116-526: Francesco Stephen Castelluccio (born May 3, 1934), better known by his stage name Frankie Valli , is an American singer, best known as the frontman of the Four Seasons . He is known for his unusually powerful lead falsetto voice. Valli scored 29 top 40 hits with the Four Seasons, one top 40 hit under the Four Seasons alias the Wonder Who? , and nine top 40 hits as a solo artist. As a member of
232-503: A Mexican divorce only ten days earlier. After their divorce on August 11, 1939, he caused another scandal by breaking into her house with a pistol and firing shots at her current lover. In 1940, he married a 16-year old showgirl, Lois Andrews , when he was 42. They had a daughter, Jerrilyn, before divorcing in 1942. In his 1975 autobiography, The World I Lived In , Jessel claimed he had affairs with actresses Pola Negri , Helen Morgan and Lupe Vélez . In 1961, actress Joan Tyler filed
348-634: A 1965 mug shot, available through The Smoking Gun . Valli began his singing career in 1951 with the Variety Trio (Nickie DeVito, Tommy DeVito , and Henry "Hank" Majewski), and was mentored in much of his early career by Nick Macioci , who later joined Valli in The Four Seasons, and by "Texas" Jean Valli, a female hillbilly singer, from whom he adopted the "Valli" surname. Geoff Herbert explains, "Frankie said in 2010 that Jean took him to meet music publishers Paul and Dave Kapp, telling them he
464-678: A Man " (their third #1), " Candy Girl " (written by Larry Santos ), " Ain't That a Shame ", and several others. Also, they released a Christmas album in December 1962 and charted with a unique rendition of " Santa Claus Is Coming to Town ". From 1962 to early 1964, the Beach Boys were the only band to match the Four Seasons in record sales in the United States, and their first three Vee-Jay non-holiday single releases (i.e., ignoring their version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town") marked
580-589: A barber until he could support himself with music. Valli's birth year has been called into question. He never addressed the issue himself until a 2007 posting at the Official Frankie Valli Site, sponsored by his record label Universal Records . Much of his previous official publicity used 1937 as his birth year. Other sources gave his year of birth as 1934, such as the Bear Family Records release The Four Lovers (BCD 15424) and
696-613: A baritone and that Valli would take on the baritone parts in harmony arrangements when he did not sing lead.) "You're Ready Now", a Valli solo recording from 1966, became part of the Northern soul scene and reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart in December 1970. "The Night" originally released in 1970 also became a huge Northern soul hit and as a result it reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart in 1975. In 1975, his single " My Eyes Adored You " hit number one on
812-671: A collection of jazz cover songs. Valli has appeared as an actor in Miami Vice (as Mafia boss Frank Doss), Full House , the 1998 TV movie Witness to the Mob (as Frank LoCascio of the Gambino crime family ), The Sopranos (as mobster Rusty Millio ), and the 2014 film And So It Goes . On the November 21, 2014, episode of Hawaii Five-0 entitled "Ka Hana malu (Inside Job)", Valli played mysterious lawyer Leonard Cassano, who
928-404: A cover of the 1929 George Jessel song from Lucky Boy , with his stage name "Frankie Valley." Around this time, Valli, Majewski and Tommy DeVito left the house band at The Strand and formed The Variatones with Frank Cottone and Billy Thompson. In 1956, the group impressed New York recording agent Peter Paul, and he got them an audition at RCA Victor a week later. The group changed its name to
1044-502: A house party with famous celebrities such as David Beckham , Russel Simmons , Kevin Garnett , Missy Elliott , Katy Perry , and Mark Gonzales . Members of the 1970s lineup of the group (Polci, Ciccone, and Shapiro) reunited without Valli in 2011 as The Hit Men ; it toured with several other session musicians of good repute. Shapiro has continued The Hit Men as a standalone project after Ciccone died in 2016 and Polci withdrew from
1160-514: A kid sketch and performed with him on stage until he outgrew the role at age 16. He later partnered with Lou Edwards and then became a solo performer. His most famous comedy skit was called "Hello Mama" or "Phone Call from Mama," which portrayed a one-sided telephone conversation. In 1919 he produced his own solo show, George Jessel's Troubles . Jessel co-wrote the lyrics for a hit tune, "Oh How I Laugh When I Think How I Cried About You," and he performed in several successful comedy stage shows in
1276-419: A large portion of lead vocals to ease the load on an ailing Frankie Valli (who was gradually losing his hearing due to otosclerosis , though eventually surgery restored most of it); Polci, in turn, recruited The Happenings ' guitarist John Paiva (who had also worked as a session musician) to replace Callas on guitar. Don Ciccone , whose career with The Critters had come to an abrupt end due to his entry into
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#17327724806471392-500: A leading star. Jolson, the biographical inspiration for the movie, became the movie's main financial backer. Jessel's next movie role was in Private Izzy Murphy (1926). Whereas Jolson's film career skyrocketed after the 1927 release of The Jazz Singer , Jessel remained in smaller movie roles, often intended for audiences fond of Jewish and other "ethnic" humor. He was elected to The Lambs Theatre Club in 1942. In
1508-457: A new quartet of singers to back him. Beard, Fournier, and the Brigham brothers performed as The Four Seasons for 15 years, longer than any other lineup and longer than any of the band's other members except Valli, Gaudio and Robinson. In 2020, the group launched a YouTube channel. During that same year, and continuing into 2021, during earlier phases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic ,
1624-412: A non-album cover version of The Beatles ' " We Can Work It Out " (from All This and World War II ). The band broke up in 1977 as Shapiro got married, Polci began working for Barry Manilow , and Valli—who also had surgery to restore his worsening hearing —accepted an offer to sing the theme song for the movie Grease . Both the film and song were major hits, the latter reaching #1, and by 1980
1740-620: A one-off single for the Warner Bros. label in England, "Sleeping Man", backed by "Whatever You Say", which was never released in the USA. John Stefan, the band's lead trumpeter, arranged the horn parts. Around this time, Gaudio stopped touring with the band, focusing on songwriting, production, and recording. Long later told a Four Seasons fansite that he believed that Gaudio stopped touring because of constant stage fright. Following that single,
1856-430: A paternity suit against Jessel claiming he was the father of her daughter Christine. Jessel later admitted he was Christine's father and settled the suit out of court. As part of the terms of the settlement, Jessel agreed to pay Tyler $ 500 a month in child support (equivalent to $ 5,036 in 2023). In 1964, Jessel reportedly sexually groped an adult Shirley Temple . According to Temple, he invited her to his office under
1972-535: A rendition of " And That Reminds Me ", which peaked at number 45 on the Billboard chart. Frustrated by the group's workload, and facing debts from gambling and a divorce, DeVito accepted a buyout and left the band in 1970. In DeVito's place, the Seasons hired their first non-New Jersey member, Maryland native Demitri Callas. Callas stayed with the group until 1974. After leaving Philips, the Four Seasons recorded
2088-780: A stag audience, although it was actually recorded at a roast hosted by the Friars' rival, the Masquers Club.) He also traveled widely overseas with the USO entertaining troops. As he grew older, he wrote eulogies for many of his contemporaries in Hollywood. He wrote three volumes of memoirs, So Help Me (1943), This Way, Miss (1955), and The World I Lived In (1975). Jessel produced a number of Hollywood films, including The Dolly Sisters (1945), Nightmare Alley (1947), Golden Girl (1951) and The I Don't Care Girl (1953). In
2204-413: A statement to People , Valli conceded that he uses "layering (of) vocals and instrumentals" to maintain the group's signature sound in old age, a tactic the group had long used on its records, and stated he would continue touring as long as fans continued to buy tickets and respond well to the show. In June 2021, Valli released his 12th studio album, his first in five years, Touch of Jazz , which features
2320-510: A variety of labels, some of which are noted here. This list includes only those Frankie Valli solo albums (the first two) that were recorded as Four Seasons productions. The US chart position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart follows the song title. Only singles that reached a position of #30 or higher on the Hot 100 are listed. Jersey Boys , a musical play based on the lives of
2436-547: A variety of names before settling on the name The Four Lovers , based upon a Latin lover gimmick and playing country music . The same year, the quartet (DeVito, his twin brother Nick, Majewski and Valli) released their first record, Otis Blackwell 's " You're the Apple of My Eye ", which appeared on the Billboard Top 100 singles chart, peaking at #62. Five more Four Lovers singles (on RCA Victor ) were released over
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#17327724806472552-591: Is a collector's item. Valli credited the band's continued success in the face of the British Invasion to staying true to their original mission of an original sound and not trying to imitate British acts. Nick Massi left the Four Seasons in September 1965. The band's arranger, Charles Calello (a former member of the Four Lovers), stepped in as a temporary replacement. A few months later, Joe Long
2668-512: The Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 5 in the UK chart. This caused an awkward situation within the band, as Valli's label at the time, Private Stock Records , was willing to sign Valli but not the band. Warner Bros. Records was willing to sign the band, but greatly preferred if someone other than Valli sang lead vocals. As part of that agreement, Valli—with great reluctance—ceded some of
2784-571: The Billboard Easy Listening chart , and "Fancy Dancer" in January 1979, which entered the pop charts. Valli began suffering from otosclerosis in 1967, forcing him to "sing from memory" in the latter part of the 1970s. Surgery performed by Victor Goodhill, a Los Angeles ear specialist, restored most of his hearing by 1980. In 2005, the musical Jersey Boys opened on Broadway. Besides performances of many of Frankie Valli and
2900-644: The American entry into the Vietnam War and of conservative political causes. He often crossed the era's stereotypical political lines with its support for the civil rights movement and criticism of racism and anti-Semitism . His outspoken political opinions were, at times, the source of scandal. In 1971, while being interviewed by Edwin Newman on The Today Show on NBC , he repeatedly referred to The New York Times as Pravda (the house organ of
3016-769: The Communist Party of the Soviet Union ), and the interview was cut short. Later film roles included a cameo as himself in Valley of the Dolls (1967), The Busy Body (1967) opposite Sid Caesar , and the controversial musical Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969) directed by and starring Anthony Newley . He made additional cameos in other all-star films such as The Phynx (1970) and Won Ton Ton,
3132-519: The New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2017. The Hollywood Walk of Fame awarded a star, jointly credited to Valli and to the group, in 2024. Frankie Valli's first commercial release was "My Mother's Eyes" (as Frankie Valley) in 1953. The following year, he and guitarist Tommy DeVito formed The Variatones (with Hank Majewski, rhythm guitar, Frank Cottone, accordion, and Billy Thompson, drums), which between 1954 and 1956 performed and recorded under
3248-679: The Supreme Court of California : whether a life insurance policy purchased in 2003 was community property . On May 15, 2014, the Court unanimously affirmed the trial court's ruling that the policy was community property (and not Randy's separate property), in an opinion signed by Associate Justice Joyce Kennard . The Four Seasons (band) The Four Seasons is an American vocal quartet formed in 1960 in Newark, New Jersey . Since 1970, they have also been known at times as Frankie Valli and
3364-482: The 1960s hits written in collaboration with producer Bob Crewe . The legal name of the organization is the Four Seasons Partnership, formed by Gaudio and Valli, and was taken after a failed audition in 1960. Valli and Gaudio (who has been a non-performing member of the group since 1973) each own 50% of the act and its assets, including virtually all of its recording catalog. The touring lineup of
3480-440: The 1960s, during which Joe Long replaced Massi in 1965, and the mid to late 1970s, with the lineup consisting of Valli, Don Ciccone (bass guitar and vocals), John Paiva (lead guitar and vocals), Gerry Polci (drums and vocals), and Lee Shapiro (keyboards and vocals), with Gaudio still working with the band as a non-performing songwriter and producer. Gaudio has been the band's main songwriter throughout its history, with many of
3596-400: The 1960s, the #29 charted "To Give (The Reason I Live)". By 1969, the band's popularity had declined, with public interest moving towards rock with a harder edge and music with more socially conscious lyrics. Aware of that, Bob Gaudio partnered with folk-rock songwriter Jake Holmes to write a concept album titled The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette , which discussed contemporary issues from
Frankie Valli - Misplaced Pages Continue
3712-411: The 1965 settlement of a lawsuit between the two parties, Vee-Jay retained release rights for all material the band recorded for the label. Vee-Jay exercised those rights liberally over the following year. The group was obligated to deliver one final album to Vee-Jay, which they did in the form of a "faux" live LP. At the same time, Vee-Jay was overwhelmed when it found itself as the rightsholder not only to
3828-487: The 4 Seasons was released in mid-2007, marketed as the most comprehensive collection of Four Seasons music yet. The album title Jersey Beat is a play on Jersey Boys , a successful Broadway musical about the Four Seasons, as well as on Mersey Beat , a term first coined as the title of a music magazine published in Liverpool, England, from 1961, but subsequently also used to describe Liverpool's "beat music" culture of
3944-458: The COVID-19 pandemic. However, the box set was later rescheduled for release on December 9, 2022, before the release date was pushed back to April 14, 2023. The box set was eventually released on June 2, 2023, by The Four Seasons Partnership and Madfish/Snapper Music. It includes every album released by the band (including both mono and stereo mixes, where available), a CD of unreleased tracks from
4060-560: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976). In the 1930s, his personal life kept him in the public eye as much as his movies. On May 2, 1930, Jessel married Florence Courtney in Chicago. She divorced him on October 24, 1932, on the grounds of cruelty. On April 23, 1934, Jessel married silent movie star Norma Talmadge , causing a scandal because Talmadge was married at the time that they started their affair, and she obtained
4176-502: The Four Lovers and recorded several singles and an album's worth of tracks. They had a minor hit with " You're the Apple of My Eye " in 1956, which earned them their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show . After two years of no further success, DeVito fired his brother and Majewski for insubordination (they had refused to take a gig opening for Tony Bennett ) and creative differences, as Majewski's comic persona did not mesh with
4292-469: The Four Seasons . The Four Seasons are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time , having sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide. The band evolved out of a previous band called The Four Lovers , with Frankie Valli on lead and falsetto vocals, Bob Gaudio on keyboards and tenor vocals, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar and baritone vocals, and Nick Massi on bass guitar and bass vocals. The band had two distinct eras of widespread success:
4408-538: The Four Seasons Partnership), he now restricts his activities to writing, producing, brand management and the occasional studio work. In August 1985, MCA Records released the band album Streetfighter , which yielded two singles in the title track and "Book of Love", a post-disco -style revamp of the Monotones' 1957 recording. In September 1992, the band released an album entitled Hope + Glory on
4524-738: The Four Seasons Reunited Live . Produced by Bob Gaudio, it was a double album of concert recordings which included the two studio recordings " Spend the Night in Love " and "Heaven Must Have Sent You (Here in the Night)" sung by Valli. The latter became a UK single but failed to chart, while the former was released as a single in America, inching its way into the Hot 100 and became a top-5 hit,
4640-441: The Four Seasons and directed by Des McAnuff ( The Who's Tommy , 700 Sundays ) , premiered at his La Jolla Playhouse and opened on November 6, 2005, to generally positive reviews. It subsequently won multiple Tony Awards after its move to Broadway. The original cast included John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli, Daniel Reichard as Bob Gaudio, Christian Hoff as Tommy DeVito, and J. Robert Spencer as Nick Massi. The play portrays
4756-532: The Four Seasons as both acts had million-selling singles in the United States ("My Eyes Adored You" hit #1 on the Hot 100 for Valli in March, "Who Loves You" (with Valli on lead) peaked at #3 in November for the band and #6 in the UK chart). In the United Kingdom, Tamla Motown released "The Night" as a single on the 'Mowest' label and saw it reach the #7 position on the UK Singles Chart . "My Eyes Adored You"
Frankie Valli - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-595: The Four Seasons had a string of hits from their new LP Who Loves You in 1975; the title track with Valli, " December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) " with Valli, Polci and Ciccone, and minor hits " Silver Star " and "Down the Hall" (the latter from the follow-up album Helicon ) with Polci alone. In 1976, Valli covered the Beatles song " A Day in the Life " for the ephemeral musical documentary All This and World War II , to which
4988-525: The Four Seasons hit recordings, it has a biographical narrative, told from four separate points of view by each member of the Four Seasons (DeVito, Valli, Massi and Gaudio). John Lloyd Young portrayed Valli in the original production, while West End 's production Ryan Molloy is the "longest-serving Frankie Valli". The musical dramatizes several real-life incidents from Valli's life, including his estrangement from daughter Francine, who died in 1980. The show has been widely acclaimed, financially successful, and
5104-418: The Four Seasons recorded eight songs for a second Motown album, which the company refused to release, and later in 1974, the label and the band parted ways. On behalf of the Four Seasons Partnership, Valli tried to purchase the entire collection of master recordings the group had made for Motown. After hearing the amount needed to buy them all, Valli arranged to purchase " My Eyes Adored You " for $ 4,000. He took
5220-870: The Four Seasons" were touring the US, scheduled to play small-to-mid-size venues such as the Silver Legacy Casino in Reno, Nevada, the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona and the County Fair in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. In October 2016, Valli released his first solo album in nine years, ' Tis the Seasons , which features some of his favorite Christmas songs. As part of the BBC Proms in
5336-481: The Four Seasons, Valli's number-one hits include " Sherry " (1962), " Big Girls Don't Cry " (1962), " Walk Like a Man " (1963), " Rag Doll " (1964) and " December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) " (1975). Valli's recording of the song " Can't Take My Eyes Off You " reached number two in 1967. As a solo artist, Valli scored number-one hits with the songs " My Eyes Adored You " (1974) and " Grease " (1978). Valli, Tommy DeVito , Nick Massi and Bob Gaudio —the original members of
5452-472: The Four Seasons, but The Beatles , which it had acquired in a sidecar deal with Frank Ifield in 1962; unable to meet demand for both bands, and with the Beatles' rights eventually reverting to Capitol Records in October 1964 after another protracted legal battle, Vee-Jay was finally declared bankrupt in 1966. With the bankruptcy, The Four Seasons' Vee-Jay catalog reverted to the band, who promptly licensed
5568-491: The Four Seasons, with Valli appearing in person to accept the honor with his wife and two of his sons, and Gaudio sending a prerecorded acceptance speech. Valli was born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio on May 3, 1934 to an Italian family in the First Ward of Newark, New Jersey ; he is the eldest of three sons. His father, Antonio (Anthony) Castelluccio, who had immigrated to the U.S. from Faiano , Salerno , Campania ,
5684-559: The Four Seasons: The International Battle of the Century! , Vee-Jay created an elaborate two-disc package that the purchaser could use to write on and score individual recordings by their favorite artist. The discs were reissues of the albums Introducing... The Beatles and Golden Hits of the Four Seasons , featuring each original album's label, title, and catalog number. Today, this album package
5800-703: The Four Seasons—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. Valli is also a 2010 inductee of the New Jersey Hall of Fame , with the Four Seasons (Gaudio, Massi, DeVito and Joe Long ) inducted separately in 2017 and Valli speaking on Massi's behalf. Valli was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2024, a joint star for both himself and
5916-460: The MCA/Curb label; this is the most recent band studio album to date, but Valli has released three solo albums since then. (On at least one or two occasions, starting in the late 1980s or early 1990s, Long would make guest appearances with Valli and the band at select shows, but it is unclear if this included full performances or parts of concerts.) Nick Massi also had occasional brief reunions with
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#17327724806476032-546: The Night in Love" (#91 in 1980), which again featured Polci as main lead vocalist and Valli singing the bridge section and contributing to backup group vocals, "December, 1963" marked the end of the Seasons' hit-making run. Both singles were hits in the United Kingdom, with "Silver Star" making the top 10. (A dance remix of "December, 1963" returned them briefly to the upper reaches of the Billboard singles charts almost two decades later). The success of Who Loves You increased
6148-880: The Park Valli, together with the Four Seasons performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra in Hyde Park on September 10, 2016. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons continued touring in 2018 and 2019, with a new lineup after his lineup since 2003 spun off as its own act, The Modern Gentlemen. In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic canceled all touring plans. Touring resumed in the summer of 2021 with dates scheduled through October 2024; in October 2023, Valli indicated that it would be his farewell tour and that The Four Seasons would effectively end its 65-year run with his retirement. Valli did not rule out future performances after
6264-660: The Rain ", " C'mon Marianne ", and "I Make a Fool of Myself" (Frankie Valli "solo"). Also, other Crewe/Gaudio songs that did not become hits for either Valli or the Four Seasons became international hits in cover versions, such as " Silence Is Golden " ( the Tremeloes ) and " The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) " ( the Walker Brothers ). However, 1968's " Will You Love Me Tomorrow " was the band's last top 40 hit for seven years (reaching #24), just after Valli's last "solo" hit of
6380-533: The Royal Teens' keyboardist. In late 1959, Gaudio became the group's keyboardist; Garrity returned to the Hollywood Playboys without Massey, who briefly launched a solo career. During this time, Charles Calello filled in as the fourth member of the quartet. Early in 1960, a now-renamed Nick Massi returned, now playing electric bass in addition to vocals and arrangement duties. In 1960, despite
6496-460: The Seasons also contributed a cover of " We Can Work It Out ." In 1978, with the Four Seasons temporarily broken up, Valli embarked on a solo tour and sang the theme song for the film version of the stage play Grease , a song by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees , which became a number one hit. He had two further chart successes over the next year: "Save Me, Save Me" in November 1978, which entered
6612-470: The Seasons was 1975's " Swearin' to God ". More top 20 singles followed in 1965, 1966, and 1967, including " Let's Hang On! ", " Don't Think Twice, It's All Right " (as the Wonder Who?), " Working My Way Back to You ", " Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me) ", " I've Got You Under My Skin ", " Can't Take My Eyes Off You " (released under Valli's name as a "solo" single), " Beggin' " (later covered by Norwegian duo Madcon and Italian band Måneskin ), " Tell It to
6728-409: The United Kingdom. "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" had Polci singing lead on the verses, Ciccone featured on specific sections, and Valli on lead vocals only on the two bridge sections and backup vocals on the chorus. Although the band also scored minor chart placements with " Silver Star " (with Valli on harmony vocals) (#38 in 1976) and "Down the Hall" (#65 in 1977), both sung by Polci, and "Spend
6844-474: The United States," for his frequent role as the master of ceremonies at political and entertainment gatherings. Jessel originated the title role in the stage production of The Jazz Singer . Jessel was born to Jewish parents, Joseph and Charlotte "Lottie" (née Schwarz) Jessel, on 118th Street in Harlem , New York City. By age 10, he was appearing in vaudeville and on Broadway to support his family after
6960-468: The Valli Boys, the Wonder Who? , and Frankie Valli . Every Valli "solo" recording from 1965 to " My Eyes Adored You " in 1974 was recorded by the Four Seasons at the same time and in the same sessions as other Four Seasons material; these were usually distinguished in that material written and marketed as Valli solo numbers did not have Valli's trademark falsetto. Valli's first post-1960 single without
7076-430: The Village Voices, and the Topics are some of the 18 "stage names" used individually or collectively by the members of the band. Majewski left the band due to creative differences, while Nick DeVito left the group (portrayed in Jersey Boys as being due to an extended prison sentence, though Tommy DeVito stated in 2008 that he had fired the two because he had booked a gig opening up for Tony Bennett , believing it would be
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#17327724806477192-452: The armed forces, succeeded Long as bassist and took on the occasional lead vocal. As "My Eyes Adored You" climbed the Hot 100 singles chart in early 1975, Uttal was persuaded to release The Four Seasons Story , a two-record compilation of the band's biggest hit singles from 1962 to 1970. It quickly became a gold record , selling over one million copies before the RIAA started awarding platinum records for million-selling albums. Uttal
7308-425: The attention of Frank Sinatra , whose 1969 album, Watertown , involved Gaudio, Holmes, Valli and Calello. The Seasons' last single on Philips, 1970's "Patch of Blue", featured the band's name as "Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons", but the change in billing did not revive the band's fortunes. Reverting to the "Four Seasons" billing without Valli's name upfront, the group issued a single on Crewe's eponymous label,
7424-517: The band had reunited, with a lineup consisting mostly of its 1970s lineup (Valli, Polci, Shapiro, and Ciccione, plus Gaudio for studio recordings), joined by Jerry Corbetta , who had been lead singer of Sugarloaf , and guitarist Larry Lingle. Lingle would remain with the group into the 1990s, while Polci (who had an extended hiatus from the band in the mid-1980s before returning) left for the final time in 1990 when he married Valli's daughter Toni. In January 1981, Warners released Frankie Valli &
7540-429: The band signed to Motown . The first LP, Chameleon , released by Motown subsidiary label MoWest Records in 1972, failed to sell. A 1971 Frankie Valli solo single on Motown, "Love Isn't Here", and three Four Seasons singles, "Walk On, Don't Look Back" on MoWest in 1972, "How Come" and "Hickory" on Motown in 1973, sank without a trace. A song from Chameleon , " The Night ", later became a Northern Soul hit and reached
7656-407: The band solicited record labels to release it. It was Frankie Valli who spoke with Randy Wood , West Coast sales manager for Vee-Jay Records (not the founder of Dot Records ) who, in turn, suggested the release of "Sherry" to the decision-makers at Vee-Jay. "Sherry" made enough of an impression that Crewe was able to sign a deal between his production company and Vee-Jay for its release. They were
7772-411: The band's Mowest years, three live shows taken from soundboard recordings as well as numerous other rare tracks and alternative versions. The Four Seasons announced their farewell tour, "The Last Encores Tour", to run through 2024, including several extended stays at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino . In an interview with the Los Angeles Times , Valli did not rule out future appearances after
7888-480: The band's standpoint, including divorce ("Saturday's Father"), and Kinks -style satirical looks at modern life (e.g., "American Crucifixion and Resurrection" and "Genuine Imitation Life"). The decision to create a concept album was a major departure for the group, which Bob Crewe had purposely marketed as a singles act (so much so that the group's early albums were simply the name of a major hit single appended with some variation of "and Other Songs"). The album cover
8004-408: The changes of personnel, the fortunes of the Four Lovers had not changed—they failed an audition for a lounge at a Union Township, Union County, New Jersey bowling establishment. According to Gaudio, "We figured we'll come out of this with something. So we took the name of the bowling alley. It was called the Four Seasons." Despite the last few years of frustration of the Four Lovers, this proved to be
8120-424: The death of his father, who was a playwright . His mother, who worked as a ticket seller at the Imperial Theater , helped him form The Imperial Trio, a harmony group of ushers to entertain patrons of the theater, with Walter Winchell and Jack Wiener, using the stage names Leonard, Lawrence and McKinley, in their early teens (such usher-singer groups were common). At age 11, he was a partner of Eddie Cantor in
8236-427: The early 1920s. In 1921 he recorded a hit single, "The Toastmaster." He sometimes appeared in blackface in his vaudeville shows. Jessel appeared in his first motion picture, the silent movie The Other Man's Wife (1919). In 1924, he appeared in a brief comedy sketch in a short film made in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process. In 1925, he emerged as one of the most popular leading men on Broadway with
8352-603: The early 1950s, he performed on the radio in The George Jessel Show , which became a television series of the same name from 1953 to 1954. He guest-starred on NBC's The Jimmy Durante Show . In 1968, he starred in Here Come the Stars , a syndicated variety show. However, his attempt to extend his career was undermined by a perception that his style of comedy was outdated, as well as by his outspoken support of
8468-427: The early 1960s. In 2008, the Four Seasons' "Beggin'" was revived by two acts. Pilooski made an electro remix of that song, while rap act Madcon used it as the basis of their song "Beggin'". The latter reached number 5 in the UK charts and was a hit across Europe. The song was featured in a TV commercial for adidas shoes entitled "Celebrate Originality". The Adidas commercial is a popular hit on YouTube and features
8584-455: The first time that a rock band hit #1 on the Billboard singles charts with three consecutive entries. In 1962, they were invited to perform their hit " Big Girls Don't Cry " on the show American Bandstand . In January 1964, after several successful albums but a lack of money from Vee-Jay, the Seasons left Vee-Jay and moved to Philips Records , then a division of Mercury Records . In
8700-615: The first white artists to sign with Vee-Jay. In 1962, the band released their first album, featuring the single " Sherry ", which drew the attention of WPOP in Hartford, Connecticut , known for launching new hit songs; WPOP disc jockey Joey Reynolds heavily promoted the record. "Sherry" gave the Four Seasons their first #1 song. Under the guidance of Bob Crewe, the Four Seasons followed up "Sherry" with several million-selling singles, generally composed by Crewe and Gaudio, including " Big Girls Don't Cry " (their second #1 hit), " Walk Like
8816-509: The four-minute single version. This record featured Patti Austin on bridge vocals before she became well-known. Valli followed this with a discofied #11 hit version of Ruby & the Romantics ' " Our Day Will Come ", also featuring Austin. The Four Seasons opened 1976 atop the Billboard chart with their fifth #1 single, " December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) ", co-written by Bob Gaudio and his future wife, Judy Parker. The single also hit #1 in
8932-612: The group in 2017. In 2015, former longtime guitarist Larry Lingle rejoined the band, and he left for the second time after a concert on May 1, 2016. On September 10, 2016, the band performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra in Hyde Park , as part of the BBC Proms in the Park . In 2018, the Beard/Fournier/Brigham quartet spun off and began performing as The Modern Gentlemen , with Valli's blessing, and Valli recruited
9048-442: The group includes Valli as the sole remaining original member, backed by a separate vocal quartet and a band led by musician Robby Robinson , who has served as the group's music director since 1984. The touring version of The Four Seasons is slated to end after Valli's farewell tour concludes in 2025. The band's original line-up was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 and
9164-418: The group until 1975; over the course of the 1970s, Valli and Gaudio would begin assembling a new lineup. 19-year-old keyboardist Lee Shapiro was recruited to replace Gaudio (on Valli's explicit recommendation) as the latter moved to a studio role, in addition to taking on arrangement and some songwriting duties. A member of the group's backing band recruited drummer Gerry Polci , who would eventually take over
9280-409: The group virtually re-recorded four of their songs ("Harmony, Perfect Harmony", "Let's Hang On", "Grease", and "Silence Is Golden") for their YouTube channel. A limited-edition 44-disc career box set called "Working Our Way Back to You: The Ultimate Collection" was initially going to be released in the summer of 2021 by The Four Seasons Partnership and Snapper Records, but it missed the release due to
9396-516: The group's big break, only for Majewski and Nick DeVito to refuse to travel to it, forcing him to cancel). To fill the gap, two members of the Hollywood Playboys, another touring group in North Jersey, joined Valli and Tommy DeVito: lead keyboardist Hugh Garrity and guitarist Nickie Massey . In 1959, the band started working with producer / songwriter Bob Crewe , primarily for session work (Crewe wrote "I Go Ape", which Valli recorded with
9512-462: The group's last, in South Africa . Valli had planned to add his daughter Francine to the act in 1980, but Francine unexpectedly died that year. In 1984, a long-awaited collaboration between the Four Seasons and the Beach Boys, "East Meets West", was released on FBI Records, owned by the Four Seasons Partnership, which included most of the surviving Beach Boys (including Brian Wilson). However,
9628-513: The group's musical talents. The Four Lovers continued, with Valli, DeVito and an ad hoc lineup that variously included Macioci (by then also pursuing a solo career as "Nickie Massey"), Charles Calello and Hollywood Playboys keyboardist Hugh Garrity. In 1959, after being introduced at a gig in Baltimore by mutual friend Joe Pesci , Royal Teen Bob Gaudio became a member. By 1960, after several years of session work under numerous stage names,
9744-411: The group. In 1994, "December 1963 (Oh What A Night)" re-entered the Hot 100 by way of a remix. In 2003, Valli revamped the group and started touring with a new vocal quartet (which he occasionally referred to as "the Four Seasons"), consisting of Landon Beard, Todd Fournier, and brothers Brian Brigham and Brandon Brigham. A massive 3CD + 1DVD box set ...Jersey Beat... The Music Of Frankie Valli &
9860-662: The guise of discussing a recent role. During their meeting, Jessel put an arm around Temple while taking off his pants. He then grabbed the 35 year-old Temple's breasts. She fought off his attempts by kicking him in the groin. On May 23, 1981, Jessel died of a heart attack at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center at the age of 83. He was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California . In 1969,
9976-1090: The history of the Four Seasons in four parts, with each part narrated by a different member of the band and supposedly reflecting that band member's perspective on the band's history. The author of the book of the play, Rick Elice, interviewed Valli, Gaudio, and DeVito in writing the play, and pieced together Nick Massi's point of view based on those interviews (Massi had died before the play was written.) The Broadway production won four 2006 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Actor (for John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli), Best Featured Actor (for Christian Hoff as Tommy DeVito), and Best Lighting Design. There are currently three U.S. productions of Jersey Boys running outside New York and other productions overseas including productions in Toronto, London, Australia, South Africa and The Netherlands. The movie adaptation , directed by Clint Eastwood , starred John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli, Vincent Piazza as Tommy DeVito, Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi and Erich Bergen as Bob Gaudio. This film
10092-522: The intention of releasing it as a "solo" single, only to be beaten to the punch by an unrelated song of the same name from Neil Sedaka , who became friends with Valli later on). Later that year, the Four Lovers were performing in Baltimore on the same stage as the Royal Teens , who were riding the wave of success of " Short Shorts ", a song co-written by then-15-year-old Bob Gaudio , who was also
10208-401: The lead vocals for the group to new band members Gerry Polci and, to a lesser extent, Don Ciccone . In the same year, he also had a number six Billboard hit with the disco-laden " Swearin' to God " reaching number 31 in the UK chart, while further UK chart success came with " Fallen Angel ", written by Guy Fletcher and Doug Flett . Valli was in the UK charts, reaching number 11. Meanwhile,
10324-577: The lineup of Valli, DeVito, Gaudio and a now-renamed Nick Massi took on the name "The 4 Seasons," taking the name from a bowling alley in Union, New Jersey that had rejected them after an audition. As the lead singer of the Four Seasons, Valli had a string of hits, beginning with the number-one hit " Sherry " in 1962 and continuing through most of the rest of the decade. During the 1960s, Gaudio and his songwriting partner Bob Crewe worked with Valli to craft solo recordings, with varying degrees of success. It
10440-467: The marriage lasted eight years. Frankie married Randy Clohessy in 1984; they had three sons (Emilio, Francesco Jr. and Brando) and divorced in 2004. In 1980, his stepdaughter, Celia, was killed when she fell off a fire escape. Six months later, Francine, his youngest daughter from his marriage to Mary, died reportedly from a drug overdose. Antonia later briefly married Four Seasons drummer/vocalist Gerry Polci , and their daughter Olivia Polci, who also adopted
10556-551: The mid-1940s, he began producing musicals for 20th Century Fox , producing 24 films in all in a career that lasted through the 1950s and 1960s. At the same time he became known as a host on the banquet circuit, famous for his good-natured wit aimed at his fellow celebrities. In 1946, he was one of the founding members of the California branch of the Friars Club . (A recording exists of an example of his "blue" work in front of
10672-510: The next year, with virtually no sales, airplay, or jukebox play. In 1957, the band's seventh single (this time on Epic ) had a similar lack of success. From 1956 until 1958, the group stayed together, performing in clubs and lounges as the Four Lovers and recording on music labels under various names: Frankie Tyler, Frankie Valli, Frankie Valli and the Travelers, Frankie Valli and the Romans,
10788-483: The popularity of the Four Seasons as a touring group and reignited recording unit. In 1977, the band recorded Helicon as a follow-up to Who Loves You ; it proved to be not as successful, with its lone American single "Down the Hall" peaking in the lower half of the Hot 100 and narrowly reaching the top 40 of the American easy listening charts and the UK charts. Additional top-40 UK hits would come with "Rhapsody," and
10904-433: The record did not sell well. Even after the rise and fall of the band's sales in the disco era, the Four Seasons, in one version or another, continued to be a popular touring act, with Valli and keyboardist/music director Robby Robinson (who joined in the early 1980s) being the only constants in the midst of a fluctuating lineup. Although Gaudio is still officially part of the band (he and Valli are still equal partners in
11020-399: The release of "Who Loves You" until he could replace Ciccone's vocal with his own. The album Who Loves You became a surprise million-seller for the band, as Valli ultimately agreed partially to cede lead vocals to Polci and Ciccone, making it the first album since Massi's departure to feature a lead or co-lead other than Valli prominently. In 1975, record sales exploded for both Valli and
11136-494: The rights to Philips. The change of label did not diminish the popularity of the Four Seasons in 1964, nor did the onslaught of the British Invasion and Beatlemania . However, " Dawn (Go Away) " was kept from the #1 spot on the Hot 100 by no fewer than three Beatles singles in the March 21, 1964, edition (two weeks later, the top five slots were filled by Beatles singles). In a two-record set dubbed The Beatles vs
11252-617: The stage surname Valli, is a professional stage actress. She portrayed her grandmother Mary in a Jersey Boys production in 2019. Frankie married Jackie Jacobs on June 26, 2023, in Las Vegas. Valli and Jacobs reside in Encino, California . Valli has a restraining order against his son, Francesco Jr., an actor, due to an opiate addiction and threats of violence against his father and brothers. One issue in Valli's third divorce went up on appeal to
11368-583: The starring role in the stage production of The Jazz Singer . The success of the show prompted Warner Bros. —after their success with Don Juan (1926) with music and sound effects only—to adapt The Jazz Singer as the first " talkie " with dialogue and to cast Jessel in the lead role. However, the studio refused his salary demands, so Jessel turned down the movie role, which was eventually played by Al Jolson . According to Jessel during an interview around 1980, Warner Bros. still owed Jessel money for earlier roles and lacked enough funds to produce this movie with
11484-416: The tape to Larry Uttal , the owner and founder of Private Stock Records , who wanted to release it as a Frankie Valli solo single. Although the band remained unsigned in the later part of 1974, Valli had a new label—and a new solo career. While new hits for the Four Seasons had dried up in the first half of the 1970s, the band never lost its popularity as a performing act. Longtime member Joe Long stayed in
11600-408: The top 10 of the UK Singles Chart , but was not commercially released in the United States as a single, although promotional copies were distributed in 1972, showing the artist as Frankie Valli. Valli has consistently spoken of how much of the group's late 1960s and early 1970s material was poorly marketed and only later received the appreciation that he felt it deserved. In late 1973 and early 1974,
11716-444: The tour ends but noted that the nature of touring, and a move from longer residencies to frequent one-night stops, was wearing on him, while the actual act of performing each night was not. The tour was eventually extended into 2025, with representatives for Valli responding to criticism of him touring at such an advanced age and fears of elder abuse by assuring that Valli was "doing just fine and super happy to be still performing." In
11832-534: The tour, stating that "I’m not sure whether I’m gonna keep going out." The tour was eventually extended into 2025, with representatives for Valli responding to criticism of him touring at such an advanced age and fears of elder abuse by assuring that Valli was "doing just fine and super happy to be still performing." In a statement to People , Valli indicated a willingness to continue performing as long as audiences continued to buy tickets, responding to accusations of lip syncing by noting that his touring production
11948-439: The turning point for the band. Later, on a handshake agreement between keyboardist/composer Bob Gaudio and lead singer Frankie Valli, the Four Seasons Partnership was formed. The Four Seasons signed as artists to Crewe's production company, and they released their first Crewe-produced single under their new name in 1961 (" Bermuda "/"Spanish Lace" on Gone Records ); the non-charting record would be their only record for Gone, which
12064-551: Was a barber and display designer for Lionel model trains; his mother, Mary Rinaldi, who was from Avellino , Campania, was a homemaker and beer company employee. He was inspired to take up a singing career at age seven after his mother took him to see Frank Sinatra at the Paramount Theater in New York City . One of his early favorite singers was "Texas" Jean Valli, from whom he took his stage name. He worked as
12180-614: Was a poor fit for the material. In October 2007, Valli released Romancing the '60s , an album containing covers of his favorite songs from the 1960s, two of which—"Sunny" and "Any Day Now"—he had previously recorded. It was Valli's first solo album in nearly 27 years since 1980's Heaven Above Me . In 2012, Valli made his Broadway debut with a week-long concert engagement at the Broadway Theatre in New York starting October 19. From March 2016 to January 2017, "Frankie Valli and
12296-564: Was also a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom in February of that year. Valli had his first truly solo hit in the summer of 1975 when the Bob Crewe-produced " Swearin' to God " followed "My Eyes Adored You" into the upper reaches of the Hot 100, peaking at the #6 position and capitalizing on the growing disco craze. The song was released in three forms: the eight-minute album version, the ten-minute extended 12-inch single version, and
12412-407: Was designed to resemble the front page of a newspaper, pre-dating Jethro Tull 's Thick as a Brick by several years. The record was a commercial failure (by the group's usual standards; according to Stuart Miller, owner of a Four Seasons fansite named after the album, and Joe Long, the album sold about 150,000 copies) and led to the band's departure from Philips shortly after that, but it did catch
12528-543: Was engaged to Carol Burnett 's character, Aunt Deb. In 2015, Valli was interviewed on the AMC television series The Making of the Mob: New York . Valli has been married four times. In his early twenties he married his first wife, Mary, who already had a two-year-old daughter named Celia. They had two daughters together, Antonia and Francine, and divorced after 13 years in 1971. He married MaryAnn Hannagan in 1974, and
12644-586: Was her brother. As a result, his first single was listed under 'Frankie Valley', and the name stuck—though he eventually changed it to the same spelling" that Texas Jean used. His desire to sing in public was initially granted when the group offered him a guest spot when they performed. In late 1952, the Variety Trio disbanded and Valli and Tommy DeVito became part of the house band at The Strand in New Brunswick, New Jersey . Valli played bass and sang. Valli recorded his first single, "My Mother's Eyes", in 1953,
12760-411: Was itself gone by July 1962 when Morris Levy bought and dissolved the label. The band continued working with producer Bob Crewe as background vocalists and sometimes leads under different names, for productions on Crewe's own Topix label. As a follow-up, Bob Gaudio wrote a song that, after some discussion between Crewe and Gaudio, was titled "Sherry". After the song was recorded, Crewe and the members of
12876-409: Was nominated for eight Tony Awards , winning four, notably Best Musical, Actor, and Supporting Actor. It has touring companies around the world, as well as a version at Paris Las Vegas , and was adapted into a 2014 film of the same name directed by Clint Eastwood , with Young again appearing as Valli; Valli was less enthusiastic about the film, believing that some parts were miscast and that Eastwood
12992-421: Was permanently hired and became a mainstay of the band on bass and backing vocals until 1975, with Calello returning to arranging. Massi's departure coincided with the addition of new songwriters such as Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell , who eased the burden on Gaudio, while Randell absorbed some of Massi's arranging duties. In the meantime, the Four Seasons released recordings under a variety of names, including
13108-437: Was rare at the time for a major recording artist to perform solo while still recording with their own group. Valli's debut solo album was a collection of single releases and a few new recordings. He used the opportunity to transition away from the power falsetto that had made Valli and the Four Seasons famous, showcasing a natural tenor voice that Valli had always preferred. (Calello noted in 2000 that Valli's voice could go down to
13224-408: Was released on June 20, 2014. George Jessel (actor) George Albert "Georgie" Jessel (April 3, 1898 – May 23, 1981) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and film producer . He was famous in his lifetime as a multitalented comedic entertainer, achieving a level of recognition that transcended his limited roles in movies. He was widely known by his nickname, the " Toastmaster General of
13340-450: Was unwilling to sign the group as a whole, but left a loophole in Valli's contract allowing him to stay with the group if they signed with another label. Gaudio then approached Warner Bros. Records with a new song, " Who Loves You ," with Ciccone on lead vocal due to Valli being overseas during the recording; intrigued by a new Four Seasons lead singer, they signed the group. Valli was unwilling to give up lead vocal duties and managed to halt
13456-451: Was using a strategy it had long relied on for studio recordings "layering vocals and instruments" to allow the Seasons to maintain a sound similar to that heard in the 1960s despite Valli's age. From 1956 until "My Eyes Adored You" in 1975, records which the Four Seasons recorded had the following artist credit (a sampling): Partial credits before 1994. This is not a complete list of album releases. These recordings have been reissued on
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