Frankie Valli

About

Also known as: Francis Castelluccio, Frankie Vally

Few voices in pop history are as immediately recognizable as Frankie Valli's. The Newark native built his career on an unusually powerful countertenor that could cut through just about anything, and as the lead singer of the Four Seasons he turned that voice into a string of number one hits: "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like a Man", "Rag Doll", and "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)". The business side was just as sharp. Back in 1962, Valli and bandmate Bob Gaudio shook hands on a deal splitting each other's earnings 50/50, a handshake that eventually divided well over 50 million dollars between them. Outside the Four Seasons, Valli held his own as a solo act too. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" became a massive hit in 1967, and he followed it with solo number ones in "My Eyes Adored You" and the title track to the 1978 film Grease. The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and in February 2025 Valli finally received his first Grammy, a Lifetime Achievement Award.