion records including the masterful "King of the New York Streets"). Today, at 83 years old -- Dion is indeed the last man standing since Jerry Lee Lewis died. Dion still records & performs today & has won awards as a blues singer. His recent albums (two went to #1 on the blues charts) have featured many formidable famous blues players. One single that was released had Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkle). "Abraham, Martin & John" is still one of Dion's signature moments in a long pop career.

[@kmp9232]

Boy, do we need those great men now.

[@user-gt2uf8cq9y]

This song was written by Dick Holler. Incredibly he wrote two other top ten hits: "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" the ultimate drunken party song done by the Swingin' Medallions and "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" by the Royal Guardsmen. Each of these are among the most unique hits ever, and nothing like each other.

[@ptournas]

Don Smith and Cyril Vette wrote "Double Shot of My Baby's Love". They were in Holler's band, Dick Holler and the Hollidays, who first recorded the song.

[@davidholler1]

@@ptournas Don Smith was Holler's bass man. Footnote: The organ riff on Double Shot was written (arranged) by Dick Holler.

[@jamesdrynan]

This song was written by Richard Holler and covered by Dion DiMucci, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Moms Mabley, Bob Dylan and Whitney Huston. This version was done just four months after Bobby's assassination.

[@John_Locke_108]

Such an amazing vocal. Gets me everytime.

[@mark-be9mq]

I'd hadn't heard this in years & forgotten about it. It was so impactful when I heard it as a teen. Thanks for playing this and reminding me of it. God Bless.

[@fusiliers]

"Didn't you love the things that they stood for," always puts a lump in my throat.

[@johncurtis6815]

Just listened to this song for the first time in years. Tears began flowing without any ability to control it. Incredibly moving song.

[@johnbravo2315]

Humans can and should always try and find some commonality in others and just build from that point. All people need food water and shelter. If each of us can be just a bit more patient with each other then life challenges will be easier for all of us. Look others in their eyes and just speak from your heart. Don't give up on humanity as it is still a wonderful world!

[@stormwolfe1267]

I grew in this era and remember both the Kennedy and Martin's assassinations. Song is heart wrenching!

[@peterzimmer9140]

1968. Written by Dick Holler and first recorded my Dion DiMucci.

[@stephenbaker1362]

I was a volunteer for Robert Kennedy's Presidential campaign in 1968 at the age of 17. I remember waking up that morning to hearing funeral music on my clock radio, which is normally a rock station.

[@g.w.hampton5525]

I stayed up to watch the election and went to bed a hopeful young women and when my mother gently woke me in the night my innocence was shattered,

[@tommcgowan525]

Dion is still putting it out great music to this day he was on tour with Buddy Holly when they had the Fatal plane crash he had given up his seat

[@mojorider8455]

I remember hearing this song as a kid, it brings tears to my eyes today as well....the feeling of losing hope in this world, of leaders who tried to move humanity forward somehow but were cut short. They represented the notion and ideals in our minds of what this world could be and that's what hurts the most. But it is now up to all of us to find our own inspiration and try to do something good for this world.

[@juliepanebianco846]

Marvin’s & Dion’s are both stunning ❤

[@squirehobbs6754]

A very moving song...April 4, 1968 that afternoon I met Bobby Kennedy in Indianapolis that evening Martin Luther King was assassinated, that day still gives my friends and I chills.

[@melissaford717]

@Squire Hobbs - wow! What a night to have been alive & there to hear that speech. I was born in 1970 but I know what happened in those days. Can't imagine how that must've been in April 1968 a real moment in history. Take care 🙂

[@jerryjeromehawkins1712]

Still have this 45... handed down to me from my much older brother. Beautiful song.

[@missblondie2393]

Oh wow. It's indeed a beautiful song.

[@beedeegee9374]

A meaningful song that has stood the test of time.

[@pacebrison1453]

I’ve heard this song numerous times. All four men were taken before my lifetime, yet it never fails to bring a tear to my eyes.

[@Jamesmazzonejr.]

A real classic song that can definitely make you cry.

[@sallythompson1685]

I can never hear this song without tears coming to my eyes. The dreams lost with these men.

[@chrisjohnson3694]

I just watched (listened to) Marvin Gaye sing this song. Just exceptional....Then I watched Moms Mabley's version from 1969 on The Merv Griffin Show. It is so from the gut. She became so emotional, I wasn't sure if she would make it through. Just a heartbroken woman.

[@gypsygirl3255]

Moms was a groundbreaking comedian and performer.

[@davidbentley145]

Makes me cry still to hear this ,so many fine people who were cut down in the prime of life...Ty brother for this

[@joelmoreno4223]

I know not everyone will agree with me, but... I believe... these four great men, and admired by many ...each cut down by an assassin's bullet, God help us...

[@aaabbb8812]

The tall poppy gets cut down.

[@r12rtpilot]

I grew up in these turbulent times. To this day, I cry every time I hear this sound. I wept when these current events were unfolding; I cry now for the sense of loss we all felt and for how little we have learned since then.

[@diane-]

Such a beautiful song that tugs at the heart strings. Thanks Miss Blondie and Harri. 💞

[@missblondie2393]

Glad you loved it Diane. It's indeed a song that touches your heart 🎵💜🎶

[@Steve52344]

Dion did a fabulous job on this song. And he did it long after his doo-wop glory days with a sound that wasn't particularly in vogue at the time. Damn, there was so much great music happening back then. But time moves on, it must, though so often leaving a trail of tears.

[@jbug13158]

It was written by Richard Holler. In 1968 I heard Dion, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles sing it...many other artists have done they're own rendition of it, but I've never heard Marvin Gaye's version. I'm going to look it up right now!

[@TheMkamix]

What a beautiful song. I had heard it on the radio before but had no idea what it was all about. It makes me love it even more.

[@marybaillie8907]

From the first note I felt the pain of being so young and knowing the heartbreak of death. Such famous people, and to know they were gone. I was only 11.😭😭 This song always makes me cry, even as a Canadian, absolute heartbreak. It is so beautiful and Dion's delivery so passionate. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Miss Blondie.A Masterpiece of timelessness. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

[@abjectt5440]

I'm Canadian as well and was 12 at the time Kennedy was assassinated. I remember vividly where I was and what I was doing. The other event that brought me to tears was when Terry Fox had to end his run.

[@marybaillie8907]

@@abjectt5440 Me too. Absolutely devastating day. Still emotional. 😭😭😭

[@missblondie2393]

Hi Mary I was born in 69 but grew up surrounded by these classics. My mom would tell me stories when JFK was assassinated and the whole Country was in mourning. Dr. King was a great man. The harp gets to me as well as Dion's voice I hope you're doing well and sending love and music your way 💜🎵🇨🇦🎶🇺🇲💜

[@marybaillie8907]

@@missblondie2393 Hi Miss Blondie. Thanks for another great memory. Hope you are well and enjoyed your Thanksgiving. 🦃🦃🇺🇲🇺🇲🎶🎶✌️✌️🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️

[@FuzzyMarineVet]

I met Dion DeMucci in Texas where he was preaching at a little church in Alice. He is quite an interesting person and his love for God is undeniable.

[@GaiaOne]

The saddest part of this song is that I remember the JFK, MLK, and RFK assassinations. All against the background of Viet Nam and the Civil Rights Movement.

[@g.w.hampton5525]

Same here.. I came here to find it while thinking about RFK getting his chance to make a difference in the world... I hope humankind is better now but sadly I don't think we are.

[@doncourtreporter]

I remember this gigantic tune. Sir Harri sure picks the winners.

[@kenvarnold3659]

All these years later...still hard to hear this without a lump in the throat...incredible days...where has this country gone

[@cog4life]

Oh how I love this song…..beautiful yet tragic meaning.. thanks for this.

[@thomastimlin1724]

Dion was the first one to have a big hit with this. Once a great song is out done well, other artists put it on their albums, but cannot match the first great version because greatness has already been done, no matter how good the next cover it in this case. Because the song is so topical at the time it touched a nerve....today it is considered by many only history, except for those who have lived the history directly.

[@janabraam7963]

I cry every time I hear this. I remember when Kennedy was killed. I was a kid but I remember distinctly. They brought us out of the classroom to the gym, & sent us home early & my mom was crying. When MLK was shot, I was at my friends house & it was all over the tv. Same with Bobby Kennedy's assassination. 4 great men. Their lives taken from them. What more great things they could've done. Their lives affected us all. Their deaths affected us all.

[@marthal6116]

No one can sing it but Dion!. His voice is so smooth and the orchestration just flows.

[@Lakeshore14]

Thanks for this. It is a great song written by Dick Holler. He first gave it ti Dion but it was covered by so many singers. Smokey Robinson did a version that sounded more like a gospel song. Even Bob Dylan did a cover, which he rarely did.

[@johnthegreek5836]

Always loved this song, definitely a classic

[@jackovers657]

During the Vietnam war was a very eye-opening song!! And listen to it now even opens up my eyes more!!!!

[@davidmckenzie420]

I loved this when I saw him do this back in the day. And of course this is the Dion from "Runaround Sue."

[@Pops6185]

I remember singing this song with my class in our auditorium back in 69 in the 4th grade.

[@AlanJan_UK_49]

The best and most sincere version there is.

[@davebzen795]

Another great one from Miss B. I have been a fan of Dion throughout his 50+ year career. He is still putting out great music. This song in particular is one of my longtime favorites. I have been holding back on submitting my Dion collection but now I am inspired. Harri, another great review!

[@missblondie2393]

Break out your Dion he deserves to be heard. Glad you loved this song 🎶✌️🎵

[@terrilgeorge7255]

And I'm in tears, as I am every time I hear this beautiful song.

[@bruceprouse5562]

Have always loved this song from my youth.

[@donnabruhn6907]

Sad times brings a tear everytime

[@godbluffvdgg]

Great song from back in the day...:)...Glad you liked it...They died young because they were all assassinated...

[@guyray1504]

And Ted K. should have been the one shot , not John or Bobby, for what he did to that young woman that night.

[@godbluffvdgg]

@@guyray1504 And "they" punished him by making him a lifelong senator...He lived like a king...It's a messed up, topsy turvy world my friend...Hopefully, there's a hell for assholes like that...

[@loisrogers9042]

It always makes me tearful

[@chessknight4415]

Have not heard this one in YEARS

[@jessmichaels1973]

💙🙏💙

[@doriwiljt]

This song always made me sad even as a preteen when it was played on the radio

[@beegeelu1244]

Listening to this song and the harp I believe represents that they are in heaven with the angels.

[@missblondie2393]

I never thought of that and now it makes perfect sense. 🎵💜🎶

[@joankisloski6972]

Written by Dick Holler. It was first recorded by Dion

[@willowvons]

One of my favorite songs from back in the day. 💔

[@31carrier]

876/5.1K 12 hours ago 98.1K I enjoyed this video Thanks you I enjoy spontanous clapping to show appreaction because it comes from the heart the song is powerfull to all

[@joelliebler5690]

This is the one and only original legendary tune!

[@greggary7217]

Dion Dimucci is a living legend & yes he is *still cranking out tunes. Check his KZbin channel. His tribute to Sam Cooke & his Blues collabs with a long list of very cool cats (Springsteen, Beck, Bonamassa, Simon, many more) are worth a visit. Not to mention his touching dialogue on the fateful Winter Tour & the loss of Buddy. Great reaction as always Harri!

[@timberrington8230]

One of my all time favorites.

[@sharontesta6566]

I'm crying

[@videocat1366]

It was such a sad time. I was very young and it seemed like all of my heroes were being killed. Bobby was the last hope, and when he died it was devastating.

[@diannthomas5653]

It still makes me cry

[@suzie4417]

Oh Harri this beautiful song by Dion, brings back tremendous heartbreak, sadness And joy because of the lyrics! I always love that Robert Kennedy was included in this song 🎶 still shed tears of sadness & joy when I hear this song

[@sbalsamo410]

Top 10 favorite songs of all time. The instrumentation has a melancholy feel to it even when it was new. Now it’s such an amazing memory from my childhood.

[@Cynthia...]

This is such a beautiful song Miss B about some great men. Thanks for sharing, makes me sad. ❤

[@missblondie2393]

Glad you enjoyed this one Cynthia, it's a beautiful sad song. Dion has such a great soothing voice 🎵💜🎶🇨🇦🇺🇲💜

[@cindy2252]

These four good men died young because evil men killed them. I was in 3rd grade when JFK was assassinated and in 7th gr when MLK was assassinated. I'll never forget the sadness and fear in our nation. Thanks Harry.

[@bkm2797]

I have a confession to make, while I know this song, and went through the losses of John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther (I have a dream) King, I had no idea until now this song was about them, wow! The only excuse is I was very young, and I'm not too sure that counts. Thanks Harri, learned something new today.

[@GraceToo_]

This is one of the best songs ever written .. period, it's on a lot of my playlists and I always listen to it like it's the first time hearing it, it's just pure emotion.

[@camfree1076]

It tugs me every time. Thank you for playing it.

[@Music_is_Breathing]

This song always brings me to tears! I was home from school and I saw the live video of John's assassination. A little older in middle school, we hear about Bobby being shot. The whole class was crying. When Martin was shot, there was already so much unrest in the South. I was too young to understand, but I do now.

[@JohnPaul-hm2ys]

I am familiar with both versions and enjoy both. Who couldn't love Dion and Marvin, both were good souls.

[@sourisvoleur4854]

Beautiful and sad song. Great choice, Miss Blondie and Harri.

[@missblondie2393]

Glad you enjoyed this beautiful and sad song 🎵 💜🎶

[@charlesmarkley220]

If there was ever an American song, this is it.

[@DrewG-wd8ql]

It's funny what I remember about each of their deaths. I was 6 when John was assassinated and remember school closing and being sent home and that was all that was on the 3 channels for days and I still can hear the drums from his funeral procession. Martin died about a month before my 11th birthday and Bobby about 10 days after. Even at that age I was glued to the tv just astonished by what had happened with Martin. With Bobby, my family had been watching the results of the California primary and we hadn't been in bed an hour when my dad came in and woke us and told us and we got up and watched as long as we could. I remember the train Bobby was put on for his trip home and I remember his brother Ted's eulogy. Our country was really in a bad place in 1968.

[@brasschuckles3138]

This is one of my all time favorite songs even though but came out 20 years before me, and as a very young man I had a weird connection to this song, MLK Jr and JFK. I had a very rough upbringing and reading about these two men or hearing about them just stuck with me. My 6th grade teacher and I fought a lot, as I was a trouble student for the most part. She pulled me aside one day and told me why she was always on me. She told be it was because she see’s something in (something I was rarely if ever told.) I put my guard down and learned so much from her. Crazy thing is that she was family friends with Martin Luther King Jr. She shared so many lovely stories that I carried with me and use in my daily life. I’ve devoted my life to making life better for others the best I can and giving kids love, and a chance the i wasn’t given until then. Thank you Mrs.Rogers!

[@oldstudent2587]

Saw Dion play this on the Smothers Brothers for the first time. I've never made it through this without tears.

[@mimigutierrez4327]

One of the most Beautiful Sad Song ever written 😢

[@FUBAR1986]

This song brings me back to my use of my innocence, but it also brings in incredible amount of tears and sadness ,such a beautifully sad song

[@wild62meg47]

It still makes me cry. The last verse -- Bobby Kennedy had been killed that year, so the wound was so fresh.

[@josephklimchock5412]

WOW, growing up in the 60's I certainly heard this song but forgot it existed until now!!!! Thanks for the memory!!

[@djw8591]

The first time I heard this song was when comedian Moms Mabley sang it on a talk show. Her version rips my heart out every time I hear it. It’s that moving.

[@peterbaruxis2511]

Everyone has different favorites but nothing is more beautiful than this one. The strings are like angels playing harps. You had to live through that time to really feel this I think. Sorry Harry, not everybody loved the things that they stood for, thus they were all assasinated.