Frankie Valli to Perform at Palace Theatre, 11/3

With an incredible career spanning nearly 50 years, Frankie Valli has wooed audiences throughout the world with one of the most distinctive voices in rock 'n' roll. Valli scored 29 Top 40 hits with The Four Seasons and nine Top 40 hits as a solo artist, earning him induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. As a member of The Four Seasons, Valli's number one hits include "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Rag Doll," and "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)." As a solo artist, he hit number one with "My Eyes Adored You" and "Grease."

CAPA presents Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) on Sunday, November 3, at 7 pm. Tickets are $38-$75 at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Young people aged 13-25 may purchase $5 PNC Arts Alive All Access tickets while available. For more information, visit www.GoFor5.com.

This performance is made possible through the generous support of 2013-14 CAPA season sponsor American Airlines.

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. His earliest performances were informal affairs, singing doo-wop to passers-by on Newark street corners. In the early '50s, 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, Valli and the group formed a relationship with songwriter Bob Gaudio that has continued for nearly 40 years.

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

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. In 1964, the Beatles came onto the American music scene, leading a British Invasion that decimated the careers of scores of American pop music acts. The Four Seasons not only survived, but continued to thrive; scoring three Top Five hits that year.

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 Seasons 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 US, Europe, and Asia.

In 1974, Valli 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 number 11 on the charts. In 1976, "December, '63 (Oh, What a Night)" climbed to number 1, staying at the top for three weeks. Frankie scored another megahit in 1978 with the title track of the best-selling Grease soundtrack.

"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 50 total weeks.

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

Photo credit: Richard Beland

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