Editing Danny Rapp

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Short description|American singer (1941–1983)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Danny Rapp
| image           = <!-- Image here -->
| caption         =
| birth_name      = Daniel Earl Rapp
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1941|5|09}}
| birth_place     = [[Philadelphia|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date      = {{dda|1983|04|03|1941|05|09}}
| death_place     = [[Quartzsite, Arizona]], U.S.
| origin          =
| genre           = [[Doo-wop]]
| occupation      =
| years_active    = 1955–1983
| label           = [[Swan Records|Swan]], [[ABC Records|ABC]], Guyden, [[Mercury Records|Mercury]], [[Capitol Records|Capitol]]
| associated_acts = [[Danny & the Juniors]]
| website         = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}

'''Daniel Earl Rapp''' (May 9, 1941 – April 3, 1983) was an American singer and the frontman for the  group [[Danny & the Juniors]]. The group is best known for their 1958 hit "[[At the Hop]]".

==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]], 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]]''. The Juniors went on to have two more hits "[[Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay]]" 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.<ref>Comments ascribed to Joe Terry (aka Joe Terranova), "A Death on the Road—For Danny Rapp, The Hop Went On and On," Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), April 12, 1983, p 10.</ref>

Rapp's last performance was in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], 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.<ref>Comments ascribed to Ken Nagel, vice president of Pointe Resorts, "A Death on the Road&mdash;For Danny Rapp, The Hop Went On and On," Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), April 12, 1983, p 10.</ref>

==Death ==
On Saturday, April 2, 1983, Rapp checked into the Yacht Club Motel in [[Quartzsite, Arizona]], {{convert|165|mi|km}} 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.<ref>Comments ascribed to [[La Paz County, Arizona|La Paz County]] Sheriff Rayburn Evans, "A Death on the Road&mdash;For Danny Rapp, The Hop Went On and On," Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), April 12, 1983, p.&nbsp;10.</ref>

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.<ref>"A Death on the Road&mdash;For Danny Rapp, The Hop Went On and On," Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), April 12, 1983, p 10.</ref>

Danny is buried at New St. Mary's Cemetery & Mausoleum in [[Bellmawr, New Jersey]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kearns |first1=Burt |title=The Lonesome Death Of Danny Rapp: The Front Man For Danny & The Juniors |url=https://pleasekillme.com/danny-rapp-juniors/ |website=PleaseKillMe |access-date=11 December 2024 |date=24 July 2018}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Rapp married in 1962 and had two sons.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44623825/daniel-rapp-obituary/ Source- Courier Post, Deptford NJ Original Obituary]</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110621235809/http://dannyandthejuniors.com/ Danny and the Juniors Official Website]
* {{IMDb name|1734903}}
* {{Find a Grave|6870383}}
* [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7T9KAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MSINAAAAIBAJ&pg=6782,1355776&dq=la+paz+county&hl=en News story concerning Rapp suicide]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rapp, Danny}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:1983 suicides]]
[[Category:American male pop singers]]
[[Category:Danny & the Juniors members]]
[[Category:Singers from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Singers from New Orleans]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in Arizona]]
[[Category:Doo-wop musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:1983 deaths]]