Frankie Valli, a versatile man of many talents, celebrated his 89th birthday recently and he still looks as handsome as he did back in the day when he and his band, The Four Seasons, captivated audiences from every corner of Earth.
Frankie fell in love with music when he was still just a child, following a concert of great Frank Sinatra his mom took him to at the Paramount Theater in Manhattan.
Speaking of Sinatra and the role he played in his life and his career, Frankie once said, ”He kind of took me under his wing as a friend because I did this thing for his mother. For about 10 years we were really close. Every time I saw him it was a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.”
Before rising to stardom and topping the charts with his band and as a solo artist with hits such as ”Sherry,” ”Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and ”Walk Like a Man,” Frankie worked a variety of jobs, including truck driving, caddying on a golf course, and barbering just like his father. He then started singing on the streets, but as soon as he and the rest of the members of the band, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio formed The Four Seasons, they all became household names who got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Along with his successful music career, Frankie also found success in the industry of film and took part in a number of TV shows, among which Miami Vice, The Sopranos and Hawaii Five-0.
Today, at the age of 89, Frankie doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, on the contrary, he’s as active at the music scene as he was back in the day.
”It used to be real hard performing the same songs over and over but every time I sing a a song, which is what the public want to hear, not my new material or even my solo recordings, I try to perform it as though it were the first time,” Frankie said in 1993.
Throughout his life, Frankie was married three times and has six children. Unfortunately, he experienced the worst form of heartbreak when his step-daughter, the daughter of his first wife, Mary, died after falling off a fire escape in 1980. Six months later, he received yet another devastating blow when his youngest daughter died of drug abuse.
Despite the tragedies, he needed to stay strong and resilient for the sake of his other children who continue bringing him joy.
”My kids are all creative and creators. Even my grandkids! My son Brando is doing EDM and I just saw my granddaughter Olivia perform in the touring company of Pretty Woman in Los Angeles. She is playing the lead. It was thrilling!,” Frankie told The Montrealer last year.
Frankie continues to captivate the hearts of many. He truly is a living legend we all adore.
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