Lenny Welch

Leon "Lenny" Welch (May 31, 1938 – April 8, 2025) was an American MOR and pop singer. Welch was born on May 31, 1938 in New York City, and raised in Asbury Park, New Jersey, by his godparents, Eva and Robert Richardson. He attended Asbury Park High School. When he was 16 years old, Welch joined a local Asbury Park vocal group called The Mar-Keys (not to be confused with the Stax records studio band The Mar-Keys). In 1960, Welch signed with Cadence Records. His biggest hit, a cover version of the big band standard "Since I Fell for You," reached number 4 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, selling a million copies. Other hits included covers of “You Don’t Know Me” (1960) and "Ebb Tide" (1964). He released the first single with the vocal version of “A Taste of Honey" in 1962 and performed the theme to the 1967 CBS TV series Coronet Blue. Welch reimagined Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" as a torch song, which became a Top 40 hit in 1970; Sedaka re-recorded the song in Welch's style for a Top 10 hit in 1975. After Welch's recording career ended, he resumed his education, attending night school after driving a taxicab during the day. He first achieved a high school equivalency degree, then graduated from the College of New Rochelle with a bachelor's degree. He also began singing for commercials, first for Subaru and later for products that included Coca-Cola, M&M's, and Mini-Oreos. From 1990 to 1991, Welch joined The Royal All Stars (The Doo Wop All Stars), first of the "supergroups" to be formed bringing together singers from different groups to perform. This group consisted of Welch, Vito Balsamo from Vito & the Salutations, Artie Loria from The Earls, Randy Silverman from The Impalas and Eugene Pitt from The Jive Five. They became a mainstay in the "doo wop" circuit and toured relentlessly in the following years.[citation needed] Welch ended his touring career in 2020 because of COVID-19 shutdowns. Welch died following a long illness in Kissimmee, Florida, on April 8, 2025, at the age of 86. Since I Fell for You (1963) (US No. 73) Two Different Worlds (1965) Rags to Riches (1966) Lenny (1967) It's All About Love (2005) Anthology (1958-1966) (1996) Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2651. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. "Welch". Asbury Park-Press. New Jersey, Asbury Park. November 13, 2005. p. E 9. Retrieved June 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Alexander, Otis (June 19, 2021). "Lenny Welch (1938 - )". Blackpast.org. Retrieved February 8, 2026. "Asbury Park, NJ, Revisited: The Endeavors Story" (PDF). Classicurbanharmony.net. Retrieved April 22, 2025. Hamilton, Andrew. Lenny Welch biography. AllMusic. Accessed December 30, 2007 Rouli Willow. "Lenny Welch I Official Site". Lennywelch.com. Retrieved November 23, 2018. Jordan, Chris. "'Mr. Asbury Park' Lenny Welch, musical inspiration for generations, has died". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved April 10, 2025. "Welsh Spreads 'Changa Rock' Dance Craze". Billboard. May 29, 1961. Jones, Debra. "Singer Lenny Welch; 20-year hit". New York Amsterdam News. February 25, 1984. Mullen, Shannon. "All About Lenny Welch". Asbury Park Press. November 5, 2005. pp. E1, E9. Jordan, Chris. "Just Cruising Along; Asbury Park's Lenny Welch is not making waves". Home News Tribune. May 1, 2010. Jordan, Chris. "He's the 'Man'; George Benson strums his way through the area". Home News Tribune. October 14, 2011. Jordan, Chris. "Greetings from 'Mr. Asbury Park'". Home News Tribune. Dec 13, 2013. Musso, Anthony M. (2009). Setting the Record Straight: The music and careers of recording artists from the 1950s and early 1960s ... in their own words. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. pp. 307-313. ISBN 978-1-4389-5292-5. Official website Lenny Welch at IMDb Lenny Welch discography at Discogs