Who Jean Dinning; Dinning Sisters What Jean Dinning, who wrote 'Teen Angel,' dies at 86 When March 12, 2011 Where Garden Grove, CA   Jean Dinning, 86, who wrote the tragic pop song "Teen Angel" that became a No. 1 hit for her brother in 1959, died Feb. 22 in Garden Grove, said her daughter, Cynthia Wygal. Dinning had a respiratory illness. She wrote the song after reading a newspaper article about teenagers making positive contributions that used the phrase "teen angels." Her younger brother, Mark Dinning, recorded the sad ballad, and it was his only major hit. He died of a heart attack at 52 in 1986. The song is credited with inaugurating an early-1960s cycle of morbid songs about teenage mortality that included Ray Peterson's "Tell Laura I Love Her" and Jan & Dean's "Dead Man's Curve." One of nine children, she was born Eugenia Dinning on March 29, 1924, in Enid, Okla. As one of the Dinning Sisters — a trio that included her twin, Ginger — she performed from the late 1930s until 1954. The group had a top-10 hit with "Buttons and Bows" in 1948 and appeared on the country music TV show "The National Barn Dance." Other articles of interest: Jean Dinning, Who Wrote ‘Teen Angel,’ Dies at 86—The New York Times Jean Dinning, singer who wrote ‘Teen Angel,’ dies at 86—Washington Post (Note: Some news media sites require user registration to read articles and/or to send you 'targeted' email from advertisers.)   Contact Los Angeles Times