Pop icon Frankie Valli

Musical genres come and go, but Frankie Valli who made walking like a man famous is as dynamic today as he was when he scored his first hit with The Four Seasons in 1962.

“You want a contract? OK, here’s the contract … a Jersey contract.” That’s part of an exchange in the global theatrical phenomenon “Jersey Boys,” as Frankie Valli extends his hand to bandmate Bob Gaudio when the legendary supergroup, The Four Seasons, was born. The handshake deal has stood the test of time for more than six decades. It is a barely legal arrangement unheard of in the lawsuit-laden industry of show business.

But if you look at it from an Italian-American perspective, the deal is based upon trust, loyalty and respect, qualities engrained in Italian Americans from birth. It’s the “Neighborhood Way,” whether that neighborhood be in New York City, Newark or Chicago.

Frankie was born Francesco Castelluccio on May 3, 1934, in the Belleville township of Newark. His parents were both from the Campania region — his father, Antonio, from Faiano and his mother, Mary (Rinaldi), from Avellino.

Because his folks lived in the epicenter of 1950s doo-wop in Newark and Plainfield, New Jersey, he and his two brothers were always surrounded by music, whether it was on the radio or live under a streetlamp on a corner.

When Frankie was 7 years old, his mom took him to the Paramount Theatre in New York City to take in the teen heartthrob of the day, another famous “Jersey Boy” from Hoboken: Frank Sinatra. “Even though I was only 7, that was the day, believe it or not, I knew what I wanted to do,” Frankie says.

He attended Central High School and often sang with his buddies on street corners while learning to play the bass in the early 1950s. In 1954, he decided to join the Variety Trio, which had Tommy DeVito and his brother Nick DeVito as members, along with their friend Henry Majewski. The singers changed the name of their group to The Variatones just after Frankie joined.

When Hank and Nick refused an opportunity to open for a young Tony Bennett, they were asked to leave the group, and a mentor of Frankie’s was asked to join: Nick Macioci, soon to take on the stage name Nick Massi. Frankie was also mentored by a “hillbilly” singer named “Texas” Jean Valley, from whom he adopted the stage name Valli. The story goes that Valley took him to meet music publishers, telling them he was her brother. As a result, his first single was attributed to “Frankie Valley.” “I changed the spelling to ‘Valli’ because it sounded more Italian,” Frankie says. “Everybody in our neighborhood was pretty much Italian American so I thought to refer more to my Italian roots would be a good career move.”

Frankie recorded his first single, “My Mother’s Eyes,” in 1953, and soon after the group changed its name to The Four Lovers. 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.”

In 1958, another New Jersey group, The Royal Teens, recorded a hit single, “Short Shorts.” The song was written by a New York City-born Italian-American keyboardist, Bob Gaudio. But by 1959, both The Four Lovers and The Royal Teens were in parallel tailspins.

Mutual friend Joe Pesci (yes, the actor) introduced the two and it was instant chemistry. By 1960, after several years of session work under numerous group names, Frankie, DeVito, Gaudio and Massi went with The Four Seasons, taking the moniker from a bowling alley in Union, New Jersey, that had rejected them after an audition some years back.

With Frankie’s signature falsetto and Gaudio’s music and lyrics, the group skyrocketed after its first No. 1 hit, “Sherry,” in 1962. “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Dawn,” “Stay,” “Rag Doll,” “Bye, Bye, Baby,” “Let’s Hang On,” “Working My Way Back to You,” “Beggin’,” “Who Loves You” and “December, 1963” followed through 1975.

The Beatles-led British Invasion changed the musical landscape of mid-1960s America, but The Four Seasons stayed the course. “We wound up putting out hits and kept it all going,” Frankie says.

Frankie decided to start a solo career in 1965 while still with the band. His first single as a solo artist was “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” which reached No. 2 on the charts in 1967 and earned him a Grammy nomination. He reached No. 1 with “My Eyes Adored You” in 1975. Frankie recorded the theme song for the 1975 blockbuster film “Grease,” written by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees. The song also ended up becoming a No. 1 hit for Frankie.

In 2005, the musical “Jersey Boys” opened on Broadway. The show has been financially successful and widely acclaimed, earning eight Tony Award nominations and winning four. It has touring companies around the world and was adapted into a 2014 film directed by Clint Eastwood. The Chicago run of the stage musical played to sold-out houses for three years.

Frankie and several of his songs have a strong social media presence, garnering new fans every day, and he has been touring non-stop for decades, promoting his unique sound.

“I got on this rollercoaster 46 years ago, and the ride has never ended,” Robby Robinson, Frankie’s musical director since 1978, said while the tour was in town last year. “Frankie is a pro from start to finish and is a part of every aspect of the show.”

I asked Frankie how much his Italian heritage affected his career. “Well, listening to Sinatra really sparked something in me. But many of us got our musical inspiration from the Black singers at the time,” he explains. “Our first major record deal was with Vee-Jay Records, which was mainly for Black artists. But I never forgot where I came from, who I was surrounded by, and the lessons I learned from my parents and from growing up in an Italian neighborhood. And what’s better than Italian food?”

In 2023, Frankie announced that, after 64 years on the road, 2024 will be his last year for touring.

“I’m 90 years old but I still feel good,” Frankie says. “Touring is tough these days and the flights are killers. But I still love the music and love to perform. When I do, all my troubles and aches and pains go away. But you never know, you may still see me around.”

To recognize individuals who have brought great pride to the Italian-American community, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans has established the Columbus Lifetime Achievement Medal. Frankie Valli has graciously agreed to be first recipient of the honor.

“Chicago has always been good to me and The Four Seasons. Coming back to Chicago year after year has been like seeing old friends and family, even when there are new, younger fans,” Frankie says. “This is an honor I really appreciate. I am an Italian American, and proud to be that.”

The above appears in the October 2024 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture. To subscribe, click here.