The Four Seasons from left: Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Frankie Valli. Photo from the BBC.
Frankie Valli, Nick and Tommy DeVito, and Hank Majewski perform as The Four Lovers on the Ed Sullivan Show (1956).
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is the greatest band the media wasn’t writing about. This presents a unique problem for a dramaturg when looking for research, inspiration, and articles from the time. This group, a force in the music industry, still performs in 2024 with Frankie Valli at the helm, with 11 current members and 49 other members with the group throughout its history. A group with 39 charting hits and a collection of music still reaching the hearts of listeners. But who were The Four Seasons? Where did they come from? How did a group of “Jersey Boys” have such a massive career?
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons performing “Big Girls Don’t Cry” on American Bandstand (1962).
Frankie Valli was born in the First Ward of Newark, New Jersey. His mother was a beer company employee, and his father a barber and designer for model trains; who could have known that he was destined for greatness? He began his singing career with Nicki DeVito, Tommy DeVito, and Henry “Hank” Majewski as a member of the Variety Trio. Through the early years, the group changed their name many times. They used up to 18 different stage names individually and among the group. Eventually, they landed on the name “The Four Seasons” with members Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi, and Tommy DeVito.
Just like American Culture (political, pop, philosophical, and STEM), the music industry of the 1960s was shifting. Groups were all the rage with The Beatles, The Supremes, The Monkees, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and artists like Bob Dylan, Carole King, and Aretha Franklin: all major forces on the music scene, creating a dynamic and vibrant time for music in American history. These artists provided the soundtrack of American life for decades, creating a competitive and exciting musical landscape for listeners. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons landed on the scene, having their first charting hit in 1962, competing with them, and they have sold over 100 million records worldwide. This group cemented their place in a landscape as expansive and exciting as culture– and America– evolved in the 60s!
Bob Crewe, (right) listening to a playback with the Four Seasons in 1967. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives, via the New York Times.
The original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys, featuring J. Robert Spencer, John Lloyd Young, Daniel Reichard, and Christian Hoff. Photo from Playbill.
Bob Crewe inducting the Four Seasons into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Photo by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The Four Seasons legacy extends past their 30 charting songs and the many tours and performances over the decades. The band members have all continued on the legacy of music. Frankie Valli has a solo career while still being with The Four Seasons. He has also appeared as an actor in a number of movies and TV shows (including The Sopranos). Bob Gaudio has a prolific career, having served as a writer and producer for several major acts, including Michael Jackson, Barry Manilow, Diana Ross, Eric Carmen, and Neil Diamond, and the movie soundtracks of The Jazz Singer and Little Shop of Horrors. Nick Massi operated Vito Mass Productions, a production company focused on New Jersey-based acts, and, in life, he took up painting as a hobby. Tommy DeVito left the band and returned to Vegas. There, he settled debts and took up work as a card dealer. He reunited with Gaudio and Valli (Massi had passed in 2000) in 2005 at the opening night of Jersey Boys on Broadway. The legacy of the band goes beyond these three men, but you will have to see the show to learn all about how things went down.
Jersey Boys is an amazing musical that played 4,642 performances on Broadway, and closed in 2017. The process of making the show involved the men who lived it, and it provides an inside look into a band that, as mentioned above, was not written about a lot. This vibrant, exciting story of music, passion, and love is sure to entertain audiences who come and see it, just as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons have entertained American audiences for decades!
Jersey Boys opens March 8 at the Market Theatre and runs through March 25. Standard tickets and reserved seats are available as well as a limited number of stage-side tables for 2 that include a bottle of wine or complimentary drink tickets.
Jersey Boys is Rated R. The story contains strong language and some adult situations.
