ABOUT
Frankie Valli (b. May 3, 1934) is a celebrated and veteran pop singer with a wide vocal range who became famous beginning in the early 1960s as the frontman of The 4 Seasons. Born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio in Newark, New Jersey, he started singing at age seven after seeing Frank Sinatra perform at the Paramount Theater in Manhattan. He began his career in the early 1950s with the Variety Trio whose members included Tommy DeVito with whom he would later form The 4 Seasons. In 1953, he released his first single, "My Mother's Eyes," as Frankie Valley, a variation on the surname of one of his favorite singers, "Texas" Jean Valli, which he later changed to the same spelling. In 1955, Valli and DeVito founded The Variatones, a vocal group that was the seed of what would eventually evolve into The 4 Seasons after many name and personnel changes. With Valli as lead singer, The 4 Seasons became one of the top acts of the 1960s with such era-defining oldies classics as "Sherry" (1962), "Big Girls Don't Cry" (1962), "Walk Like A Man" (1963), and "Rag Doll" (1964) that showcase his trademark falsetto. By the mid 1960s, Valli had also launched a thriving solo career that he pursued alongside serving as The 4 Seasons frontman. As a solo performer, Valli's wide-ranging repertoire spans pop, soft rock, soul, funk, and disco. Many of his hits were written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio who also penned top hits for The 4 Seasons.
Valli made his debut on the Pop/Rock charts in 1965 with "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)," a Crewe/Gaudio-penned ballad which later became a Top 20 hit for The Walker Brothers. After several minor hits, Valli's fame as a solo artist took off in 1967 with the romantic "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," which topped the charts and became one of his best known songs. He also topped the charts with the sweet "My Eyes Adored You" (1974) and "Grease" (1978), the title song from the smash 1978 musical romantic comedy starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Valli's long string of hits, which continued on both the Pop/Rock and Adult Contemporary charts through 1980, also included "(You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself" (1966), "I Make A Fool Of Myself" (1967), "To Give (The Reason I Live)" (1967), "The Girl I'll Never Know (Angels Never Fly This Low)" (1969), "Swearin' To God" (1975), "Our Day Will Come" (1975), and "Fallen Angel" (1976). His final charting song came in 1980 with "Where Did We Go Wrong" (billed as Frankie Valli Introducing Chris Forde), which made the Adult Contemporary Top 5.
Over his long career, Frankie Valli has amassed a loyal following and has continued to record and perform actively to the present day, both solo and with the current incarnation of The 4 Seasons. His numerous honors and accolades include being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 as a member of The 4 Seasons along with the group's other original members, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio. Valli was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2012 for his humanitarian work. He has appeared on such TV shows as "Full House," "Hawaii Five-0," "Miami Vice," and "The Sopranos" as well as several movies. His early days with The 4 Seasons were immortalized in "Jersey Boys," an award-winning, long-running Broadway musical that made its premiere in 2005 and was adapted to the silver screen in 2014.
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LINKS
- For more info about Frankie Valli and his touring schedule, visit frankievallifourseasons.com.
MERCHANDISE
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- Frankie Valli - CDs, vinyl, & more - Amazon.com
- Frankie Valli - Digital music - Amazon.com
- Frankie Valli - Rare vinyl, CDs, & more - MusicStack.com
- Frankie Valli - Sheet Music - SheetMusicPlus.com
SONGS
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Frankie Valli
- Can't Take My Eyes Off You 1967
(This song later also became a hit for the Lettermen (1968, as a medley), Nancy Wilson (1969), and the Pet Shop Boys (1991, as a medley).) - I Make A Fool Of Myself 1967
- My Eyes Adored You 1974
(This song topped both the Adult Contemporary and Pop/Rock charts.) - Our Day Will Come 1975
(This song was previously a hit for Ruby & the Romantics (1963).) - Swearin' To God 1975
- To Give (The Reason I Live) 1967
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