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Frankie Valli
Biography
Pop singer Frankie Valli was permanently associated with the group for which he served as lead singer, the Four Seasons. But he also maintained a separate solo career during much of the band's tenure that included several major hits beginning with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and including "Grease." He also found work as a film and television actor. In general, Valli's solo recordings were closer to middle-of-the-road traditional pop than his work with the Four Seasons, and he abandoned his trademark falsetto when working under his own name alone. To a large extent, however, his name was interchangeable with that of the group, which was billed often as "Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons."

Valli was born Francis Castelluccio in Newark, NJ, on May 3, 1934. (The date of 1937 often shown for his birth is erroneous and was propagated to make him seem younger.) His father, Anthony Castelluccio, was a barber; his mother, Maria Castelluccio, was an Italian immigrant. He became interested in singing early, finding particular inspiration when he saw Frank Sinatra perform at the Paramount Theater in New York City in the 1940s. His early mentor was Texas Jean Valley, who took him to auditions, and as a result he adopted the same last name, although he tried several different spellings before settling on Valli.
Selected Discography