Published Articles
<< FRANKIE VALLI'S TOWN NEWARK HONORS POP SINGER AS FAVORITE SON
The Record, Northern New Jersey, 10/29/1987, 522 words
Twenty-five years ago, Henry Martinez, now president of the Newark City
Council, was a rookie cop who hung out with Francis Castelluccio, a
skinny
guy who worked as a maintenance man for the Newark Housing Authority and
sang nights at a local club called The Silhouette.
"One night I told him, `I heard you singing last night, and you're really
wasting your time here as a maintenance man,'" Martinez said yesterday.
"He
said, `I've got a record coming out in a couple of weeks, and with God's
blessing, it's going to be a hit.' That record was `Sherry.'" Francis
Castelluccio went on to win fame as Frankie Valli , lead singer of the
Four
Seasons, and yesterday the City of Newark honored him at a ceremony that
brought tears to some eyes and sent strains of the Four Seasons' "Walk
Like
a Man" wafting through the vast rotunda of city hall.
City officials declared it Frankie Valli Day and transformed the rotunda
into a party room complete with heart-shaped silver balloons, a video
monitor showing clips of Valli in action, and blaring music from the Four
Seasons. About 100 people attended.
The event commemorated Valli's 25 years in show business. "Sherry"
reached
the No. 1 spot on the charts Sept. 15, 1962; Valli moved on through the
1960's and 1970's with a string of gold records such as "Dawn" and "Let's
Hang On" and continues in casinos of Atlantic City, where he and his
group
still perform.
The Newark city fathers gave "the man for all Four Seasons" a big silver
medal, a bigger plaque, and a snazzy, white-satin jacket with " Frankie
Valli " in script across the front and "NEWARK" in big gold letters
across
the back.
"If someone would have told me 25 years ago that we'd be celebrating a
day
in my name today, I don't think I would have believed them," Valli said
tearfully. "I'm telling you, dreams can come true. . . .
"Newark will always be home for me. I really mean that from my heart. And
I
will be there when she needs me." Valli, who is 50, was reared in the
city's
North Ward, attended public schools, and got his start singing in
neighborhood bars in the early 1950's. His mother still lives in the
Stephen
Crane housing project.
Valli is one of Newark's favorite sons, numerous city officials said
yesterday _ from Martinez, who told stories about his old friend and then
gave him several awards, to Mayor Sharpe James, who presented a box of
long-stemmed roses to Mary Castelluccio, Valli's mother. Also on hand
were
his wife, Randy; his new son, Francesco; his daughter , Antonia Valli
Farano; and her husband, Richard.
The day was for younger fans too. June Daly, 24, who works in the city's
budget department, shook Valli's hand, beamed, and said "Sherry" was her
favorite song _ even though it came out the year before she was born.
"I love his records _ shaking his hand is something I've wanted to do for
a
long time," Ms. Daly said. "I love `Sherry' . . . It's still a hit with
me."
FRANKIE VALLI: AFTER 40 YEARS, STILL IN SEASON
Sun-Sentinel Ft. Lauderdale, 03/16/1995, 768 words
Good songs live forever, says Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons, so it
came
as no real surprise when the recent remix of oldies hit December, 1963
(Oh,
What a Night) began climbing the charts around the world.
"It wouldn't shock me if it were a hit three or more times - not by
Frankie
Valli and the Four Seasons - by anybody," the singer says from his Los
Angeles home.
Valli says the idea of reintroducing December, 1963 (written by longtime
partner Bob Gaudio) in what he terms its "enhanced" version wasn't a Four
Seasons brainchild.
"A company out of Holland did it first, and asked if we would mind very
much
if they did it, and we said no, but it would be subject to our approval,"
Valli says. A few drum and bass changes later and: "It was released in
Holland and went to the top three, then it was released in Australia and
it
went to No. 1. Then some disc jockey out of Pittsburgh started playing it
and all of a sudden it was a hit again."
Valli, whose recent case of bronchitis forced him to cancel the last four
days of a Las Vegas run, hopes to be in good health and voice for a
concert
Friday at Sunrise Musical Theatre. Majic 102.7's "Let the Good Times
Roll"
concert also features the Rascals and the Vogues.
Fans of 1960s music couldn't hope for a better gathering of some of that
decade's most popular talent, with songs like Five O'Clock World, Turn
Around, Look at Me (the Vogues); People Got to Be Free, Groovin', How Can
I
Be Sure (the Rascals); and Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like a Man (
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons).
Valli confesses he wanted to do the concert so he could enjoy one of his
favorite performers.
"One of the main reasons I'm doing it is because of my friendship to
Felix
Cavaliere" of the Rascals, he says. "I've been a fan of the Rascals ever
since I can remember. ... We're going to be working together for the
first
time - I'm looking forward to it."
He also says he looks forward to coming to Florida - something he doesn't
do
as often as he used to.
"I remember when Bachelors III was operating and Sunrise had somebody
every
week," he recalls. "And there was the Marco Polo Hotel, the Newport, the
Playboy. Unfortunately, these kinds of places have disappeared."
The singer's own schedule remains busy with performances 125 to 150 days
a
year, despite his dedication to raising his 7-year-old son Francesco and
8-month-old twins Emilio and Brando.
"I'm a hands-on dad, I can tell you that," he says. "I'm very attuned to
what my children are all about. I think it's rather important - keeping
in
mind I have a grown daughter and two grandchildren."
He has managed to give Francesco one gift he'll never forget - a joint
appearance on TV's Full House.
"It's something he'll have - when he was 7 years old he did Full House
with
his dad," Valli says. "It will be very special to him. Not that I want
him
to be involved in show business. He's a very bright boy and I'd like for
him
to get a good education. I'd like to see him do something that offers him
a
little more security. I just bought him a set of golf clubs. If you look
at
the tour of pros - you can play golf when you're 90."
Valli is now interested in developing other aspects of a show business
career, maybe something in serious acting, or a regular role on a series.
"I don't want to play a singer - it's not even challenging," he says.
He uses the word challenge until it becomes clear that is his personal
touchstone. Asked part of his career he enjoys most, Valli replies: "All
of
it. I enjoyed working to get where I got to as much as I did when I got
there. It's nice as long as it stays challenging.
"That's the most important part of whatever you do; as long as you can
keep
that challenge alive. To just go through the motions, what would it
actually
mean?"
FOUR SEASONS MEMBER MAKES HIS OWN MUSIC: LEE SHAPIRO OPENS MUSIC HOUSE.
...
Back Stage, 05/04/1990, 787 words
Copyright Back Stage Publishing Inc. 1990
Four Seasons Member Makes His Own Music: Lee Shapiro Opens Music House
NEW YORK - Lee Shapiro , former member and music director with Frankie
Valli
and the Four Seasons, opened Lee Shapiro Music here last week with
executive
vice president of sales Jeffrey Shippee.
Shapiro, who is the new company's composer/producer, left the Four
Seasons
in 1979 to become a freelance record producer/composer, during which time
he
wrote and produced songs for such acts as Tony Orlando, L'Amour, Peter
Pringle and a group called Broken Promises, which featured the current
pop
sensation Tommy Page. He later joined Tallman Music here, but after
clients
began specifically to request his reel and his talents, he decided to
venture on his own.
Creating a better creative product through one-on-one agency/client
relationships was key in this former crooner's decision to open his own
music shop. "When working through another company, that is their domain.
I
feel I can do a better job creatively when I hear the agency and client
input first hand," explained Shapiro, who values keeping the musical
vision
a collaborative one.
Singing The Same Tune
"I value their input and don't want the demo to be a surprise," Shapiro
added. He then compared creative brainstorming to cartoons where a
character's thoughts are drawn in a cloud above its head. "I don't want
one
person to have an orange {in their cloud} and the other an army tank," he
analogized.
Shippee noted Shapiro's often instant communicative skills: "Lee walks
out
of creative meetings humming, whistling or beating a rhythm on a desk."
This
is first on the musical road of developing a tune that meets the needs of
all involved.
Keeping that song on track requires upfront communication. Shapiro said
once
when he was working with a rap artist, the musician kept telling him to
"`pump it up.' I thought he meant to make it louder. So that's what I
did.
He wanted me to make it faster. You've got to define your terms the best
you
can." He said that the agencies he's worked with in the past generally
have
a good idea of what they want and "shouldn't be penalized for not being
music school graduates." Shapiro himself dropped out of the Manhattan
School
of Music at 19 when Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons called.
"The bottom line is to be creative, innovative, a good listener and a
responsible business person," summarized Shapiro. Alongside Shapiro in
those
efforts is Shippee, who comes from a commercial production background,
having most recently been the executive producer for Canning Films
International. He also has been the executive producer for Leslie Dektor,
Rick Levine and Michael Ulick. Shippee said he hopes his experience in
the
structured film business will aid him in the lyrical end. He called
"battling the phone mail," one of the greatest challenges that lay ahead.
Quick Response
Shippee's calls must be getting through. Even before the plaque was on
the
door, the company had made its share of music. They have completed radio
work for Sunoco Ultra 94 and the most recent "I Love New York" television
campaign for Wells, Rich, Greene here and are in the midst of another
television project for that agency. The new company is also at work on a
project for Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising here.
According to Shapiro, the diversity of his range is reflected in the work
they've produced. For example, the "I Love New York" piece is in a
popular
rock style and the Sunoco is a more majestic, orchestral arrangement.
"Listen to the reel and find out how diverse it really is and then make
an
opinion," said Shippee.
Shapiro's personal music loves range from the french impressionist
composer
Maurice Ravel to rap artist Biz Markie New York radio stations that he
listens to regularly include the classical (WQXR and WNCN), as well as
classic rock (WNEW) and pop-rock (Kiss 98 FM and Z100). He produced a rap
record for the group Omega Force with Select Records and is working on
getting a deal together for Shorty Rock, a born-again Christian rapper
and
friend of Omega Force.
Rock called Shapiro from a Manhattan rehabilitation center and told him
of
his dream of being a rap artist. Shapiro put Rock on the speaker-phone
and
told him to do his thing. What he heard persuaded Shapiro to take on the
new
rapper. The emotional rewards of helping someone rebuild his life has
greatly touched Shapiro. He recalled, "He {Rock} called me to tell me
he'd
been promoted from dishwasher to cook at TGI Fridays. He said, `I thought
I
was a dishwasher. Now I'm a cook. Now I'm gonna be a rap artist.'"
-----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: valli articles
Date: 3/1/2000 8:03:24 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: fsmcguire@juno.com
To: RussMc1958@aol.com
FRANKIE VALLI'S TOWN NEWARK HONORS POP SINGER AS FAVORITE SON
The Record, Northern New Jersey, 10/29/1987, 522 words
Twenty-five years ago, Henry Martinez, now president of the Newark City
Council, was a rookie cop who hung out with Francis Castelluccio, a
skinny
guy who worked as a maintenance man for the Newark Housing Authority and
sang nights at a local club called The Silhouette.
"One night I told him, `I heard you singing last night, and you're really
wasting your time here as a maintenance man,'" Martinez said yesterday.
"He
said, `I've got a record coming out in a couple of weeks, and with God's
blessing, it's going to be a hit.' That record was `Sherry.'" Francis
Castelluccio went on to win fame as Frankie Valli , lead singer of the
Four
Seasons, and yesterday the City of Newark honored him at a ceremony that
brought tears to some eyes and sent strains of the Four Seasons' "Walk
Like
a Man" wafting through the vast rotunda of city hall.
City officials declared it Frankie Valli Day and transformed the rotunda
into a party room complete with heart-shaped silver balloons, a video
monitor showing clips of Valli in action, and blaring music from the Four
Seasons. About 100 people attended.
The event commemorated Valli's 25 years in show business. "Sherry"
reached
the No. 1 spot on the charts Sept. 15, 1962; Valli moved on through the
1960's and 1970's with a string of gold records such as "Dawn" and "Let's
Hang On" and continues in casinos of Atlantic City, where he and his
group
still perform.
The Newark city fathers gave "the man for all Four Seasons" a big silver
medal, a bigger plaque, and a snazzy, white-satin jacket with " Frankie
Valli " in script across the front and "NEWARK" in big gold letters
across
the back.
"If someone would have told me 25 years ago that we'd be celebrating a
day
in my name today, I don't think I would have believed them," Valli said
tearfully. "I'm telling you, dreams can come true. . . .
"Newark will always be home for me. I really mean that from my heart. And
I
will be there when she needs me." Valli, who is 50, was reared in the
city's
North Ward, attended public schools, and got his start singing in
neighborhood bars in the early 1950's. His mother still lives in the
Stephen
Crane housing project.
Valli is one of Newark's favorite sons, numerous city officials said
yesterday _ from Martinez, who told stories about his old friend and then
gave him several awards, to Mayor Sharpe James, who presented a box of
long-stemmed roses to Mary Castelluccio, Valli's mother. Also on hand
were
his wife, Randy; his new son, Francesco; his daughter , Antonia Valli
Farano; and her husband, Richard.
The day was for younger fans too. June Daly, 24, who works in the city's
budget department, shook Valli's hand, beamed, and said "Sherry" was her
favorite song _ even though it came out the year before she was born.
"I love his records _ shaking his hand is something I've wanted to do for
a
long time," Ms. Daly said. "I love `Sherry' . . . It's still a hit with
me."
FRANKIE VALLI: AFTER 40 YEARS, STILL IN SEASON
Sun-Sentinel Ft. Lauderdale, 03/16/1995, 768 words
Good songs live forever, says Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons, so it
came
as no real surprise when the recent remix of oldies hit December, 1963
(Oh,
What a Night) began climbing the charts around the world.
"It wouldn't shock me if it were a hit three or more times - not by
Frankie
Valli and the Four Seasons - by anybody," the singer says from his Los
Angeles home.
Valli says the idea of reintroducing December, 1963 (written by longtime
partner Bob Gaudio) in what he terms its "enhanced" version wasn't a Four
Seasons brainchild.
"A company out of Holland did it first, and asked if we would mind very
much
if they did it, and we said no, but it would be subject to our approval,"
Valli says. A few drum and bass changes later and: "It was released in
Holland and went to the top three, then it was released in Australia and
it
went to No. 1. Then some disc jockey out of Pittsburgh started playing it
and all of a sudden it was a hit again."
Valli, whose recent case of bronchitis forced him to cancel the last four
days of a Las Vegas run, hopes to be in good health and voice for a
concert
Friday at Sunrise Musical Theatre. Majic 102.7's "Let the Good Times
Roll"
concert also features the Rascals and the Vogues.
Fans of 1960s music couldn't hope for a better gathering of some of that
decade's most popular talent, with songs like Five O'Clock World, Turn
Around, Look at Me (the Vogues); People Got to Be Free, Groovin', How Can
I
Be Sure (the Rascals); and Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like a Man (
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons).
Valli confesses he wanted to do the concert so he could enjoy one of his
favorite performers.
"One of the main reasons I'm doing it is because of my friendship to
Felix
Cavaliere" of the Rascals, he says. "I've been a fan of the Rascals ever
since I can remember. ... We're going to be working together for the
first
time - I'm looking forward to it."
He also says he looks forward to coming to Florida - something he doesn't
do
as often as he used to.
"I remember when Bachelors III was operating and Sunrise had somebody
every
week," he recalls. "And there was the Marco Polo Hotel, the Newport, the
Playboy. Unfortunately, these kinds of places have disappeared."
The singer's own schedule remains busy with performances 125 to 150 days
a
year, despite his dedication to raising his 7-year-old son Francesco and
8-month-old twins Emilio and Brando.
"I'm a hands-on dad, I can tell you that," he says. "I'm very attuned to
what my children are all about. I think it's rather important - keeping
in
mind I have a grown daughter and two grandchildren."
He has managed to give Francesco one gift he'll never forget - a joint
appearance on TV's Full House.
"It's something he'll have - when he was 7 years old he did Full House
with
his dad," Valli says. "It will be very special to him. Not that I want
him
to be involved in show business. He's a very bright boy and I'd like for
him
to get a good education. I'd like to see him do something that offers him
a
little more security. I just bought him a set of golf clubs. If you look
at
the tour of pros - you can play golf when you're 90."
Valli is now interested in developing other aspects of a show business
career, maybe something in serious acting, or a regular role on a series.
"I don't want to play a singer - it's not even challenging," he says.
He uses the word challenge until it becomes clear that is his personal
touchstone. Asked part of his career he enjoys most, Valli replies: "All
of
it. I enjoyed working to get where I got to as much as I did when I got
there. It's nice as long as it stays challenging.
"That's the most important part of whatever you do; as long as you can
keep
that challenge alive. To just go through the motions, what would it
actually
mean?"
FOUR SEASONS MEMBER MAKES HIS OWN MUSIC: LEE SHAPIRO OPENS MUSIC HOUSE.
...
Back Stage, 05/04/1990, 787 words
Copyright Back Stage Publishing Inc. 1990
Four Seasons Member Makes His Own Music: Lee Shapiro Opens Music House
NEW YORK - Lee Shapiro , former member and music director with Frankie
Valli
and the Four Seasons, opened Lee Shapiro Music here last week with
executive
vice president of sales Jeffrey Shippee.
Shapiro, who is the new company's composer/producer, left the Four
Seasons
in 1979 to become a freelance record producer/composer, during which time
he
wrote and produced songs for such acts as Tony Orlando, L'Amour, Peter
Pringle and a group called Broken Promises, which featured the current
pop
sensation Tommy Page. He later joined Tallman Music here, but after
clients
began specifically to request his reel and his talents, he decided to
venture on his own.
Creating a better creative product through one-on-one agency/client
relationships was key in this former crooner's decision to open his own
music shop. "When working through another company, that is their domain.
I
feel I can do a better job creatively when I hear the agency and client
input first hand," explained Shapiro, who values keeping the musical
vision
a collaborative one.
Singing The Same Tune
"I value their input and don't want the demo to be a surprise," Shapiro
added. He then compared creative brainstorming to cartoons where a
character's thoughts are drawn in a cloud above its head. "I don't want
one
person to have an orange {in their cloud} and the other an army tank," he
analogized.
Shippee noted Shapiro's often instant communicative skills: "Lee walks
out
of creative meetings humming, whistling or beating a rhythm on a desk."
This
is first on the musical road of developing a tune that meets the needs of
all involved.
Keeping that song on track requires upfront communication. Shapiro said
once
when he was working with a rap artist, the musician kept telling him to
"`pump it up.' I thought he meant to make it louder. So that's what I
did.
He wanted me to make it faster. You've got to define your terms the best
you
can." He said that the agencies he's worked with in the past generally
have
a good idea of what they want and "shouldn't be penalized for not being
music school graduates." Shapiro himself dropped out of the Manhattan
School
of Music at 19 when Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons called.
"The bottom line is to be creative, innovative, a good listener and a
responsible business person," summarized Shapiro. Alongside Shapiro in
those
efforts is Shippee, who comes from a commercial production background,
having most recently been the executive producer for Canning Films
International. He also has been the executive producer for Leslie Dektor,
Rick Levine and Michael Ulick. Shippee said he hopes his experience in
the
structured film business will aid him in the lyrical end. He called
"battling the phone mail," one of the greatest challenges that lay ahead.
Quick Response
Shippee's calls must be getting through. Even before the plaque was on
the
door, the company had made its share of music. They have completed radio
work for Sunoco Ultra 94 and the most recent "I Love New York" television
campaign for Wells, Rich, Greene here and are in the midst of another
television project for that agency. The new company is also at work on a
project for Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising here.
According to Shapiro, the diversity of his range is reflected in the work
they've produced. For example, the "I Love New York" piece is in a
popular
rock style and the Sunoco is a more majestic, orchestral arrangement.
"Listen to the reel and find out how diverse it really is and then make
an
opinion," said Shippee.
Shapiro's personal music loves range from the french impressionist
composer
Maurice Ravel to rap artist Biz Markie New York radio stations that he
listens to regularly include the classical (WQXR and WNCN), as well as
classic rock (WNEW) and pop-rock (Kiss 98 FM and Z100). He produced a rap
record for the group Omega Force with Select Records and is working on
getting a deal together for Shorty Rock, a born-again Christian rapper
and
friend of Omega Force.
Rock called Shapiro from a Manhattan rehabilitation center and told him
of
his dream of being a rap artist. Shapiro put Rock on the speaker-phone
and
told him to do his thing. What he heard persuaded Shapiro to take on the
new
rapper. The emotional rewards of helping someone rebuild his life has
greatly touched Shapiro. He recalled, "He {Rock} called me to tell me
he'd
been promoted from dishwasher to cook at TGI Fridays. He said, `I thought
I
was a dishwasher. Now I'm a cook. Now I'm gonna be a rap artist.'"
The Toronto Globe and Mail, 07/07/1980, 226 words
Forum concerts canned by Valli after 'act of God'
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons cancelled two performances at Ontario
Place yesterday after three members of the singing group were hurt in an
accident during an outdoor concert in Phildelphia the previous night.
Six people received minor injuries when a sudden gust of wind toppled two
light standards, demolishing $125,000 worth of the group's equipment.
Confusion ensued among the 30,000 spectators at the free concert, part of
Philadelphia's Fourth of July celebration, when some strugged to get out
of
the way while others moved closer to see whether any of the injuries had
been serious.
"It just seemed to have been an act of God," said Valli, the group's lead
singer. "I had just left my microphone when everything seemed to
explode."
Guitarist Don Ciccione said that when the banks of lights crashed to the
stage, Valli had just launched into December '63, a song that begins,
"Oh,
what a night."
The performers injured were pianist Jerry Corbetta, 32, whose left hand
was
fractured, and female vocalist Toby Tyler, 24, and drummer Gerry Polci ,
27,
who received minor cuts. At first, many spectators thought a light set
had
fallen directly on Polci , but he ducked beneath a raised platform
escaped
with minor injuries.
The group's Ontario Place booking included afternoon and evening concerts
at
the Forum.
CLASSIC POP AT THE HOP
The Star-Ledger Newark, NJ, 03/20/1992, 825 words (Copyright Newark
Morning
Ledger Co., 1992)
The Hop nightclub in Bloomfield could be considered an infant nightclub,
having existed for only two years. But it has two offspring of its own:
Hop
clubs in Totowa and Parsippany. There is no better proof of the
steady-and
possibly growing-interest in live shows by acts from the early days of
rock'n'roll.
The three clubs offer a similar array of acts from the '50s, '60s and
'70s
(the Village People performed at the Bloomfield Hop last week, and Chubby
Checker will perform there Saturday, April 4), younger cover bands,
dancing
waitresses (the "Hopettes"), and casual food. Although live acts are
booked
mostly on weekends, the opportunity to dance to the sounds of vintage
rock'n'roll brings people to the clubs on weekday nights as well.
This weekend's array of Hop shows includes Sounds Of The City tomorrow
night
at the Hop in Bloomfield (10 Willow St.), the Duprees tomorrow night at
the
Hop in Totowa (120 Union Blvd.), and the Beach Boys tribute band Surf's
Up
tomorrow night at the Hop in Parsippany (25105 Route 10 East, at the
Galleria Mall).
The Bloomfield Hop, which first opened its doors in December 1989,
returned
to its original "golden oldies" orientation approximately a month ago,
after
a period when it tried to attract a younger crowd with more contemporary
music.
"We figured there were a lot of oldies clubs opening up, and I thought I
was
a trendsetter with a younger age group," said Barry Maurillo of
Belleville,
who co-owns the clubs with his brother Joe, a Nutley resident (the two
have
a partner, Michael Mahre, for the Totowa and Parsippany clubs). "But it's
just not the right way to go. We decided to go back to the older crowd,
and
our original concept."
Toni Valli, one of three managers of the Bloomfield Hop, is enthusiastic
about the return to the original format as well. "The crowd was very
disoriented," she said. "We still had people coming in thinking we were
the
old Hop, and not really understanding what we were all about. It was
difficult to get the young crowd to accept the Hop as a club."
The only ways in which the club is different from the way it originally
was,
she added, are that it offers "snacks and bites" on the menu instead of
more
formal meals, and presents some younger acts, such as the Village People,
in
addition to the '50s and '60s acts.
According to Valli, the club's ability to attract a regular crowd makes
it
ideal for the kind of music it presents. "Back in the '50s and '60s, when
people played at local clubs, everybody knew everybody," she said. "And
people traveled to go and see those same people. This club has that same
feeling. You know you'll see certain familiar faces when you come here."
Valli talks about the club's musical concerns with confidence. After all,
as
the daughter of singer Frankie Valli , she has been close to the music
business for literally all of her life.
"People say things to me like, `Do you like oldies?,"' she said. "How
could
I not? I was 6 years old, being woken up in the middle of the night by my
father to listen to mixes of what were to be No. 1 hit songs.
"Although I'm not musically inclined, I have a great ear. It's like I was
born and bred for it; managing an oldies club is something that's second
nature to me."
As a child and an adolescent, Valli would often accompany her father and
his
group, the Four Seasons, on the road. "I've probably been everywhere in
the
world," she said.
Prior to working at the Hop, Valli, who grew up in Nutley and lives in
Caldwell, worked in a variety of management and sales positions outside
of
the music business. She was introduced to Barry Maurillo by a mutual
friend
who thought she might be able to help out with the club's catering
business.
"One thing led to another, and within a very short time I was a manager
here," she said.
Four months ago, Valli, who is 33, married Gerry Polci , 40, her father's
drummer for the last 20 years and the lead singer of the Four Seasons'
1976
hit, "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)." Upon getting married, Polci
decided to quit touring with the band, and is now keeping busy with
teaching
and studio work.
"He said to my father, `Listen, you've been my boss for 20 years, and now
I'd like to enjoy you as my father-in-law,"' said Toni Valli. "Of course,
they get together and I can't tear them away from each other. They talk
music until they're blue in the face."
Frankie Valli , incidentally, "likes (Barry and Joe Maurillo) very much,
and
he's very comfortable with the fact that I'm working here," said Toni.
"My
father doesn't call it `oldies,' by the way. It's `classic music' as far
as
he's concerned."
49130 years later, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons return to where it
...
The Star-Ledger Newark, NJ, 07/07/1992, 891 words
(Copyright Newark Morning Ledger Co., 1992)
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Four
Seasons,
the vocal group that had approximately 30 Top 40 hits in the '60s and
'70s,
but group leader Frankie Valli said that nothing special has been planned
to
commemorate the occasion.
The reason Valli gave is a simple one, and a remarkable one for an
entertainer who has been around for so long: He has been too busy to work
on
it.
"There may be something a little later on," he said, "but we really
haven't
had a lot of time to get into anything special. We've been on a rigid
schedule between finishing an album, and touring, and all the other stuff
that goes with it. I still haven't had time to strip the show and put a
whole new one together, which I'm dying to do."
Valli & the Four Seasons team up with another remarkable foursome-the
Four
Tops-for a show Friday at 8 at the Meadowlands Summerfest in East
Rutherford. Valli & the Four Seasons will also return to New Jersey for a
Wednesday, Sept. 2 show at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel.
One of the most successful pop groups of the '60s, Valli & the Four
Seasons
were a constant presence on the charts with hits such as "Sherry," "Big
Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Rag Doll" and "Let's Hang On," all
highlighted by Valli's distinctive falsetto. The group's hits in the '70s
included "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)," which was sung by drummer
Gerry Polci , and "Who Loves You."
Valli, who was born and raised in Newark and still lives in North Jersey,
began releasing solo records in 1965, and to this day, has alternated
between solo projects and work with various lineups of Four Seasons. His
biggest solo successes have been 1967's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You,"
1975's
"My Eyes Adored You," and 1978's "Grease" (the theme of the motion
picture
of the same name).
Before he was in the Four Seasons, Valli was in various other groups that
performed in New Jersey and New York. His success started in Newark, and
he
still comes back "all the time," he said. "I'm friends with a lot of the
same people I've been friends with my whole life. Nothing changes. You
have
to learn that the most important thing in life is that you keep your feet
on
the ground."
Valli has two new records planned: a Four Seasons album that has already
been completed, and is due to be released late in the summer or early in
the
fall, and a solo album, to be released at some time after that.
In addition to working on these records and the group's tours, which
never
seem to end, "I'm going to spend some time in California," he said, "and
try
to get some film things going, and some TV things.
"I want to change course a little bit so I can get off the rigid schedule
of
being on the road. Especially with a 5-year-old son, I like being around
a
lot."
The upcoming albums will be composed of all-new material, though Valli
has
an ongoing problem of fitting new material into his shows. "People come
to
hear the hits," he said. "Fortunately or unfortunately, that's the
situation. There's only so much time you have in a show, and you have to
meet the time requirement, and when you overload it with material, you
get
there and have to start taking stuff out."
Valli doesn't regret his career choice, but he is also acutely aware of
the
negative aspects of life as a professional musician. "I've spent the main
thrust of my life on the road," he said, "and worked every holiday when
everybody was sitting around the table at Christmas and New Year's, going
out and having a terrific time. I certainly love what I do and I have no
regrets, but I don't know-If I knew that giving up so much was attached
to
it, I'm not that sure (I would have done it).
"I only hope I've given something of myself to a large segment of
society,
and I'm remembered for it. And I do it with all my heart and soul. That's
the only way I know how to do it."
For the Four Seasons record, he said, "We just went in and recorded
things
that we liked. It wasn't, `Let's turn the radio on and see what everybody
is
playing."'
Valli said his new records will utilize some state-of-the-art technology,
but not rely on it as much as most of today's pop music does.
"People go into the studio today to make records and they have the luxury
of
stopping the machine every three seconds to fix a note," he said. "In the
old days, you didn't go in and have 72 tracks to put your voice on until
you
got it right. There was more artistry involved.
"I love a lot of what's going on now; I'm talking about some of the stuff
that just can't last. It's been 30 years and I'm still here, and I have
as
much work as I want, but I have serious doubts if some of the people of
today will be around 30 years, especially people who lip-sync. We know
what
that's all about."
CLASS OF '95 EXITS HALLS OF ACADEMIA MONTCLAIR STATE SETS 1,600 FREE TO
...
The Record, Northern New Jersey, 05/19/1995, 617 words
First Gerry Polci hung up his rock-and-roll shoes. On Thursday, he hung
his
college diploma on the wall of his Caldwell home.
Polci, 42, a Passaic native and former drummer with Frankie Valli and the
Four Seasons, was among some 1,600 Montclair State University students
who
received diplomas Thursday during commencement exercises at Byrne Arena.
After touring with the Four Seasons for 17 years, Polci put down his
drumsticks in 1990 to audition for a new gig: teaching music to children.
"I got off the road and got a life, really," Polci said of his decision
to
quit the Four Seasons and marry Valli's daughter, Toni. "After 17 years,
I'd
had enough. Now the only gig I'd take is one in town."
Polci ended his career in style. He sang lead vocals on the Four Seasons'
1976 hit "December '63 (Oh What a Night)," which sold 4 million copies.
When
the song was re-released this year, it rocketed up the charts in
Australia
and New Zealand and clung to the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
Despite the fluke, Polci said he has had enough of the spotlight. Now
he's
just like the 1,600 other graduates. He's looking for work.
"I know what I want to do," he said. "I want to direct a high school
marching band." Polci did his student teaching in Parsippany schools.
-----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: more valli
Date: 3/1/2000 8:03:24 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: fsmcguire@juno.com
To: RussMc1958@aol.com
The Toronto Globe and Mail, 07/07/1980, 226 words
Forum concerts canned by Valli after 'act of God'
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons cancelled two performances at Ontario
Place yesterday after three members of the singing group were hurt in an
accident during an outdoor concert in Phildelphia the previous night.
Six people received minor injuries when a sudden gust of wind toppled two
light standards, demolishing $125,000 worth of the group's equipment.
Confusion ensued among the 30,000 spectators at the free concert, part of
Philadelphia's Fourth of July celebration, when some strugged to get out
of
the way while others moved closer to see whether any of the injuries had
been serious.
"It just seemed to have been an act of God," said Valli, the group's lead
singer. "I had just left my microphone when everything seemed to
explode."
Guitarist Don Ciccione said that when the banks of lights crashed to the
stage, Valli had just launched into December '63, a song that begins,
"Oh,
what a night."
The performers injured were pianist Jerry Corbetta, 32, whose left hand
was
fractured, and female vocalist Toby Tyler, 24, and drummer Gerry Polci ,
27,
who received minor cuts. At first, many spectators thought a light set
had
fallen directly on Polci , but he ducked beneath a raised platform
escaped
with minor injuries.
The group's Ontario Place booking included afternoon and evening concerts
at
the Forum.
CLASSIC POP AT THE HOP
The Star-Ledger Newark, NJ, 03/20/1992, 825 words (Copyright Newark
Morning
Ledger Co., 1992)
The Hop nightclub in Bloomfield could be considered an infant nightclub,
having existed for only two years. But it has two offspring of its own:
Hop
clubs in Totowa and Parsippany. There is no better proof of the
steady-and
possibly growing-interest in live shows by acts from the early days of
rock'n'roll.
The three clubs offer a similar array of acts from the '50s, '60s and
'70s
(the Village People performed at the Bloomfield Hop last week, and Chubby
Checker will perform there Saturday, April 4), younger cover bands,
dancing
waitresses (the "Hopettes"), and casual food. Although live acts are
booked
mostly on weekends, the opportunity to dance to the sounds of vintage
rock'n'roll brings people to the clubs on weekday nights as well.
This weekend's array of Hop shows includes Sounds Of The City tomorrow
night
at the Hop in Bloomfield (10 Willow St.), the Duprees tomorrow night at
the
Hop in Totowa (120 Union Blvd.), and the Beach Boys tribute band Surf's
Up
tomorrow night at the Hop in Parsippany (25105 Route 10 East, at the
Galleria Mall).
The Bloomfield Hop, which first opened its doors in December 1989,
returned
to its original "golden oldies" orientation approximately a month ago,
after
a period when it tried to attract a younger crowd with more contemporary
music.
"We figured there were a lot of oldies clubs opening up, and I thought I
was
a trendsetter with a younger age group," said Barry Maurillo of
Belleville,
who co-owns the clubs with his brother Joe, a Nutley resident (the two
have
a partner, Michael Mahre, for the Totowa and Parsippany clubs). "But it's
just not the right way to go. We decided to go back to the older crowd,
and
our original concept."
Toni Valli, one of three managers of the Bloomfield Hop, is enthusiastic
about the return to the original format as well. "The crowd was very
disoriented," she said. "We still had people coming in thinking we were
the
old Hop, and not really understanding what we were all about. It was
difficult to get the young crowd to accept the Hop as a club."
The only ways in which the club is different from the way it originally
was,
she added, are that it offers "snacks and bites" on the menu instead of
more
formal meals, and presents some younger acts, such as the Village People,
in
addition to the '50s and '60s acts.
According to Valli, the club's ability to attract a regular crowd makes
it
ideal for the kind of music it presents. "Back in the '50s and '60s, when
people played at local clubs, everybody knew everybody," she said. "And
people traveled to go and see those same people. This club has that same
feeling. You know you'll see certain familiar faces when you come here."
Valli talks about the club's musical concerns with confidence. After all,
as
the daughter of singer Frankie Valli , she has been close to the music
business for literally all of her life.
"People say things to me like, `Do you like oldies?,"' she said. "How
could
I not? I was 6 years old, being woken up in the middle of the night by my
father to listen to mixes of what were to be No. 1 hit songs.
"Although I'm not musically inclined, I have a great ear. It's like I was
born and bred for it; managing an oldies club is something that's second
nature to me."
As a child and an adolescent, Valli would often accompany her father and
his
group, the Four Seasons, on the road. "I've probably been everywhere in
the
world," she said.
Prior to working at the Hop, Valli, who grew up in Nutley and lives in
Caldwell, worked in a variety of management and sales positions outside
of
the music business. She was introduced to Barry Maurillo by a mutual
friend
who thought she might be able to help out with the club's catering
business.
"One thing led to another, and within a very short time I was a manager
here," she said.
Four months ago, Valli, who is 33, married Gerry Polci , 40, her father's
drummer for the last 20 years and the lead singer of the Four Seasons'
1976
hit, "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)." Upon getting married, Polci
decided to quit touring with the band, and is now keeping busy with
teaching
and studio work.
"He said to my father, `Listen, you've been my boss for 20 years, and now
I'd like to enjoy you as my father-in-law,"' said Toni Valli. "Of course,
they get together and I can't tear them away from each other. They talk
music until they're blue in the face."
Frankie Valli , incidentally, "likes (Barry and Joe Maurillo) very much,
and
he's very comfortable with the fact that I'm working here," said Toni.
"My
father doesn't call it `oldies,' by the way. It's `classic music' as far
as
he's concerned."
49130 years later, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons return to where it
...
The Star-Ledger Newark, NJ, 07/07/1992, 891 words
(Copyright Newark Morning Ledger Co., 1992)
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Four
Seasons,
the vocal group that had approximately 30 Top 40 hits in the '60s and
'70s,
but group leader Frankie Valli said that nothing special has been planned
to
commemorate the occasion.
The reason Valli gave is a simple one, and a remarkable one for an
entertainer who has been around for so long: He has been too busy to work
on
it.
"There may be something a little later on," he said, "but we really
haven't
had a lot of time to get into anything special. We've been on a rigid
schedule between finishing an album, and touring, and all the other stuff
that goes with it. I still haven't had time to strip the show and put a
whole new one together, which I'm dying to do."
Valli & the Four Seasons team up with another remarkable foursome-the
Four
Tops-for a show Friday at 8 at the Meadowlands Summerfest in East
Rutherford. Valli & the Four Seasons will also return to New Jersey for a
Wednesday, Sept. 2 show at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel.
One of the most successful pop groups of the '60s, Valli & the Four
Seasons
were a constant presence on the charts with hits such as "Sherry," "Big
Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Rag Doll" and "Let's Hang On," all
highlighted by Valli's distinctive falsetto. The group's hits in the '70s
included "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)," which was sung by drummer
Gerry Polci , and "Who Loves You."
Valli, who was born and raised in Newark and still lives in North Jersey,
began releasing solo records in 1965, and to this day, has alternated
between solo projects and work with various lineups of Four Seasons. His
biggest solo successes have been 1967's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You,"
1975's
"My Eyes Adored You," and 1978's "Grease" (the theme of the motion
picture
of the same name).
Before he was in the Four Seasons, Valli was in various other groups that
performed in New Jersey and New York. His success started in Newark, and
he
still comes back "all the time," he said. "I'm friends with a lot of the
same people I've been friends with my whole life. Nothing changes. You
have
to learn that the most important thing in life is that you keep your feet
on
the ground."
Valli has two new records planned: a Four Seasons album that has already
been completed, and is due to be released late in the summer or early in
the
fall, and a solo album, to be released at some time after that.
In addition to working on these records and the group's tours, which
never
seem to end, "I'm going to spend some time in California," he said, "and
try
to get some film things going, and some TV things.
"I want to change course a little bit so I can get off the rigid schedule
of
being on the road. Especially with a 5-year-old son, I like being around
a
lot."
The upcoming albums will be composed of all-new material, though Valli
has
an ongoing problem of fitting new material into his shows. "People come
to
hear the hits," he said. "Fortunately or unfortunately, that's the
situation. There's only so much time you have in a show, and you have to
meet the time requirement, and when you overload it with material, you
get
there and have to start taking stuff out."
Valli doesn't regret his career choice, but he is also acutely aware of
the
negative aspects of life as a professional musician. "I've spent the main
thrust of my life on the road," he said, "and worked every holiday when
everybody was sitting around the table at Christmas and New Year's, going
out and having a terrific time. I certainly love what I do and I have no
regrets, but I don't know-If I knew that giving up so much was attached
to
it, I'm not that sure (I would have done it).
"I only hope I've given something of myself to a large segment of
society,
and I'm remembered for it. And I do it with all my heart and soul. That's
the only way I know how to do it."
For the Four Seasons record, he said, "We just went in and recorded
things
that we liked. It wasn't, `Let's turn the radio on and see what everybody
is
playing."'
Valli said his new records will utilize some state-of-the-art technology,
but not rely on it as much as most of today's pop music does.
"People go into the studio today to make records and they have the luxury
of
stopping the machine every three seconds to fix a note," he said. "In the
old days, you didn't go in and have 72 tracks to put your voice on until
you
got it right. There was more artistry involved.
"I love a lot of what's going on now; I'm talking about some of the stuff
that just can't last. It's been 30 years and I'm still here, and I have
as
much work as I want, but I have serious doubts if some of the people of
today will be around 30 years, especially people who lip-sync. We know
what
that's all about."
CLASS OF '95 EXITS HALLS OF ACADEMIA MONTCLAIR STATE SETS 1,600 FREE TO
...
The Record, Northern New Jersey, 05/19/1995, 617 words
First Gerry Polci hung up his rock-and-roll shoes. On Thursday, he hung
his
college diploma on the wall of his Caldwell home.
Polci, 42, a Passaic native and former drummer with Frankie Valli and the
Four Seasons, was among some 1,600 Montclair State University students
who
received diplomas Thursday during commencement exercises at Byrne Arena.
After touring with the Four Seasons for 17 years, Polci put down his
drumsticks in 1990 to audition for a new gig: teaching music to children.
"I got off the road and got a life, really," Polci said of his decision
to
quit the Four Seasons and marry Valli's daughter, Toni. "After 17 years,
I'd
had enough. Now the only gig I'd take is one in town."
Polci ended his career in style. He sang lead vocals on the Four Seasons'
1976 hit "December '63 (Oh What a Night)," which sold 4 million copies.
When
the song was re-released this year, it rocketed up the charts in
Australia
and New Zealand and clung to the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
Despite the fluke, Polci said he has had enough of the spotlight. Now
he's
just like the 1,600 other graduates. He's looking for work.
"I know what I want to do," he said. "I want to direct a high school
marching band." Polci did his student teaching in Parsippany schools.
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