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Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Press Information

 
 

Frankie Valli Bio

Charted Singles

Links to Resources

Four Seasons Bios

   


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Frankie Valli Bio

Frankie Valli…A true American pop music icon. His incredible career as a solo artist and with the Four Seasons has produced 19 top ten hits and sold over 100 million records world wide. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and named longevity champ of the rock era by Billboard Magazine.

Possessed of one of the most distinctive voices in all of Rock and Roll, Frankie Valli continues to dazzle. Inspired by fellow New Jersey native, Frank Sinatra, and such jazz influences as the Hi-Lo's and the Four Freshman, Frankie Valli always knew he wanted to perform. "We used to sing around the Newark area where I grew up." Valli recalls. "I'd always wanted to be a singer, ever since my mother took me to see Sinatra at the Paramount Theatre in New York as a kid. I decided then and there that's what I was going to do…be a successful singer."

Frankie Valli's earliest performances were informal affairs; he sang doo-wop to passers-by on Newark street corners. In the early fifties, Frankie Valli joined Nick Massi and Tommy DeVito in performing with their Variety Trio. The group later signed Valli on as a full member and began making a name for themselves while touring the East Coast. Around that time the Frankie and the group began an association with songwriter Bob Gaudio. That relationship has continued for nearly forty years, and Gaudio remains an integral part of Frankie Valli's career. Their lifelong handshake partnership has been the subject of articles in Money Magazine and US New & World Report

In 1962 Gaudio wrote a song called "Sherry."It was written in about 15 minutes.  Sherry was released in the summer and moved slowly until the group performed on "American Bandstand"...."Sherry" sold 200,000 copies the next day catapulting Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons into rock and roll superstardom. Gaudio wrote or co-wrote and produced almost the entire four Seasons catalogue with heavy involvement by Bob Crewe.

With "Sherry," the Four Seasons had crystallized a distinctive musical style…the popular doo-wop music of the 1950's inflected with the rhythm and blues influences that would come to define much of the music of the 1960's. With Frankie’s dazzling falsetto as its trademark, the Four Season's sound would become one of the most enduring in all of rock and roll.

At their peak, the Four Seasons made recordings that expressed the tough-but-tender sensibility of their home turf in the Northeast much in the way the Beach Boys encapsulated the world of Southern California in harmony and song. In the words of Billy Joel, a longtime fan who grew up listening to them on Long Island, "The Four Seasons had wonderful chord progressions, beautiful writing, terrific production and fantastic harmony, records that really spoke to us."

Over the next few years the Four Seasons followed "Sherry" with such unforgettable original songs as "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Candy Girl," and "Rag Doll", all of which became rock and roll classics. As the Four Seasons were working to perfect and expand their style, a rock and roll revolution was brewing. In 1964, the Beatles came onto the American music scene, leading a British Invasion that would decimate the careers of scores of American pop music acts. The Four Seasons not only survived the Invasion but continued to thrive; they had three top five hits during 1964, a year in which the Beatles dominated the charts.

While remaining steadfastly devoted to the Four Seasons, Frankie Valli decided to branch out with his own solo record. In 1966 he scored a Top 40 hit with "You're Gonna Hurt Yourself." That same year the Four Seasons reached the number three spot on the pop charts with "Let's Hang On."

The year 1967 saw Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes off of You" rise to number two, while "I Make A Fool of Myself" and "To Give (the Reason I Live)" both became Top 40 hits; the Four Season's also had three Top 40 entries that year, including the gold selling "C'Mon Marianne". For the next several years Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons continued to tour extensively, playing to packed houses throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

In 1974 Frankie was back on top of the charts, going platinum with the bittersweet ballad "My Eyes Adored You". "Swearin' to God," with its disco beat and contemporary sensibilities went gold, climbing to number six in 1975. That same year "Our Day Will Come" reached No. 11 on the charts. In March of 1976 "December, '63 (Oh, What a Night)" climbed to No. 1 staying at the top for 3 weeks. Frankie scored another megahit in 1978, with the title track of the best-selling "Grease" soundtrack.

More recently, "December, '63 (Oh, What a Night)" appeared on the soundtrack to Forest Gump, and re-entered the singles chart. Owing to its second lease on life, it became the longest-charting single in history with fifty total weeks.

Frankie Valli has continued to woo audiences throughout the world both with his recordings and live performances for almost four decades, truly making him one of rock and roll's most enduring performers.


Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons / Frankie Valli Charted Singles

* Solo Records

Year

Position

   

1953

 

*

My Mother's Eyes

1962

1

 

Sherry

1962

1

 

Big Girls Don't Cry

1962

23

 

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

1963

1

 

Walk Like a Man

1963

22

 

Ain't That a Shame

1963

77

 

Soon I'll Be Home Again

1963

3

 

Candy Girl

1963

36

 

Marlena

1963

36

 

New Mexican Rose

1963

88

 

That's The Only Way

1964

16

 

Stay

1964

28

 

Alone

1964

75

 

Sincerely

1964

3

 

Dawn

1964

6

 

Ronnie

1964

1

 

Rag Doll

1964

10

 

Save It For Me

1964

20

 

Big Man In Town

1965

60

 

Little Boy in Grown Up Clothes

1965

12

 

Bye Bye Baby

1965

64

 

Toy Soldier

1965

30

 

Girl Come Running

1965

3

 

Let's Hang On

1966

9

 

Working My Way Back To You

1966

13

 

Opus 17

1966

9

 

I've Got you Under My Skin

1966

39

*

You're Gonna Hurt Yourself

1966

68

*

The Proud One

1966

10

 

Tell It To The Rain

1967

16

 

Beggin

1967

2

*

Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

1967

18

*

I Make a Fool Of Myself

1967

29

*

To Give (The Reason To Live)

1967

9

 

C'mon Marianne

1967

30

 

Watch the Flowers Grow

1968

24

 

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

1969

61

 

Electric Stories

1969

52

*

The Girl I'll Never Know

1969

95

 

Idaho

1969

98

 

Somethin's On Her Mind

1969

45

 

And That Reminds Me

1970

94

 

Patch Of Blue

1974

1

 

My Eye's Adored You

1975

6

*

Swearin To God

1975

11

*

Our Day Will Come

1975

3

 

Who Loves You

1976

1

 

December '63 (Oh What A Night)

1976

36

*

Fallen Angel

1976

78

*

We're All Alone

1978

1

*

Grease

1994

11

 

December '63 (Oh What A Night)

 

Links to Resources

Truly authoritative article about The Four Seasons by Richard Corliss -www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1134674,00.html
Wikipedia Page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_Valli
Jersey Boys Web Site - www.jerseyboysbroadway.com  
Jersey Boys Blog - www.jerseyboysblog.com/
Four Seasons Fan Site - Press Page -  http://genuine-imitation-life-gazette.com/articles.html


Current Four Seasons Bios

Robby Robinson - Music Director - Keyboards

Arranged for:
Liza Minnelli, Frankie Valli, The Beach Boys, Connie Francis, Buddy Greco, Dorothy Hammill & Ice Capades, Jim Stafford, Phil Driscoll, Ronnie Spector, Martha Reeves, Darlene Love, Denny Correll, Lisa Mordente, The Ventures, The Atlanta Symphony, The Dallas Symphony, The Illinois Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Simi Valley Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Don Menza, Greg Guidry

Musical Conductor for:
Frankie Valli, Buddy Greco, Del Shannon, The Drifters, The Coasters, Tommy Leonetti, Steve March, Darlene Love, The Ventures, The Atl\anta Symphony, The Dallas Symphony, The Illinois Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Simi Valley Orchestra, Hershey Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Connie Stevens, Tom Dreesen, Nick Noble

Played Keyboards for:
Tom Jones, Liza Minnelli, The Commodores, Cheryl Ladd, Sha Na Na, Steven Stills, Charles Calello, Bob Gaudio, Johnny Harris, Harvey Fuqua, Jack Daugherty, Bob Crewe, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Richie Cole, Eddie Harris, Alex Acuna, Bennie Maupin, Gavin Christopher, John B.Williams, Phil Driscoll, Richie Fagan, Frankie Avalon, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Willie Bobo, Alphonse Mouzon, Morris Albert, The Mills Brothers, Brian Hyland, The Platters, Emmett Chapman, Mamie Van Doran, The Four Tops, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Lou Christy, David Foster, Mike Pinera, Del Shannon, The Ink
Spots, Peaches & Herb, Joe Houston, Albert King, Eddie Jefferson, Ernie Watts,
Miroslav Vitous, Deniece Williams, Delfonics, Al Wilson, Manhattans, Major Harris, The Friends of Distinction, Gene Chandler, Barbara Mason, The Turtles

Records & CDs:
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Steve Kipner, Liza Minnelli, Alphonse Mouzon, Cheryl Ladd, Buddy Greco, Crystal Lewis, Bob Gaudio, Charles Calello, Bob Crewe, Les DeMerle, Steve March, Pieces, David Soul, Lloyd Lindroth, Kenny Nolan, Johnny Harris, Edwin Starr, Davey Allan & the Arrows,Wanda Lou Bautts, Jane Edwards, The Cosmetics, Bruce Stewart, Raven Bleu, Bull Parks, Jack Daugherty, The Ventures, Virginia Keene, Teddy Phillips, Dick Contino, The Waters Family, G.Q, Hermine, Flakes, Kim Fowley, The Supremes, Mandie Pinto, Denny Correll, Dave Kurcz, Concordia Publishing House, Jeffrey David, Barbara Lewis, Jimi Hendrix Live, Florence LaRue, Deniece Williams


Landon Beard - Singer Dancer 
Landon Beard began his performing career at three years old as a soloist for a Kodak commercial. He comes from a family of professional musicians who allowed him to further his talents and knowledge. From the age of three he has spent many hours in the studio, recording numerous television and radio commercials. He grew up in San Diego, California where he continued his work in the recording studio and on the stage. He has since earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre from Cal State University, Fullerton. Shortly after his 2001 graduation, Landon appeared in the Hollywood Bowl's Show Boat and The Great American Concert. He has performed across the United States with various theatrical productions and vocal groups, and his voice can be heard around the country, advertising for such companies as Toyota, NBC, Warner Bros, Pepsi, and Disney.  Landon is enjoying life touring with Frankie Valli as one of The Four Seasons. www.myspace.com/dooner5

Brian Brigham - Singer Dancer

Brian is very blessed to be apart of Rock & Roll history as one of the FOUR SEASONS alongside the legendary Frankie Valli!  Brian has had the chance to perform for and alongside such artists as Faith Hill, Pat Benatar, The Beach Boys, Phil Collins, Eric Benet, Jay Leno, Bill Cosby, Manhattan Transfer, and Melissa Manchester to name a few.   Film/TV appearances include a recurring role on General Hospital, Pirates of the Caribbean "At Worlds End", Boston Legal, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Bold & The Beautiful, singing backup vocals on the season finale of America's Got Talent, and The Donny & Marie Show. Voice Over/Session Singing credits include CBS, ABC, NBC, Disney and most recently, "Night At The Museum 2: Battle Of The Smithsonian".  Brian has starred in several musical theatre productions including The Broadway National Touring Company of "SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER", "GREASE", "JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT", and most notably, "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR" with Jack Black, Ben Vereen and original motion picture stars, Ted Neeley, Barry Dennen, and Yvonne Elliman. www.myspace.com/brianbrigham


Todd Fournier - Singer Dancer - Todd has been singing with Frankie Valli as one of the Four Seasons on and off for the past six years. National Tours: Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon)(Judas U/S) Regional: Aida(Radames), It Came From Beyond(Steve){Ovation Nominee}, Pilgrim(Carel/TinkerU/S) Grease (Danny Zuko)(Teen Angel, Johnny Casino), The Creation, Scarlet Pimpernel, Miss Saigon, Godspell, Oklahoma, Chorus Line, Singin’ in the Rain, and 42nd Street. Television: Wicked Wicked Games, Days of Our Lives, Port Charles, General Hospital, JAG and Home Improvement. www.toddfournier.com

Brandon Brigham - Singer Dancer -  Brandon has been entertaining since the age of 12. His career began as young boy when his mother would take him and his brother who also performs along side him on stage as a Four Season with Frankie Valli on family trips to talent competitions. He then began singing in the school choir, and right out of high school was cast in several productions with The Walt Disney Company and Universal Studios Corp. He formed the boy band Synergy with friends and the group began traveling around the world performing for audiences in Hong Kong China, Osaka Japan, and Tokyo Japan to a very large fan base.  He recently was seen on Jimmy Kimmel live performing with Frankie Valli as one of the Four Seasons and has been seen throughout the greater Los Angeles area in several Musical Theater Productions like Brigadoon, The Pirates of Penzance, Footloose, Smokey Joes Cafe to name just a few. In his young career he has shared stages with such  great artists as Frankie Valli, The Beach Boys, Pat Benatar, Melissa Manchester, Donny and Marie Osmond to name a few. "Traveling the states and performing for thousands of sold out crowds has been a real blessing and a great tool for my growth as an artist. As my career continues I can only hope to obtain such great success as the amazing talents that came before me - Brandon Brigham. We have only yet to see what talents this bright young artist has to offer the world. Brandon recently began producing his own song compositions and is in the process of recording an album.

Craig Pilo - Drums - L.A Session drummer who’s credits include: Boston Legal, Las Vegas, The Osborne’s, Sex in the City, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Malcolm in the Middle as well as feature films: Basic (Sony) and Dirty Dancing II Havana Nights (Miramax).  He graduated from the University of North Texas College of Music with a bachelors degree in music and has since played with Maynard Ferguson, Player, Deniece Williams, The Red Elvises , Heatwave, Greg Adams, Billy Vera and the Beaters, Angela Carole Brown , and most recently, Ronn Moss.   www.craigpilo.com

John Menzano - Bass - The 80’s and early 90’s were filled with television appearances, touring on the road, and hibernating in the studio. John was a regular member of John Stamos’ band on ABC’s comedy “Full House”. He toured with Sheena Easton, Three Dog Night, and Joshua Kadison. All the while he honed his craft. In 1994, he got a call from an old friend telling him that legendary guitarist Peter White was looking for a bass player. “Playing with Peter White really opened so many doors for me. He is not selfish with his band and has encouraged me to play with others. In fact, he has recommended me to other musicians. Through Peter, I met and toured with Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum, James Ingram, Marc Antoine, Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, and so many more. I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have been given”. www.johnmenzano.com
 
 The next step for John was to put together a CD of his own songs. “It has always been a goal of mine. On the road, people would ask me when I was releasing my CD. I thought, Why Not? I believe the maturity I have reached with my playing has given me the confidence to do this. I am really excited too. This is definitely a collaborative effort as I am calling on all of my friends to give their input and play on the tracks. Everyone has been so supportive of this endeavor”.
 
 On a personal note, John lives in Valencia, CA with his wife, Alecia and their son Nick and daughter Mia. “I feel blessed and I thank God everyday for the gifts He has given me--music, my wife, my son—life doesn’t get better than this”.

John Schroeder - Guitar - John Schroeder has been playing guitar and singing since he was nine years old.  He grew up outside of Minneapolis (Minnesota) and moved to Los Angeles at age 18.  He plays many styles of music and has performed alongside artists such as Al Jarreau, Russ Freeman and The Rippingtons, Eric Marienthal, Patrice Rushen, Garrison Keillor, the Original Wailers Band, Lettuce and the Steve Miller Band.  In addition to traveling and performing with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, he is finishing a Bachelor of Music degree in Studio/Jazz Guitar from the University of Southern California, as well as performing and recording with various projects around LA.  In 2009 John released a CD with his own band, Pinot (www.pinotfunk.com), and toured the US to support the album.  John is delighted to be part of the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons show.

Eric Tewalt - Sax / Keyboards / Percussion - Eric is originally from Indiana, where he attended Ball State University gaining a degree in Music Education. Eric now resides in Las Vegas.  When not performing live with Frankie, Eric performs regularly in the Las Vegas production of ‘Jersey Boys.’ In addition to playing shows in Vegas, Eric still performs with artists such as Toni Braxton, Sheena Easton, Michael Cavanaugh, and Steve March-Torme. Other live performance credits include Michael Feinstien, Michael Buble, Ben Vereen, Martha Reeves, Tears for Fears, and others.  Recording credits include dance artist ‘Kristine W.’ and European artists ‘Funk This.’

In the near future, Eric would like to start his own project. He sends love to his wife and son Oliver! Also a big thank you to Rex Walters and the Reunion band for putting me on the right path many years ago.

Robbie Angelucci - Guitar -  Robbie Angelucci was born and raised in  Lanciano, a small town in the Abruzzo region of Italy (by the Adriatic Sea).  He started playing guitar at the age of 11...at 19 he moved to the states to attend the Musicians institute in Hollywood.  Since then he has worked in the Los Angeles music scene as a session musician and toured extensively.  He worked on projects for national TV shows, major movie trailers and soundtracks including  Barber Shop, The Honeymooners and Roll Bounce.  Robbie has  worked with some of the finest artists in the world  including; Taylor Dayne, All for One, Wayne Brady, Denny Seraphine from Chicago Transit Authority, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Baseley; Otmar Ruiz and Zucchero.  

In 2003, He  recorded and released his first solo album as writer and producer, “A Guy With An Accent”, which gained great reviews by both European and U.S. press.  Recently he  has started his own studio facility and recording company, Moodys Tone Productions.  Aside from all of that he also writes for Axe Guitar Magazine as a US correspondent.  Robbie joined Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in 2009.  He endorses La Bella Strings, Seagull Acoustic guitars, THD and Brunetti's Amplifiers.

 

 

 
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