Frankie Valli: Difference between revisions

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Frankie Valli (born May 3, 1934). There is a controversy surrounding his birth date. Many sources say he was born on May 3, 1937, a date derived^{[citation needed]} from information included in early 1960s publicity releases for The Four Seasons. However, other sources, including the Bear Family Records release entitled 'The Four Lovers' (BCD 15424) as well as a 1965 "police mug shot" available through The Smoking Gun (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/fvallimug1.html), identify his year of birth as 1934. Some^[who?] claim that his date of birth was deliberately reported incorrectly by the record company when the single "Sherry" was released. Valli has never made a public statement regarding his age.

Valli is best known as the falsetto-voiced lead singer of The Four Seasons, a music act most popular in the 1960s. As of 2007, Valli continues to perform, billing himself as Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons, though no other original members of The Four Seasons perform with him.

Valli and the other original members of The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990^[2] and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.^[1]

Valli scored 29 Top 40 Hits with The Four Seasons, 1 Top 40 Hit under The Four Seasons alias of 'The Wonder Who?' and 9 Top 40 Hits as a solo artist. As a member of The Four Seasons, Valli scored Number One Hits with "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like A Man", "Rag Doll", and "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)". As a solo artist, Valli scored Number One Hits with "My Eyes Adored You" and "Grease". His best known solo recording, though, is Can't Take My Eyes Off You, which reached Number 2 in 1967. "You're Ready Now", a Valli solo recording from 1966, became a surprise hit in England as part of the Northern soul scene and hit Number 11 on the British pop charts in December 1970.

Music career

1950s-1960s

Valli started his singing career in 1952. He cut his first single in 1953 as "Frankie Valley," a name he adopted from Jean Valley, his favorite female singer. In the mid-1950s he split up with the Travellers and joined The Variety Trio, which consisted of Tommy DeVito, twin brother Nick, and Hank Majewski. They redubbed themselves the Variatones, and later, "The Four Lovers" and had a top 40 hit with "Apple of My Eye" in 1956. After a few more name changes, the group was renamed "The Four Seasons" in 1960. About the same time, Valli "re-Italianized" his name to its current form. Nick DeVito and Majewski left the group in 1960/1 and were replaced by Bob Gaudio and Nick Massi.

As the lead singer of the Four Seasons, he had a string of hits beginning with #1 hit "Sherry" in 1962. Nick Massi was replaced in 1965 by Charlie Calello, the group's arranger, and then shortly after Charlie was replaced by Joe Long.

1970s

In 1975, Valli's song My Eyes Adored You hit number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100.

In 1976, Valli covered the Beatles song "A Day in the Life" for the ephemeral musical documentary All This and World War II.

Valli sang the theme song from the 1978 film version of Grease, which was a #1 hit.

Discography

Singles:

Albums:

For albums recorded as part of The Four Seasons, see Discography of The Four Seasons

Albums recorded before 1975 were recorded with the assistance of The Four Seasons and were produced by Bob Crewe.

1967: Frankie Valli Solo - Philips Records (a.k.a. "The Four Seasons Present Frankie Valli Solo")
1968: Timeless - Philips
1970: Half and Half - Philips (half Four Seasons, half Valli "solo")
1975: Close Up - Private Stock
1975: Valli Gold - Private Stock
1976: Valli - Private Stock
1977: Lady Put the Light Out - Private Stock
1978: Frankie Valli Hits - Private Stock
1978: Frankie Valli... Is the Word - Warner Bros. Records
1979: Heaven Above Me - MCA
1980: Very Best of Frankie Valli - MCA
2007: Romancing the 60's - Motown

Television appearances

Valli made several appearances on the HBO series The Sopranos portraying New York mob captain Rusty Millio.

Valli played himself in an episode of Full House.

Personal life

Valli was born Francis Stephen Castelluccio in the First Ward of Newark, New Jersey.

Valli is father of three daughters, Antonia, Francine, and Celia, a son, Francesco, and twins, Emilio and Brando.

Trivia

John Lloyd Young won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Valli in the musical Jersey Boys.

Notes

^ ^a ^b Vocal Group Hall of Fame entry for "The Four Seasons"
^ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame entry for "The Four Seasons"

External links

Template:Tv.com person
The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette, a fan's website for Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons 1966 and Frankie Valli performs "Grease" 1978 from YouTube

[vghof-1] Vocal Group Hall of Fame entry for "The Four Seasons"

[2] Rock and Roll Hall of Fame entry for "The Four Seasons"

[2]

[1]

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-Valli scored 29 [[Top 40]] Hits with The Four Seasons, 1 Top 40 Hit under The Four Seasons alias of 'The Wonder Who?' and 9 Top 40 Hits as a solo artist.  As a member of The Four Seasons, Valli scored Number One Hits with "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like A Man", "Rag Doll", and "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)".  As a solo artist, Valli scored Number One Hits with "My Eyes Adored You" and "Grease".  His best known solo recording, though, is ''[[Can't Take My Eyes Off You]]'', which reached Number 2 in 1967.  'You're Ready Now', a Valli solo recording from 1966,  became a surprise hit in England as part of the Northern soul scene and hit Number 11 on the British pop charts in December 1970.
+Valli scored 29 [[Top 40]] Hits with The Four Seasons, 1 Top 40 Hit under The Four Seasons alias of 'The Wonder Who?' and 9 Top 40 Hits as a solo artist.  As a member of The Four Seasons, Valli scored Number One Hits with "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like A Man", "Rag Doll", and "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)".  As a solo artist, Valli scored Number One Hits with "My Eyes Adored You" and "Grease".  His best known solo recording, though, is ''[[Can't Take My Eyes Off You]]'', which reached Number 2 in 1967.  "You're Ready Now", a Valli solo recording from 1966,  became a surprise hit in England as part of the Northern soul scene and hit Number 11 on the British pop charts in December 1970.
 ==Music career==