Althouse: Frankie Valli is 90. Let's have nothing but love for the man.

August 14, 2024

Frankie Valli is 90. Let's have nothing but love for the man.

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54 comments:

Marcus Bressler said...: I saw him during the late 70s and he had trouble hitting the high notes. I thought, at the time, he should hang it up. I think the "Jersey Boys" phenomenon gave him new life. I saw him again in concert about 15 years ago and he gave a great show. God Bless Frankie Valli.; 8/14/24, 8:03 AM
Marcus Bressler said...: Something about the Italians. Tony Bennett lived to be 96, active until 94. Dion is 85. Frankie Valli is 90. The latter two are still performing, while Dion is still putting out Grammy-winning or nominated recordings. Back in the 90s I would see Dion around noon each weekday and he had always just come from the gym. Exercise, no alcohol, smoking, or drugs can make the winter of your life better, if not longer.; 8/14/24, 8:07 AM
Yancey Ward said...: I saw him and the 4 Seasons in concert at Mohegan Sun casino in late 2007. They gave a great show. I doubt that I will even be above the ground when I am 90.; 8/14/24, 8:13 AM
AlbertAnonymous said...: The Nancy Pelosi in his life needs to gently tell him he should spend more time on the beach.; 8/14/24, 8:18 AM
Heartless Aztec said...: Saw Gordon Lightfoot about a decade or so ago
His voice was gone. It was excruciating to listen to his wonderful catalogue being mangled by his long gone voice. It would have been mo' bettah' to have done the lip synch . I'm calling it legit to lip synch your own songs. Don Henley of the Eagles does it on a nightly basis everything they perform 'Desparado".; 8/14/24, 8:24 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Dude had hits in the 50s 60s and 70s. Gotta respect that. Even that song for GREASE was in the 80s right? Four decades is an achievement. Charting with different songs in four decades might be untouchable.; 8/14/24, 8:25 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Olive oil has magical properties. (Jesus talked about various uses for it.); 8/14/24, 8:26 AM
Wince said...: I thought that was Jon Stewart taking the stage.; 8/14/24, 8:27 AM
Birches said...: That just makes me sad; 8/14/24, 8:29 AM
Yancey Ward said...: No, "Grease" was a hit in the late Summer of 1978.; 8/14/24, 8:32 AM
Aggie said...: I wonder if he needs the money. A little sad, if so, but I had my own senior moment when I read the headline and thought briefly of Rudy Vallée. 'Wait ! That's impossible, that old fossil is still alive ! '; 8/14/24, 8:34 AM
tcrosse said...: In high school we would give ourselves hernias trying to sing Sherry.; 8/14/24, 8:35 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Frankie Valli was the first pop star I had a big crush on. I loved him from the first time I heard his voice. The year was 1962, I was 11, and the first line was "Sherry, Sherry, baby," and it felt brilliantly exciting and new.; 8/14/24, 8:41 AM
Ann Althouse said...: When I was really young, in the 1950s, I did have a crush on another singer named Frankie — Frankie Laine.; 8/14/24, 8:43 AM
Dave Begley said...: Graham Nash is 82 and he sang at his Omaha concert. No lip sync.; 8/14/24, 8:47 AM
mezzrow said...: Doc Severinsen was still playing gigs until he hung up his horn at the age of 92. He turned 97 in July.; 8/14/24, 8:51 AM
rehajm said...: We rewatched Grease! a few months ago. Felt fresh…; 8/14/24, 8:52 AM
Iman said...: “Don Henley of the Eagles does it on a nightly basis everything they perform 'Desparado".

Great. Then Henley should have no trouble kissing my ass while he lip syncs.; 8/14/24, 8:59 AM
Iman said...: I thought Frankie got whacked in his driveway by those imported hitters back in ‘06…; 8/14/24, 9:02 AM
Dogma and Pony Show said...: I think some of longevity may be attributable to NOT retiring, thereby remaining engaged, focused, and productive enough to maintain good brain health.; 8/14/24, 9:04 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Good point Pony Show; 8/14/24, 9:05 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Missed it by that much!; 8/14/24, 9:06 AM
Iman said...: Keep bloggin', bloggin', bloggin'
Inga’s just sweathoggin’
Keep them dogies bloggin', Althouse!; 8/14/24, 9:08 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Dammit. With Althouse's reminiscence below I'm down to two decades for Frankie, 60s and 70s. Happy birthday.; 8/14/24, 9:08 AM
Wince said...: All that movement and feigned enthusiasm on stage meant to distract from the main attraction reminds me of the Kamala campaign.; 8/14/24, 9:12 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: The man looks great for 90 and I'm glad he's in good health. But c'mon dude, its time to get off the stage. In fact, there should be a mandatory retirement age for singers/dances of 75.; 8/14/24, 9:33 AM
JAORE said...: "Frankie shows his age but at 90 years old he still can draw a crowd and rock the house…. Was definitely a #millivanilli lip sync concert but what would you expect from a 90 year old guy!!!!"

I'd expect to hear a singer sing and a dancer dance.

Otherwise you might refer those hologram performances of dead dudes (ugh).; 8/14/24, 9:47 AM
Marcus Bressler said...: my parents saw Frankie Laine in Las Vegas and brought home an album of his. I especially liked, (We're) Making Memories. Of course, he sang the great title song of "Blazing Saddles". He could belt them out.; 8/14/24, 10:11 AM
Skeptical Voter said...: Mick Jagger should do so well.; 8/14/24, 10:12 AM
mccullough said...: I thought he was 80. Awesome for him.; 8/14/24, 10:13 AM
FullMoon said...: Looking forward to Biden singing "My Way" upon transfer of power next year.; 8/14/24, 10:20 AM
mccullough said...: Valli is older than Elvis; 8/14/24, 10:21 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Must be the last unsung stanza in that Bob Seager's song about life on the road.; 8/14/24, 10:22 AM
john mosby said...: Herb Alpert is 89. I saw him at City Winery just before Covid, so he would have been about 85. Still could blow that horn, but he paced himself - had sidemen and guests do stuff in between so he could regroup.

My mom really liked him, and he looks a lot like my father. In a way, he is probably responsible for my conception….

JSM; 8/14/24, 10:37 AM
Charlie said...: Nothing against the guy but it might be time to hang it up.; 8/14/24, 10:49 AM
One Fine Day said...: Steven Tyler of Aerosmith just hung it up, apparently broke his voice and it can't be fixed. Phil Collins also just hung it up, dude could barely move. Of course, he is a drummer so it's not like he needed to go charging around the stage.

Maybe there's other people who are decrepit and really need to have the dignity to stop embarrassing themselves. Maybe a president or someone along those lines.; 8/14/24, 10:54 AM
Joe Smith said...: Saw him maybe 20 years ago and even then was getting a lot of help from the backup singers. But tons of charisma and a legitimate American icon. Watch some of the old stuff on Youtube or just go see 'Jersey Boys' : ); 8/14/24, 11:15 AM
Joe Smith said...: Garlic and red wine. And yes, very good olive oil.; 8/14/24, 11:16 AM
Rocco said...: James Darrin is still kickin’ at 88. I think he’s retired, though. The wife just got a CD of his greatest hits.; 8/14/24, 11:32 AM
Iman said...: Frankie may be older, as Elvis is a molderer.; 8/14/24, 11:33 AM
Original Mike said...: Elvis is 42 (wow, didn't realize he was that young).
I think you stop counting when they die.; 8/14/24, 12:16 PM
Original Mike said...: Damn, spilled my coffee.; 8/14/24, 12:17 PM
FullMoon said...: Original Mike said...

Elvis is 42 (wow, didn't realize he was that young).
I think you stop counting when they die.
Not for Dem voters.; 8/14/24, 12:38 PM
Original Mike said...: "James Darrin is still kickin’ at 88. I think he’s retired, though."

I always liked him. I watched Time Tunnel when I was a kid, and he was great as Vic Fontaine in ST: Deep Space Nine. In fact, that's what made me go look him up (a while back). I had this feeling I'd seen him before.; 8/14/24, 12:47 PM
Mike Smith said...: Saw Herb Alpert in KC 10 months ago. He could still play that horn. A taste of "A Taste of Honey" https://www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com/2023/09/review-of-herb-alpert-and-lani-hall.html; 8/14/24, 12:49 PM
Mike Smith said...: Bob Gaudio released a "dance" (disco) version of "Big Girls Don't Cry" in the early 80's and it charted.; 8/14/24, 12:50 PM
Hassayamper said...: One of the last grand adventures my mom had before her final illness was to see a Frankie Valli concert with a few of her friends of the same era. My sister drove her and the other old biddies down and shepherded them in and out of the crowded stadium. Apparently they were squealing and shrieking like the teenagers they once were, long years before. Wish I could have seen it.; 8/14/24, 12:54 PM
Christopher said...: Billy Joel did his last monthly Madison Square Garden concert in July. He's 75. He was still singing and playing energetically if not, of course, with all the vitality of earlier years. He posted something along the lines of, "We're sad too, but it's time." I'm sure he'll do cameos here and there and it'll still be in his wheelhouse for a time, just not the full shows.

The funny thing about Gordon Lightfoot is, some time ago, maybe close to the ten years mentioned before, a friend saw him and said the same thing about its being a sad spectacle. And I thought welp he's done. But then someone else I know heard him a couple years later and shared surprise about how good he sounded. I don't know how reliable that second report was, but at a certain age you don't have the reliable stamina but can still sound great when rested an all that.

Frankie Valli of course is well past that stage but God bless him.; 8/14/24, 1:03 PM
Mike Smith said...: On Instagram, some of the commenters believe Frankie has dementia. Not true! I saw him interviewed a couple of months ago and he was all there. They asked him why he keeps touring and he said, 'This is my life. What else would I do"

Saw him in 2016 and he was great. But, YouTube videos posted since lead me to believe it is probably time to hang it up.; 8/14/24, 1:17 PM
gspencer said...: As a point of interest, Valli played mobster Rusty Millio in the Sopranos. His real full name is Francesco Stephen Castelluccio.

"Friend of a friend, not a friend of ours,"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBRe6-MzTqo; 8/14/24, 4:58 PM
imTay said...: The version he lip syncs to has been pitch corrected up a step, or it’s just a step higher than the last ones that he did live.; 8/14/24, 5:04 PM
richlb said...: Mick actually sings.; 8/14/24, 5:22 PM
boatbuilder said...: Go Frankie! He was before my time (which is a long time ago) and he's still showing up. Hope I can say the same when I'm 80, never mind 90.; 8/14/24, 7:30 PM
traditionalguy said...: Gotta see Jersey Boys again. Many songs and everyone of them extremely good.; 8/14/24, 11:25 PM