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At 89, Frankie Valli is ready for one last encore

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Nobody came to Frankie Valli’s wedding over the summer, which was exactly how the 89-year-old singer wanted it.

“Oh, it was terrific,” he recalls of the very private ceremony at Las Vegas’ Westgate Hotel, where Valli and his fourth wife, Jackie Jacobs, tied the knot in June, more than half a century after he set out toward becoming one of the 1960s’ most reliable pop hitmakers as the falsetto-voiced frontman of the Four Seasons. “We both have families from back east, and afterward everybody said, ‘Why didn’t you tell us? We wanted to come!’” He laughs.

“They probably all would have, as long as I paid for the plane trip and the rooms.”

Financial considerations aside, Valli is hardly wanting for crowds these days: With a set list chock-full of AM radio classics like “ Sherry ,” “ Walk Like a Man ,” “ Big Girls Don’t Cry ,” “ Working My Way Back to You ,” “ Rag Doll ” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” — each a compact marvel of lush vocal harmony and rough-and-tumble rhythm — Valli plays 75 or 80 well-attended concerts every year, including a gig in May at Inglewood’s YouTube Theater in which that last tune sparked a singalong so robust that Valli told the audience, “They can hear us in Sacramento.”

On Thursday night the singer will launch a new Vegas residency at the Westgate — known as the Las Vegas Hilton when Valli worked the joint in the late ’80s — and next month he’ll perform at the Agua Caliente casino in Rancho Mirage. Yet it’s not just nostalgic old-timers keeping him in business on the road.

In February, Valli put in a surprise appearance at Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy gala in Beverly Hills, where a who’s who of music industry insiders watched him do “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” as part of an all-star bill that also featured Lizzo and Lil Wayne.

“When I called to ask him to perform, he was actually already booked,” says Davis, the veteran record executive known for shepherding Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow to superstardom. “So I said, ‘Look, Frankie,’ and then I described who would be in the room: the heads of record companies throughout the world and people from MTV and BET and iHeartRadio and Live Nation — tastemakers who can really make a difference.”

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Valli wasn’t sure “any of these people would even know who I was,” the singer says. “I wondered what value there would be in it.” But Davis had his heart set on Valli as a complement to his opening act: Måneskin, the Grammy-nominated Italian rock band that topped Billboard’s rock-radio chart for 16 weeks in 2021 with its glammy cover of the Four Seasons’ 1967 hit “ Beggin’ .” He also knew Valli had an ace in his pocket: “‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ is second only to [Neil Diamond’s] ‘Sweet Caroline’ as an audience favorite where they join in and know every word,” says the exec.

“Clive said, ‘I’m telling you right now — you’re gonna kill ,’” remembers Valli, and the flattery worked: He rescheduled his conflicting job in order to play Davis’ party, where indeed he brought down a house that included the promised industry bigwigs along with stars such as Tom Hanks, Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson and Metallica’s Lars Ulrich. Olivia Rodrigo and Demi Lovato were there too, as seen in a viral Instagram video showing Rodrigo losing her mind to Valli’s decades-old tune.

“I was shocked at the response,” Valli says today. “I mean, there were a lot of rappers up front, and they were going crazy.”

So then why is he threatening to hang it up soon?

This month Valli announced that he’s planning to cut back his live work by about half in 2024; he swears he’s not saying farewell, though he is calling his next run of concerts the Last Encores tour.

“I’m not sure whether I’m gonna keep going out,” he says on a recent morning at the Encino home he shares with Jacobs, 60, a former CBS marketing executive whom he met at dinner one night at a Los Angeles restaurant. The house on a quiet cul-de-sac is tastefully decorated in gray and white; a book of Bob Dylan lyrics sits on an end table amid family photos and a plaque commemorating the Latin-airplay success of “ Te Quiero Baby ,” Valli’s 2020 collaboration with the Cuban American rapper Pitbull.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” he continues, his whaddya-want-from-me accent softened slightly by his years living in California. “It’s not so much the work — it’s the travel. Back in the day, you went to a job and you stayed there for a week. That wasn’t so bad. Now everything is one-nighters, which means you finish the show, get to bed, get up at 6 in the morning, go to the airport, go to the next job and do the same thing all over again.” A small, birdlike guy dressed in skinny jeans and dress sneakers, Valli sighs. “It’s tough.”

More happily, the Four Seasons’ music has taken on something of a life of its own, raising the possibility that the group’s catalog — already familiar to a generation of younger listeners thanks to the smash Broadway musical “Jersey Boys” — might continue to thrive into the future without Valli’s having to pound the pavement. Not long before Måneskin’s “ Beggin’ ” cover took off, the L.A.-based DJ and producer Surf Mesa borrowed the chorus of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” for his laid-back house track “ ILY (I Love You Baby) ,” which exploded on TikTok in 2020 and has racked up nearly a billion streams on Spotify. Last year the Yeah Yeah Yeahs interpolated a bit of “Beggin’” for a cut from their latest album. And this fall the Fugees’ Lauryn Hill — like Valli a proud New Jersey native — is on tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of her 1998 solo debut, which includes a rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

As with the Davis gala, Valli says he’s been surprised by the outpouring of interest. “This business never ceases to amaze me,” he says. “When you think you know everything about it, you find out you know barely anything.”

In fact, he’s been taking deliberate steps to preserve his legacy. Three years ago, Valli and his longtime bandmate and creative partner Bob Gaudio — the latter of whom co-wrote much of the Four Seasons’ best known material with producer Bob Crewe, who died in 2014 — struck a deal with Primary Wave, a music publishing company that specializes in monetizing hit-filled catalogs through placements in film, TV and commercials and through samples and interpolations like that in the Surf Mesa song. (Among the other acts in whose intellectual property Primary Wave owns a stake are the late Houston, Prince and Leon Russell .)

Adam Lowenberg, Primary Wave’s chief marketing officer, says the Four Seasons’ catalog activity has “almost doubled” since 2020 thanks to projects like the rapper Flo Rida’s recent “What a Night,” a remake of the group’s “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night!)” that was prominently featured in ESPN’s coverage of Major League Baseball. (The original is the band’s most popular track on Spotify, with more than 428 million streams.) Next year the company plans to convene a songwriters’ camp to sift through Valli and the Four Seasons’ discography — almost all of which is collected on a massive new 45-disc box set — in search of hooks and riffs that might be recycled or repurposed; it’s also finalizing release plans for an album Gaudio made of Four Seasons hits in lullaby form.

The LP’s working title? “Jersey Babies,” of course.

Gaudio, who’s 80 and who quit performing ages ago, says he pays close attention to the “two or three requests” that come in every day to use the Four Seasons’ music in one way or another. (The band’s other two founding members — Nick Massi and Tommy DeVito — died in 2000 and 2020, respectively.)

“I’m very careful with commercials because some of them are just goofy,” Gaudio notes on the phone from his home in Nashville. He regards an old denture-cream spot soundtracked by the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love” as a cautionary tale. “Even now I have to turn it off if it shows up on YouTube,” he says with a laugh. “It’s just terrible.”

Lowenberg confirms that Gaudio is more involved than many of his more hands-off clients (or their estates). “Bob will email me: ‘Adam, check out the song “ The Night ” off our “Chameleon” album,’” the Primary Wave exec says, which he promptly did. “And right away I was like, holy s—, this song would be perfect for the Jonas Brothers.” In Lowenberg’s view, it’s the “insane depth and insane variety” of the Four Seasons’ catalog — who else could jump from street-corner doo-wop to a chirpy cover of Dylan’s “ Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright ” to 1969’s trippy “The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette” concept LP — that makes the music so well suited to a streaming era in which genre divisions mean as little as they ever have.

Valli agrees. “The thing about us is that we never stayed in one bag,” he says, perched on an armchair as he talks between phone calls from a road manager and from his son Emilio, who works as a real-estate agent in Malibu. Valli has four children in all; in 1980, his stepdaughter from his first marriage died in a car accident, followed just six months later by the death of another daughter in a drug overdose. “When that happened, I lost it for a bit,” he says, referring to a stretch of substance abuse that lasted until he swore off booze more than 40 years ago.

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Of the Four Seasons’ eclecticism, he adds: “I never looked down on any kind of music,” including disco, whose silky beat propelled the Barry Gibb-penned title song from 1978’s “ Grease ” soundtrack, which went to No. 1. The singer draws a line between that open-minded attitude and his upbringing in the racially mixed housing projects of Newark and points out that the Four Seasons, who took their name from a bowling alley where they once tried (and failed) to get a gig, began releasing records in the early ’60s through a Black-owned company, Vee-Jay Records.

“Lots of people thought we were Black until we played the Apollo Theater with Jerry Butler and Ike and Tina Turner,” adds Valli, born Francesco Castelluccio into an Italian American family. “This was a period of time when nobody white was playing many Black theaters.”

As it happens, it was the Four Seasons’ experience 60 years ago with Vee-Jay that enabled the control they maintain today over their music. As Valli tells it: “They’d defaulted on paying us, and we went to audit them and found they owed us money. Well, we realized very quickly that was gonna be an ongoing thing forever. So when they offered to pay us, we said, ‘No, we don’t want to be paid — we want everything back that we’ve ever recorded for you.’” He smiles a mischievous grandfather’s smile. “And we got it all back.”

The Four Seasons went to Philips Records next and made a deal, Valli says, in which they leased their music to the label for five years without giving up ownership of their masters — a prescient move now widely duplicated by the Taylor Swifts of the world. The upside of moving from small label to small label rather than sticking with one powerful company for the long haul is that the Four Seasons enriched themselves more than they enriched any group of record execs, according to Valli.

“Think of all the people in a record company who get paid,” he says. “You give them a record and they give you 6%, 8%, 10% of what it makes. Where’s all the rest of the money go?” Another grin. “Don’t you think it’d be a good idea to get it?”

The downside to this approach, Valli and Gaudio say, is that the Four Seasons never enjoyed the promotional muscle that propelled the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to the pinnacle of pop cultural prestige. “We were only as good as our last hit,” Gaudio says. “‘Rag Doll’ went to No. 1 in 10 days in New York, and we still had to fight for the follow-up” to get radio spins.

Also, though the Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 — an honor Valli attributes to the enthusiasm of the late Seymour Stein — the singer has never won a Grammy Award to go with his 19 Top 10 hits. “Again, we weren’t with a big record company,” he says, adding that “the Grammys go by the voting power that a record company has within” the Recording Academy.

Valli, who grew up around mobsters and went on to portray one on “The Sopranos,” doesn’t seem bitter about any of this; he imparts the information like a teacher eager to illuminate the dark corners of a music industry he long ago figured out. He even offers up his cellphone number in case any further explanation is required.

Does he prefer to text or call?

“Call,” he says. “I”m very un-electronic. You see all these people getting into trouble? Look at Hunter Biden.”

From the kitchen, Valli’s wife calls out, “No political talk, please,” which he ignores long enough to ask why both parties refuse term limits and to wonder “how all these guys in politics become millionaires.”

Might we think of the Last Encores tour as a kind of term limit for Frankie Valli? He seems to like that idea.

“I just want to go someplace when I’m done that’s very quiet and doesn’t have radio or TVs,” he says. “Maybe paint or something, get into something else.”

Watch L.A. Times Today at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 on Channel 1 or live stream on the Spectrum News App. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Orange County viewers can watch on Cox Systems on channel 99.

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*Review* Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Concert Review

• by Feeling the Vibe
• September 11, 2009 8:09 pm October 8, 2023 4:51 pm

Fun in the Valli at Mohegan Sun

Bringing back the 60’s to one of the best arenas for concerts, the Sun Arena at the Mohegan Sun. It holds 10,000 people and has been the stomping grounds for headliners such as the Jonas Brothers, Britney Spears, and Mariah Carey. This time a legend would be in the house. His name is Frankie Valli, the man famous for songs like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and of course “December 1963 – Oh What a Night.” 7:00 pm rolled around and the house was packed. Filled with mostly the Baby Boomer Generation but you did also see a “smattering” (like that word?) of the younger crowd in the stands. Hey, this music is for every age. The fact that Frankie still has his music loved by scores of people simply attests to the fact that it is multi-generational. You can have fun with it whether you’re 15 or 60.

On to your favorite parts! Highlights and Lowlights, maybe some in betweens?

Highlights: The Overall Music: This is music that will put a smile on your face. From the very first note until the last, Frankie, his Four Seasons, and of course the band behind him will take you to another place. You will forget that you are even in an arena with 10,000 other people surrounding you, until the song ends and everyone erupts in applause.

Quote Alert:  Roger, from Connecticut, a  friend of ours was impressed with the music after the concert and mentioned how “you don’t hear those harmonies and voices anymore in the current music of today.”

Toledo, Ohiooooooooooooooooooooo! – Todd Fournier one of the seasons had tremendous energy up on that Sun Arena stage. We really enjoyed watching him give it his all and then some as he danced, sang, and announced Toledo, Ohio in a way that nobody has EVER heard. If you were there, you know what we mean!

Brass Band – the “NY Trumpet” team was on spot! Their solos and group effort on “Swearin’ to God” had everyone on the edges of their seats. The music was beautiful.

Too Funny – Frankie Valli the comedian? Well maybe! He was funny up there as he began to introduce his new cd which is “Romancing the 60’s” and he explained his story of how he decided on creating remakes of these songs. Frankie said, ” I was trying to decide on some songs and just couldn’t see myself remaking (imitates the sound of a current song) “I’m grinding up on my baby…” so I decided for the songs of the 60’s. The crowd laughed at that one.

Swearin’ to God – Something was missing in the beginning of this song. The guys hit the stage, dancing it out, but somehow a part of the music was missing which caused the musical ears to wonder what went wrong.

Clap, clap, clap some more – “Spanish Harlem” is a song that will have you clapping along with the rest of the band, in rhythm.  However, the song just feels a bit too long.  Maybe it’s because we’re clapping the whole time or … no, I think that’s probably it. 

Speakers breaking down? The sound system at the Sun Arena is always clear and strong. Well that night we heard on a few occasions, a number of high pitched sounds squeaking during their songs.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is a show to see. They will be performing all over the country so be sure to catch them when they stop by. Let us know what you think!

Also… we had the chance to catch up with the drummer man of the group, Craig Pilo and boy will you read a unique interview…you’ll have to wait for it on Feeling the Vibe to find out!

Editor of Feeling the Vibe Magazine.  We have all the scoop on the latest celeb news, makeup tutorials, and so much more.

Review: Frankie Valli and Four Seasons return to Radio City for first time in 30 years

With so many farewell tours simultaneously happening now, it is tempting to remember a time when we took them seriously — when these tours weren’t the clichés they would inevitably become. And if we’re talking Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at Radio City Music Hall, their farewell tour of 1977 is one of the first things that come to mind — especially since it’s been 41 years to the week when the group played there for what were supposed to be their last shows together. The plan was to launch the Seasons as its own recording unit independent of Valli while the vocalist embarked full-time on a solo career.

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Very well written Mike…takes me back to being a kid and hearing my mother play these songs all the time.

Great review of a great singer!

No mention made of the fact that Frankie Valli has been lip syncing his performances since 2003.

Stop talking about lip syncing. Who cares that is not important. He and the music are what matters. He has earned the right to perform anyway he wants and we are all lucky to have him.

I was at the Friday show. He is still able to hit the high tones. It was a great performance

Just seen him in London ,have been to see him every time he’s been to London,can’t believe his age he’s just fantastic from when I was 15 I’ve always loved his music Hope this isn’t his farewell tour and that some of the others who had several farewell tours this is what happens with him.

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GIG REVIEW: Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons

Welcome to UK Music Reviews » GIG REVIEW: Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons

Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons performing their Greatest Hits Tour at The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Wednesday 29th June 2022.

Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

The absolute legend that is Frankie Valli is touring for the last time and he stopped off at the Motorpoint Arena on Wednesday night. The 88 year old New Jersey singer delivered a two hour show containing two dozen songs, many of them standards, delivering a joyous celebration of pop music at its sweetest and purest.

To begin the evening there was a retrospective video featuring bits and pieces of Valli and his Four Seasons career displayed on a big screen and to thunderous applause he strode out on stage and he kicked into opener Working My Way Back To You. Surrounding him was an entire horn section, long time musical director keyboardist Robby Robinson and the latest incarnation of the Four Seasons, all of whom took care of choreography and impeccable harmonies.

He moves around the stage a bit more slowly these days, but his voice is still absolutely incredible. He may be small in stature but his presence commanded the stage. Songs like Save It For Me filled the Arena and his 1967 hit, Beggin’ which was a massive hit on the Northern Soul scene, had everyone on their feet whilst the phone lights were out for My Eyes Adored You.

The musical Jersey Boys has provided Valli with a much younger audience, who responded to hits such as Dawn (Go Away), Tell It To The Rain, Who Loves You and December 1963 (Oh What A Night), which showcased his piercing falsetto which is still one of the most extraordinary sounds in pop and its power belies the decades.

Grease started the second set which saw Valli don a sparkly bomber jacket. He then followed up with a solo hit, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You before a mash up of Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like A Man and Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye) had the crowd belting out the songs back at him. Before leaving the stage he introduced a famous friend who was in the audience; Suzie Quatro received the applause graciously.

Back on for Rag Doll and Let’s Hang On! Valli said an emotional goodbye and given that his 2017 tour was to be his last, but he was enticed back by the audience’s reaction, so we can never be sure that he won’t be doing this all over again next year. And with the audience not wanting the night to end we can see why he doesn’t want to stop.

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Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in Concert Broadway Reviews

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The Anthem is back — and so is Frankie Valli

At the Anthem, Nathaniel Rateliff and Sturgill Simpson were the first scratches. That was March of 2020, when everything fell apart. “We did what we could,” says Dori Armor, the general manager of the concert hall. “We ran food banks for our employees, had a family fund. But it’s a very sad thing to see a sleepy venue.”

The Anthem finally opens Friday with Dave Chappelle and an August slate that includes Jason Mraz, and Modest Mouse. But the first musical performance will come from Frankie Valli on Aug. 7. The former teen idol is now 87 as he takes the stage with his latest version of the Four Seasons, performing the group’s well-known catalogue (“Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man” and so on) as well as his solo hits (“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Grease”). It won’t be exactly like before — staff working inside the building are required to be vaccinated and patrons will have to wear masks— but Armor is hoping the positive energy of Valli’s hit-packed set list will set the mood as the Anthem reopens.

And Valli, whose famous falsetto defined his work with the Four Seasons and his successful solo career, is thrilled to be back. He typically does 70 shows a year, even now.

“This is the longest time in my life I haven’t worked,” he said.

Valli, in a phone interview from his home in Los Angeles, talked about returning to the stage after 16 months of being sidelined by the pandemic as well as the latest iteration of “Jersey Boys,” the hit musical that charted the rise of the Four Seasons.

This interview was edited for space and clarity.

Q: You've got the shot, the vaccine. How long ago did you get it?

A: As soon as it was available.

Q: Are you at all nervous about going out there with crowds?

A: No, I’m probably more nervous about flying.

Q: You're 87 years old. Elton John is getting ready to do his farewell tour. Neil Diamond doesn't play live anymore. Touring is not easy. Why do you do this?

A: Well, basically, just because I love to do it. I have done nothing else for my whole life. [I] don’t have to stop doing it unless I get to the point where I feel I can’t do it anymore.

Q: Do you feel it now when you get back to rehearsals?

A: I won’t really be able to answer that question until I start traveling. The traveling is so much worse than the performing. It’s a lot harder.

Q: You've been doing some of these songs for 60 years. Are there songs you love to sing the most? Are there songs you say . . . Do I have to do "Sherry" again?

A: You have to approach it as though you’re doing it for the first time as far as the audience is concerned. They never get enough of that because maybe they see you once a year or maybe once every other year. They’re not getting it as often as you’re doing it.

Frankie Valli: From doo wop to disco

Q: I've seen people like Brian Wilson over the years. He'll do "Good Vibrations" and "In My Room," but he'll also do some of the quirkier and more eccentric or lesser known things. Do you get the urge to throw in "Soul of a Woman" or records that weren't quite as appreciated in their time?

A: You do, but there’s just a certain amount of time that you have to perform. We do our performances for about two hours. We can actually go to three hours and do all songs that were chart records. There’s just not enough time.

Q: Frankie, your voice is a very special voice. And you've been doing this for a long time. What do you do to keep it up? Do you have to do voice exercises?

A: You have to sing a song on the side. You know, it’s like a body builder — he keeps his body in great form and he has to do it regularly. Now, whether I’m working or not, I mean, I sing.

Q: Going back to Brian Wilson . . . These days, he delegates some of his higher parts to different guys. He sings a lot of the Mike Love parts. Is that something you do, or you think of doing as time passes?

A: No, I haven’t gotten to that point where I’ve had to do that. So I really haven’t given it any thought. I guess we’ll see what happens after this year.

Q: I once interviewed Angela Lansbury , the great actress. She was 89 at the time and still doing plays. And I said, is anything different because you're 89? And she said that she does have an earpiece. If she forgets a line, someone can whisper it to her. As a singer, I assume you have to do something. Do you have to do any kind of lip-syncing? Do you have to use Auto-Tune at all? Things you didn't have to do in, say, 1967.

A: When you’re performing live, there’s not many things you can do. You’re either doing it or you’re not really doing it. I don’t know. I haven’t reached that point yet.

Q: So you don't have to put any backing tracks on as far as you're playing. I mean you can hit all those notes. I mean those are hard notes. You know better than I do.

A: Well, there are some songs that we’ve lowered keys. So you’re not hearing the same notes that you did on everything throughout your show. You know, Sinatra lowered keys. Everybody does. You get older and things change a bit.

Q: What's a song you lower the key on?

A: You’re not going to hear it. And that’s why I’m not going to tell you.

Q: "Jersey Boys" was not an easy story to tell, right, and I'm wondering, is there any part of that [2014] movie and [2005 Tony Award-winning] musical in the story itself that you just sort of wish was still a semi-secret history? Or are you happy that's all out there now?

A: I am happy that it is. And something really incredible is happening right now. “Jersey Boys,” the play, is being filmed for television, and Nick Jonas is playing the Frankie Valli role. I’m very excited about it.

Q: And the "Jersey Boys" movie. Which Clint Eastwood directed.

A: The film I do not like at all.

Jersey Boys’ movie review: Clint Eastwood adaptation doesn’t stray far from the original

A: I don’t think it was cast properly and I don’t think it was done properly. The whole entity was not put together properly.

Q: Why was the musical able to come off so well?

A: We [Valli and fellow original Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio] had more say. Our input was very important. I think Clint Eastwood is a great director and actor. I don’t think this was right for him.

Q: How do you make sure that this new version with Nick Jonas works?

A: Well, it’s going to be exactly like the play. We’re involved in that.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. $55-$125. theanthemdc.com.

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The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band originally from New Jersey currently consisting of original member Frankie Valli and a selection of session musicians.

The Four Seasons are an American pop band who gained international success in the 1960s and are said to have been the world's most popular rock band before The Beatles. Franki Valli as lead singer transformed a band known as The Four Lovers into The Four Seasons and they were a hit from the very beginning.

Their first album 'Sherry & 11 Others' was released in 1962 and peaked at #6 on the US Billboard charts. They enjoyed continued chart success with the release of their albums, and scored a string of hit singles in the States. 'Sherry', 'Big Girls Don't Cry' and 'Walk Like A Man' all topped the charts at the beginning of their career and they went on to have another twelve top ten hits over the years. They also enjoyed success in the UK, with an impressive twelve singles hitting the top 40 with 'Oh, What A Night' topping the chart upon release in 1975.

In 1990 the original line up of The Four Seasons between the years of 1960 and 1966 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band remains one of the best selling groups of all time, having sold over 100 million records worldwide to date. Currently the only remaining original member performing live is Frankie Valli.

Live reviews

Whether you like his voice or not, there is absolutely no denying the absolute talent of Frankie Valli. At the height of his performing with his band The Four Seasons, they produced some of the most iconic songs that any one at any age could recognize and sing along with. While I may have been much too young to truly appreciate my parents’ taking me to see Frankie Valli, having been in the presence of true brilliance, I still have a perfect recollection of the night.

It was just after the release of the newest “Hope and Glory” album, and they had been doing some touring for promotion of the album. For most people it was a family affair, as a lot of kids like me were brought with their parents too. There was a performance that opened up for them, that I don’t remember the name of, but they kept with the style of performance similar to that of The Four Seasons. When it came time for the actual performance, the band was met with a lot of love from the audience. Despite being at a young age, us young kids sung along with the rest of the audience to every single song. Valli, having used his vocal chords so much, wasn’t quite able to hit his iconic falsetto, as we all knew him for, but made the proper adjustment keys changes. They played all the best and made the entire show one of the best that I could have shared with my family.

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What is there left to say about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons? They are one of the best-selling groups of all time and have sold an astonishing 100 million records. Big Girls Don’t Cry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Working My Way Back To You, Sherry, Let’s Hang On … it’s easy to forget how many stone cold classics they have. It means shows are a work of art, with hit after hit performed with the assured aplomb of masters of their craft. There are so many hits to choose from that you get a two-hour show that is all killer no filler. Now the songs make up the West End smash Jersey Boys - but that pales with seeing the real thing. Because Frankie maintains that unique aura – his pizzazz and showbiz quality is from a bygone era that you just don’t get anymore. Since 2008 he’s toured with a new group of Four Seasons consisting of Todd Fournier, Brian Brigham, Brandon Brigham, and Landon Beard who provide him with backup vocal harmonies for tracks like Oh, What a Night and they’ve never sounded better. And when he sings I've Got You Under My Skin with the same charm he sang it with those decades ago you realise, at a live show, it’s the opposite – he gets under your skin until you don’t want the hits to stop coming.

There is no denying the universal appeal that Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons had as a band during their heyday in the 1960s and 1970s. Many would argue that the group's music is timeless and it seems to be that mentality that keeps frontman Frankie Valli touring globally at the age of 80. The last original member to still be performing live, Frankie is now joined by four noticeably younger seasons yet the guys know the classic material well and harmonise to an expert level whilst also performing small routines during 'Tell It To The Rain' and others.

The five singers are supported by a huge array of musicians to add the luscious, classical tones to their tracks which sounds phenomenal tonight as it gives them a much needed lease of life. Frankie remains an engaging frontman who is intended on connecting with his fans and encouraging singalong, not that they really need it during favourite 'Let's Hang On' which is sang back with a force that could easily raise the roof. They seem to have great rapport as a unit and it is clear to see that Frankie does not continue to play for any financial reason, it is all about the love of music.

Frankie Valli and the four seasons were amazing. I didn't know what to expect because Frankie is in his 80's and although my hopes were high.. people lose their voice and strength when they get on in years and who knows. His projection has diminished some but the quality of his singing still shines through and I was awe struck. He performed one hit after another and a number of covers. His band members were phenomenal and back up singers a perfect compliment. They were accomplished professionals with a polished act that would entertain anyone. I highly recommend seeing this performance even if you have to travel.. I wouldn't have believed it would've been that good with out seeing and hearing it! You will not be disappointed! I've seen many great acts in my day including Paul McCartney, the Stones, John Fogerty, Fleetwood Mac, Talking Heads, Neal Young, etc all in their hay day and I'd rate Frankie Valli even in his golden years right up their with any of them... Fabulous and fun! 7/2018 Andrejs Briedis

It’s all about that band, The Four Seasons, who are lead by the one and only, Frankie Valli, the man with the plan, and the genius behind this sound that inspired a generation. Their set showcases some of their biggest hits to date, opening with the huge “Working My Way Back to You”. This whole audience are on their feet straight away, in awe of the genius of this whole outfit, who don’t seem to get anything wrong throughout this set. Frankie Valli delivers a sensational performance despite being almost 70! He performs huge hits such as “Bye Bye Baby”, which everyone sings every word to. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” has audience members smiling and singing, some even standing up and shaking it. “Silence Is Golden” is the huge song that concludes what is such a memorable set for all those involved. It’s no wonder that there was a musical written after them, (Jersey Boys).

I would follow Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons anywhere!and my friend and I did : ) We saw them last year in TO and this year we followed them to Orillia!

They put on such an energetic great fun show and Mr Valli well what can I say? The Man is just INCREDIBLE!

I especially love the dancing up at the stage that people get to do and LOVE at all of his shows! Really puts you up close and personal with Mr. Valli, The Incredibly Talented Four Seasons! and the rest of the band!

It was such a WONDERFUL night out last night.

Thank you Thank you Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the tip of my dancing toes!

GREAT, FANTASTIC show last night................ looking forward to seeing you guys and the EVER SOOOOOOOOOOOO INCREDILY TALENTED MR. FRANKIE VALLI.................. THE MAN! again!

I had a fantastic night at the Glasgow Hydro.I am a fan but had never seen him perform in concert before. I was not disappointed. It was an absorbing and first class performance from a great musical legend. It was 2 hours that was so enjoyable looking back on all the hits and his considerable back catalogue. He does very well for a man of advanced years, the timbre in his voice hasn't changed in fact maturity has added to its gravitas. The backing musicians and choreography was also very professional. The audience were rocking in the aisles,and he plays to the audience very well like the stage trooper he is. It was a fantastic experience and would definitely go to see Frankie Valli again, hopefully soon.

JOHN FRASER

I went to see Frankie Valli on June 30th at The Royal Albert Hall. I am a member of The Appreciation Society. It was a wonderful and truly memorable show, I will never forget. Frankie was as good if not better than the last time I saw him 4 years ago. I travelled from Spain as this is where I live. I shook his hand, (he is very good about this)! The whole show was awesome. He is a true icon and I hope very much that he will return to London next year and I hope I have the chance to see him again. It was especially good this time as they were performing with The London Symphony Orchestra. Long may he continue. Regards, Maureen Halliwell, Mojacar, Spain

The show was fantastic Frankie was on stage over 2 hours did all the hits did a new version of I’ve got you under my skin combined version of there hit and Sinatra’s version Frankie sounded great for an 85 year old the band was outstanding and Robbie Robinson was fantastic highly recommend this concert

We have been going to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons concerts for years. This one did not disappoint! The songs are timeless and the musicians were fabulous, as were the Four Seasons singers. It was just the BEST!

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Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 36 concerts across 2 countries in 2024-2025. View all concerts.

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Frankie Valli on the Four Seasons’ Legacy and Their Massive New 45-Disc Boxed Set: ‘We Didn’t Want to Try to Sound Like Anybody Else’

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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Substitute “ears” for “eyes,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” still applies for much of the world when it comes to the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons . It’s a dozen major hits from the ‘60s and ‘70s that remain foremost in the thoughts of pop fans, but the catalog of group and solo material goes much deeper than almost anyone who’s not a truly seasoned Valli fanatic would guess. How deep? Well, there’s a new Four Seasons boxed set, “Working Our Way Back to You — The Ultimate Collection,” that includes what feels about 400 seasons’ worth of material… 45 discs’ worth, to be precise.

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It’s pointed out in the liner notes for this set that you own your masters and your publishing, which has to be one of the reasons a comprehensive set like this can even happen — the rights aren’t scattered around a million places. Was that just amazing foresight on your part?

We had to make a sacrifice for that. In most cases, we were not dealing with major record companies. Major record companies would never gone for a deal where you lease your records to them, and at the end of the period of time that they’ve been leased to have, they come back to you. So that was a big sacrifice. But in the end, it paid off. It was a sacrifice to be on top of your career and in charge of what happens with your career, knowing that at the end of the day, everything comes back to you [while not getting the push of a major label]. I’m sure that, without that, there are many artists out there that have recorded material that’s still in the can.

The way that whole thing happened was, when we left Vee-Jay Records [in 1963], there were some situations with money that was not coming to us that should have been, and that helped us to make up our mind what we wanted to do. Instead of settling with them for the money, we settled for taking back everything that we recorded and owned it. And we went on to the next record company and leased our records to the next record company, so that they came back to us at the end of the lease.

A lot of artists have to wish they had followed that model of owning and leasing their material.

Yeah. I can’t begin to tell you how many people in our industry and our business that I tried to talk into doing exactly what we did. I was a very strong believer that you could get four or five artists, put it together, and go to a major record company and get $25-30 million for them to distribute your records on your label, and the artists would own the record company. But I just couldn’t get that message across — either that or I didn’t do a good job. It would’ve been a great idea. I mean, I don’t know if the Bee Gees own any of their catalog; they should. Robert Stigwood was their manager, the record company, their promoter — I mean, there’s a conflict of interest!

I recall talking with you when the “Jersey Boys” movie came out, and asking, “Will there ever be a really, really comprehensive Four Seasons box set?” So this is kind of a dream come true for people who wanted that. There’ve been some good collections of the essential material over the years, including one Rhino put out, but now, for the really hardcore people, it’s a chance to look at some of the songs that fell through the cracks.

Do you have some underdog favorites that are in the boxed set you would point people toward?

I’ll see what I can remember offhand. There was a song called “You’re Ready Now” that was in the can forever, and all of a sudden, years later, some disc jockey in the U.K. started playing it and we had a big hit with it. [The song was first released in 1966 but didn’t become a British hit till 1970.] That also happened with “Beggin.’” There were a whole bunch of songs in that particular period of time we were with Motown, like a song called “Poor Fool” [which was released in 1975 and never charted], written by a keyboard player that we had working with us. Bob Gaudio had written a whole bunch of songs that we had recorded that just never came out.

Some of the cover stuff we did… I don’t know if you remember the song “Sunny”? Well, we did a version of that as a ballad that I thought should definitely been a single. And another song that we used to do in the show quite a bit, “Book of Love,” we did a version of, and there’s no doubt in my mind that it should have been a single. There’s a Bob Gaudio production of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” that I thought was a brilliant record.

Another discovery is gonna be — again, back to Motown — we did a song called “Sun Country” that is on a Chameleon album. It is really a work of art. And it could have been a hit for Chicago; it’s that far away from everything else that we did. We were not afraid to do different material or material that sounded totally different than what we had originally done. “Silence Is Golden,” we had the first record on it. The record company wouldn’t release it as a signal. Another group came along and recorded it exactly the same, and it was a hit [for the Tremeloes, three years later, in 1967]. We had the first record on “We’re All Alone,” the Boz Scaggs song, which again got no promotion. The record company wasn’t that crazy about it. Rita Coolidge had the hit with it [a year later, in 1977].. And “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine.” It was copied by the Walker Brothers, note for note.

After leaving Motown, you immediately bought something back, that worked to your benefit, right?

“My Eyes Adored You” was originally recorded for Motown. And we bought back the track when we left Motown and brought it to another record company and had a big hit with it. It was in the can for at least three years. That happens. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” was in the can for a year and a half or two years. The record company didn’t believe in it, right? So, who is really right or wrong? You need to follow your instincts.

It’s funny just looking at the earliest album titles, which are transparently all about the single: “Sherry & 11 Others.” “Big Girls Don’t Cry & 12 Others.” “Dawn Go Away & 11 Others.”

Right. Which was mainly the producer’s idea. They just tried to put albums out very quickly then, not always with a whole lot of thought.

And then on the opposite end of that, this set includes not just the CD but a vinyl LP of “Genuine Imitation Life Gazette,” a concept album from 1969. It’s kind of a legendary album that maybe more people have heard of than have actually heard. You say it’s a favorite of yours — why?

It’s a favorite of ours because we took a different path and tried to get away and create conceptual ideas. And it wasn’t accepted by radio because it didn’t have any falsetto and it was nothing like “Sherry” or “Big Girls” or “Walk Like a Man.” A lot of thought was put into it. There was another album that Gaudio did with Sinatra, that I helped put together, which was also a concept album, called “Watertown.” And that didn’t get a chance, either. The whole idea of it was sold to Frank on the basis of that it was a story of a guy’s life all put into an album. And “Watertown” has become an underground hit. Anybody that’s heard it, even, especially college kids, they love it. The same thing with “Genuine Imitation of Life Gazette” — they can’t believe that that’s us.

On a different tack, the group’s Christmas album, “Four Seasons Greeting,” was only your second album ever, back in 1962. It’s something a lot of us still pull out every December for your distinctive and fun take on that holiday material. Do you have any memories of doing that?

Yes, I do. That album was done in 24 hours, that entire album. We finished at 11:30 in the morning and went through Harlem to the Apollo Theater and did five shows with Jerry Butler and Ike and Tina Turner. It was a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun.

The liner notes in in the book that comes with the boxed set includes great commentary from those of you who made the music, but also interesting perspectives from people outside the group. Little Steven, Steven Van Zant from Bruce Springsteen’s band, makes the point that really only two American groups survived the British Invasion — the Four Seasons and the Beach Boys — and everyone else kind of fell away. Does that strike you the same way, as you look back?

Yes, it does. The thing that strikes me most about it is the Beach Boys continued to do what they did, and we continued to do what we did. And it seemed that most of the American groups, except for the R&B groups, were copying a little bit of the British sound, or trying to be more like the British sound. It all comes down to be who you are, and that’s where it’s at.

Well, I still have difficulty believing the impact that we made. I mean, when we started out, we just wanted to have a hit record, and to be able to make records and do whatever we felt like doing and not really try to be like anybody else or sound like anybody else. I was always a very strong believer that if you’re gonna do something, you have to give it a rendition that is totally different from anybody else’s and is totally yours. To do it exactly the same never felt right for me.

The liner notes include some other really great testimonials, like Barry Gibb saying, “ At the time of the Beatles, Frankie Valli’s voice reigned as the voice you would hear when you fell in love .”

Who’s that — Barry? It’s funny, you know. When I got to do “Grease” [the movie’s title song, written by Gibb], the Bee Gees were doing the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” movie, and I got a call from his office and they said, “Barry has a song that he’d like you to take a look at  and possibly do.” And Allan Carr was my manager at the time, who was one of the partners in the “Grease” production, with Robert Stigwood. And Carr knew I wanted to do some acting. So he said, “Well, you could be in the movie and do a song like ‘Beauty School Dropout,’ or sing ‘Grease’ and you won’t be in the movie.” And I listened to both songs and almost knew immediately which it would be. Even though I’m not sure anybody really realized how big a record that would be.

You have to love the fact that with the “Jersey Boys” musical and movie, the story ultimately hinges on you being kind of… responsible. A lot of times in pop culture, we celebrate the people who are really wild and out of control. And here we have a show where the third act revolves around you doing what it takes to get out of debt. On paper, that doesn’t sound like the most exciting third act, but it works, and that’s a testiment to what you did in taking control behind the scenes.

It was really important to understand, because of where we came from… I grew up and lived in a project for my entire life, almost, up until we had some success, and I had a great appreciation for things, and I knew that everything that went up came down. And it was really important not to spend the whole wad of whatever you got all on one thing, but to think about tomorrow, because if nothing is happening, you would still be able to take care of yourself. I’ve seen so many singers who ended up broke, in hospitals. When Jackie Wilson died, he didn’t have anything going for him; I think he was on welfare. Some of the Supremes, that happened with, and there are more and more and more of the same kind of situation.

Earlier this year you sang “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” at the annual Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala. It must be an interesting feeling after all these years to be going to this event where it’s the hippest artists of the moment — and of course Clive reveres veteran artists too, so he tries to have a mixture. But the fact that he wanted to put you on there this year, and you’re in front of the cream of the crop of the hitmakers of today…

I couldn’t believe the response. Most of those people weren’t even born when when we were having that particular song as a hit. And when Clive asked me to do it, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it. What will it mean? Who’s even gonna know what I’m doing? He said, “This’ll be one of the biggest moments in your life.” And Clive has been known for having that kind of an insight. He’s a brilliant guy and a great humanitarian.

To be so well thought of and respected at this point in your career, does that scrappy underdog feeling go away after a certai point? Or coming from humble roots in Newark, is there always a little bit of that underdog feeling left?

Well, we’ve been up and down so many times, and every time somebody said “that was it,” we seem to have come back with something. We’re always working on something or other. There’s a possibility there could be a movie done on the “Watertown” project, for instance. So it feels good, but I do think back, and there are things about the past that stay with you — the camaraderie, and the difference between today and yesterday.

The competition was great in those days — I mean, it was really terrific. There were a lot of records, and artists and radio were like brothers. You got to know each other. If you were promoting a record, you went into Detroit or Philly or in the Baltimore area or Chicago and visited all the radio stations and all the different jockeys and went to their hops at night and lip-synced something from what you had recorded. It was fun.

You worked smaller venues back in the day, and you had to do two shows at night. Today, the venues have gotten bigger and and bigger, and I don’t know how the public is gonna be able to afford it if it continues like this.

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Living Legends: Frankie Valli On The Four Seasons' Biggest Hits, Impressing Bob Dylan And Inspiring Billy Joel & Elton John

Between a new box set and a Las Vegas residency, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons aren’t slowing down in 2023. Hear from the falsetto king himself about how hits like “Sherry” and “December, 1963 (Oh What A Night!) came to be — and how they live on.

With one of the most recognizable voices in music, a generation-spanning array of hit songs and a life story that has become stuff of legend, Frankie Valli has staked a claim as one of the music industry's most indelible artists. One of the few acts that steadily navigated from the doo-wop age through the disco era, Valli's improbable trajectory with his group, the Four Seasons , was propeled by a golden ear for hits, aided by the songwriter/producer power duo Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe .

That's not to say the 89-year-old is resting on his laurels. His astounding career is on full, vibrant display in the immense new box set aptly dubbed Working Our Way Back to You — The Ultimate Collection . Consisting of 45 discs of every song Valli and the Four Seasons ever recorded — from beloved hits to deep-cuts, demos and other rarities — the set also includes a biographical book filled to the brim with rare images that track their rise from a fledgling New Jersey singing group to Broadway sensations in the form of Jersey Boys.

In addition, later this month Vailli is heading to Las Vegas for a residency at Westgate Resort and Casino where he and the Four Seasons will be appearing until well into 2024.

Valli spoke to GRAMMY.com about his astounding run of hits, the artists he's influenced, the modern covers of his tracks and how his big year started off with a bang during GRAMMY weekend.

You were a surprise performer at the Clive Davis GRAMMY Gala earlier this year and, in a very special moment, everyone in the audience, from Cardi B to Joni Mitchell , jumped up and sang along with you to "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You." What was that moment like for you?

Oh, it was incredible. I never expected it. When Clive first invited me, he said "I want to invite you to my GRAMMY party, but I want you to do a song." I said, "With the generation gap, should I really do a song?" But I was in shock when everybody stood up to sing along. 

It was a really a moment I'll never forget. It's a good thing we have people like Clive who really has an insight on what's happening and where it's going. 

That night, the Italian rock band Måneksin covered your song "Beggin'" which was their breakout hit. The band was just the latest in a long line of artists who have covered Four Seasons music, with "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" done by everyone from Lauryn Hill to Shawn Mendes , to name just two examples. What do you think of all of these artists wanting to cover your work?

It's quite complimentary. When you've been around a long time and people find value in what you've done, it just makes you feel good about what you've done.

In your career, you've also covered so many songs from Cole Porter 's "I've Got You Under My Skin" to Bob Dylan 's "Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)." How did you go about choosing which songs to cover, and how would you put your own spin on these classics to make them your own?

It was really more or less music that we listened to and we loved. We tried to pick songs that were very meaningful for us, but the trick was to be able to do them a little differently than they had been done. 

We were quite successful with it, we did it with songs like "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" We did a version of "Book of Love" and so many others.

Your version of "Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)" is probably one of the most unusual songs in your vast discography considering its subject matter, your exaggerated falsetto, and those background harmonies. How did that come about? I also understand you heard from Bob Dylan himself about it.

We did it in a very campy way, and it really was quite by accident. I was in a studio, and the guy at the soundboard asked me to sing a little bit to get a level on me. So I was clowning around singing in a falsetto like that.

The next thing I know, the button clicks and I hear [Crewe and Gaudio's] voices saying, "Do it like that." I said, "Do what like what?" They said, "Sing it just the way you're singing it." I said, "Come on, you're kidding!" 

We did it and that version of it was a take-off on a singer named Rose Murphy , who had several hits. Many years later, I was shopping at Fred Segal in LA and Bob Dylan came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. We shook hands and he said, "I love the version of 'Don't Think Twice' that you guys did."

Speaking of your singular vocal stylings, I'm wondering how you and the group went about plotting how you'd all harmonize. For example, in a song like "Candy Girl," there's your iconic falsetto, and then suddenly we hear in a very low baritone voice the line "Our love is real! " Is something like that written out? How does it come together in the studio?

It just comes naturally. A lot of credit goes to the fact that we were never chased away from a song because we didn't know what to do with it. We toyed with it until we found what we thought was right for it. There were no direct plans; everything was done from within the group. 

Nick Massi had his job doing a lot of the vocal arrangements, and Gaudio did most of them after Nick had left. We worked together until everybody was satisfied with it. Does it fit? Does it work? It's like a puzzle. You don't want to overdo anything, and you don't want to under-do.

So then let's say in a song like "Walk Like A Man" when the harmonies sing that iconic "Oo-Oooo-Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo-Ooooo." Where does that come from?

It comes from Bob Gaudio, who wrote the song to sound like that. The first three songs we did were more like a chant, and that's what we created to make what everybody knows as our sound. 

We wanted to be very easily identifiable. If you heard something by us on the radio, you knew that it was us. We were constantly looking for new ways and new things while having fun doing it. We weren't following or listening to anybody else on the radio; we weren't a copycat group. 

Billy Joel has gone on to say that a lot of the inspiration he got came from us. "I love you just the way you are" is the last line in "Rag Doll."

He also said that "Uptown Girl" was an homage to you. Musically it sounds like "Big Girls Don't Cry" but lyrically it's the opposite of "Rag Doll." What do you think when you hear a song like that?

First of all, I'm a big Billy Joel fan. There isn't anything he's ever done that I haven't liked. My favorite of everything is "Just The Way You Are." It sounds so honest and lyrically it's so right, it had to be a hit.

What about a song like "Bennie and the Jets"? It's been said that Elton John was directly inspired by you.

I loved it. He's another guy who has done very little wrong musically. He's an amazing writer and performer. 

You and the group have a lot of name songs: "Sherry," "Marlena," "Dawn." Was that conscious effort, or was it just natural?

It was natural. Bob wrote the songs… He and I have been partners now for over 50 years and he never ceases to amaze me. He's so tuned into everything that's going on, it's really amazing.

Is it true that "Sherry" was originally called "Jackie" in honor of Jackie Kennedy?

No, it was originally called "Perry." Before "Sherry," we weren't signed to a label, so this small independent company owned by a millionaire had a daughter named Perry. And that's what he wanted us to call it, but it was written to be "Sherry" and we just felt very strongly about that and kept it.

What did the owner think of that?

We ended up going with a different company. So we never heard much after that.

One of your biggest hits was "December 1963 (Oh What A Night!)." I always wondered if that was a random date, or if you chose it because that period was a unique moment in history: a month after the Kennedy assassination, but two months before the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan.  

It was originally a song with lyrics about the '20s, '30s and '40s. The lyrics were "Flippers flopping on the floor." It was a totally different song. When Bob brought it into the studio, he was disappointed we weren't crazy about it and he wanted to junk the song. We said, "No, you can come up with something better than this," and he rewrote it to fit the time. 

Is there one song that you thought should have been bigger than it was?

The funny thing about records during the days when we recorded, and the record business was as big as it was, to become a hit it was important that the record company do the legwork and get radio stations to play it, or try it for two weeks. I thought there was a lot of what we did that was overlooked because the record company wasn't that crazy about it. 

For example, I put the single "We're All Alone" out, and the record company didn't want to work it. I did mine with the London Symphony Orchestra. Later, Rita Coolidge came out with the same song and it went to No. 1. Sometimes things like that happen.

A song like "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" was in the can for two or three years. We had to force the record company to release it and hire independent promotion people to work the record and get it on the radio. 

"My Eyes Adored You" was recorded for Motown Records and that one was in the can for three years because they weren't too sure about it. Finally, when we left Motown, we asked if we can buy back the track, and they agreed for us to purchase it. We did and we brought it to every record company in the business and they all said no. 

Eventually, we found Larry Uttal with a brand new record company, Private Stock Records, and he said, "That'll be my first No. 1 record for my new company." And it was!  

From when you first started recording in the early '50s to when "Sherry" hit No. 1 was a period of nine years. That's a long time. Why did you stick with it?  

It was always music first. If I had no success at all, I'd probably still be doing music somewhere in New Jersey or New York. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and wanted to be. 

At first, I rejected the fact that I might have to do pop music, but as I started to do it and it became successful, I realized it was a music that people could understand. And what are you doing music for? You're doing it for people. Without an audience you wouldn't have anything. 

My love of music started out for the very first time with me seeing Frank Sinatra as a boy when my mom took me to the Paramount Theater in New York City. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I was so inspired; I made up my mind that that's what I wanted to do. 

Living Legends: Nancy Sinatra Reflects On Creating "Power And Magic" In Studio, Developing A Legacy Beyond "Boots" & The Pop Stars She Wants To Work With

Photo: Corine Solberg/Getty Images

Living Legends: Lionel Richie On 'The Greatest Night In Pop,' "American Idol" & The Evolving Essence Of The Music Industry

"When I wrote those lyrics…it was exactly the feeling of where we are now as a world," Lionel Richie says of "We Are the World." In a wide-ranging interview, the four-time GRAMMY winner discusses the iconic charity single and his career to date.

Whether explaining to his parents that the Commodores would be the "Black Beatles" or writing a mega-smash charity single in a single evening, a young Lionel Richie has something of a mantra: "Everything was possible."

When the now-iconic "We Are the World" first hit the airwaves in 1985, listeners surely were awed at the thought of so many legends in one room.  Performing under the banner of USA for Africa, the track featured everyone from Ray Charles to Stevie Wonder , Michael Jackson to Bruce Springsteen , Cyndi Lauper to Tina Turner , and sold more than 20 million physical copies to raise money for African famine relief. The song’s recording was documented and encapsulated in the recently released documentary The Greatest Night in Pop .

Richie is the glowing supernova of musicianship creative wrangling at the core of the song and film. "Part of the whole magic of the song was to know the back side of it," Richie tells GRAMMY.com, hinting at the open, warm tone that has characterized his entire career.

Richie's sterling vocals and immaculate songwriting first rose to international prominence in his time as co-lead singer of Motown heroes the Commodores, for whom he wrote songs like "Easy" and "Three Times a Lady." Richie expanded his already endless pop charm as a solo artist, topping charts and winning countless acclaim and listeners’ hearts alike with songs such as "All Night Long (All Night)," "Hello," "Say You, Say Me," and "Dancing on the Ceiling."

When the concept for creating a track to raise funds and awareness for African famine relief was first broached by legendary artist and activist Harry Belafonte and manager Ken Kragen, Richie was tapped to write the song with Michael Jackson. The duo pulled an all-nighter to write the track a day before the first recording session — which also happened to be the very same day Richie was to host the American Music Awards, his first hosting gig on television. (Richie has become a fixture on TV, including his recent stint as a judge on "American Idol.")

Throughout his myriad roles and projects, Lionel Richie remains both incredibly professional and one of the warmest personalities in the music industry — not to mention a captivatingly brilliant musician and four-time GRAMMY winner. GRAMMY.com caught up with Richie to discuss the making of "We Are the World," finding himself in the room with every one of the icons he admired, and the continued need for hope and positivity 40 years later.

I have to tell you, I re-watched The Greatest Night in Pop this morning, and it is no less incredible after another watch.

Thank you. It's one of those moments in time. Just to see the positivity, number one, and number two, the impossibility of how we pull this off. Trying to do that today, you would just want to drive yourself crazy. There's no way today you can keep a secret.

Of course you’d have a leak, and is everybody going to show up? There’d be too many egos. "Leave your ego at the door?" You won't even leave your ego at the phone call. 

The whole business has changed. But in the documentary, you really feel the weight of the challenge and the massive scope of opportunity. During that time, were you completely confident or or was there a constant worry that it might fall apart? Perhaps you had so many responsibilities that success and failure didn't even cross your mind.

You know what's so brilliant about being young and naïve? Everything has possibilities. 

I look back on my career, when I walked in that door that fateful day that I was going to tell my parents that I was going to drop out of my last semester of my senior year and go full time with the Commodores. And I said, "Mom, Dad, we're the Black Beatles. We're going to take over the world." That takes a lot of just innocence and naivety and youth. Everything was possible. With "We Are the World," we were all kind of sitting there going, "What can we do [to make this work]?" And as we started calling up people, it just became "I'm in." "I'm in." "I'm in." 

Of course, Ken [Kragen, manager] didn't tell us that he was making all these phone calls. We just thought it was going to be Quincy [Jones], Stevie [Wonder], Michael [Jackson], and myself. And Harry Belafonte. And the next thing we know, we've got all these artists waiting for the song that we haven't written. [ Laughs. ]

I think that was so wonderful that you didn't have that level of project in mind. Whilst naivety is part of the process, I feel like if you weren't able to be so in the moment, the song may have come out differently.

I always believe that if you have too much time to think about something, you're going to mess it up. I said yes to something that I didn't realize I had no time to do. This is my solo time in life. I've just left the Commodores; I'm hosting the American Music Awards. I've never done that before.

And of course, the pressure was there as well. Who is this kid to host this show alone? Alone, alone, not with two or three hosts. There was a lot of doubt as to whether this kid could do this or not, you know. As time went on, it just became another part of the story. And I've always believed I'm very good at getting myself into crap. And then I have to work my way out of it. 

You're a good swimmer.  

[ Laughs. ] Yeah. And so this thing just started evolving. "Okay, Lionel, what about the rehearsal for the American Music Awards?" And I go, "Oh, that's right. We have to rehearse." 

The rehearsal time was also the time we had to cut the track for "We Are the World." And then we have to write the lyrics. Meanwhile, I have to rehearse [for the AMAs]. But, you know, I look back on it, honestly, and it was just divinely guided. Sometimes if you just have a chance to sit back and think about the intricate parts of it, everyone showed up at the right time to do the right thing. 

It was astonishing to think about how many roles you had in that record coming to life. You were a writer, a singer, a producer, a coach, a psychiatrist, a guide. And you continue taking on so many different types of projects and roles to this day.

Well, let me tell you what makes things like "We Are the World" happen. I won’t just sit here and talk about, you know, how I did it. That was a room full of pros, you follow me? Quincy Jones, master producer, master arranger. I asked Quincy a very important question one time. I said, "How in the world did you deal with all of those various personalities and stuff?" He said, "What do you think an arranger does?" I said, "What do you mean?" He said, "What do you think I do for a living? My job is to organize chaos." In other words, the woodwinds are playing one thing. The brass are playing something else. The violins are playing something else. And all together it sounds like a song. Well, he was the master of that. 

When you bring in artists from all different genres, each one of those artists, A, had their own sound, and B, knew how to deliver it. So all we had to do was kind of set the stage for them to do that half a line and pull it off. But behind the scenes, look at Humberto Gatica . He is a great engineer. How many tracks can you mess up? He had 99 million tracks and all of a sudden we couldn't have a delay [in the schedule]. There was no delay possible. I think what made my part of this whole thing, I was just putting out fires. Wherever there was a fire, like, "Okay, Bob Dylan , you need to go see Stevie Wonder. [ Laughs. ] And Huey Lewis , you just need to calm down." He thought he was just going to come and hang out. 

Oh, Huey is such a fun guy!

Huey was going, "I'm going to sing whose part?" [ Laughs. ] It made everybody honest. I said, "Okay, Quincy, how are we going to pull this off? Is everybody going to go in the vocal booth one by one to do their parts?" He said, "No, no, no, no. We're going to put them in a circle and let them sing to each other." And I said, " What? " 

He said, "I promise you, they'll be perfect on every round." Because when you're facing each other, there is no "Give me another take" or "Give me two more takes" or "Let me warm up." Just the fear factor of facing every artist you've ever admired in your whole life. There's Ray Charles over there. There's Kenny Rogers over here. There’s Diana Ross . 

And Tina Turner!

And Bruce. And Billy Joel . We were, basically, the youngsters in the room. There's Michael. We'd all been around in the business a long time, but we'd never just been in a room to face each other. 

So I think what was so amazing is when we went around one time at that piano, just to hear how it was all going to sound, that's when we knew we've got something. It was going to be a good sound.

Fitting all those different sounds and voices is such a beautiful achievement. It really makes you stand out, that ability to guide people and projects so naturally. It really makes sense that you have this continued role as a statesman of the industry, even down to your work on "American Idol."

You know what was so great? What we all heard back then, and what still rings true today, there's a word that the world needs right now. It's called hope. [When] that song came out 40 years ago; it was this amazing light, this beacon of hope. People started going, "Ah, okay, you're right. We need to care about each other." 

It's one of those aha moments when you realize that a group of us got together and actually made that statement. As world-famous artists, we took all of our light as celebrities and entertainers and songwriters and shined it on hunger and starvation in the world. It was just a great statement. 

I’m sure you have countless admirers who come up to you and talk about your work, but can you share some things that listeners have told you about that song in particular?

What I loved is when you start getting the 7- to 12-year-olds [saying] "We sing ‘We Are the World’ in our school!" Then that segues over to "American Idol." 

When I first met Bao [Nguyen], the director [of The Greatest Night in Pop ], he scared me to absolute death because I'm thinking that we're going to bring in a well-seasoned director from 1983 or 1984. He says, "I was two years old when that song came out in Vietnam." [ Laughs .] 

A lot of people just heard the song, but they didn't know the background [or my role in it]. So they didn't know that Michael and I wrote the song together.  They knew I was maybe in the song, but they didn't know to what degree. I’m having a lot of people just come up to me with the sheer discovery. "Oh, my God, I didn't even know you did it." 

"Where have you been?"

It really tells how blessed we were, because think about this now. All of us [working on the song] went on to have careers, major careers; that was the beginning of our big explosion. 

What I love the most, I think, is just the fact that what Michael and I set out to do with that song was we wanted not a song, not a hit record. We wanted an anthem. We wanted a song that will stay around generation after generation, year after year. When people ask me right now, "God, Lionel, you need to write another song, because we need it so much today." And I go, "Play the song again."  

It's so relevant. Absolutely.

Everything I wanted to say 40 years ago, I would write today. In other words, history just keeps repeating itself over and over again. And everyone keeps thinking you need something new. No, the whole song said everything. 

But then when was your last all-nighter? Because that was a pretty epic all-nighter that you had that night.

[ Laughs .] That was an "all-two-dayer"! That was the day before rehearsing for the American Music Awards. You then wake up and then actually start rehearsing from 7 in the morning at the Shrine Auditorium 'til the show started, and then to leave there at 11 o'clock at night, 12 o'clock at night. I forgot to also mention [that] I was not quite prepared for hosting, because this was my first time doing it. But also, I wasn't ready to win. [Editor's note: Richie won six times at the AMAs the year, including Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.]  

It was a lot of moving parts. But the beautiful part about it was, I think the dedication and the hearts of each of those artists. Everybody came to shine their light on this issue. And the brilliance of it is, it worked. 

What's something positive that you've been feeling about music lately?

Well, here's what's happening. I went into "American Idol" thinking, There is no possible next level of artistry. Because I've been there, done it, I've seen it . This is my eighth year coming up on "American Idol" and talent keeps showing up. Unique talent keeps showing up. Writers keep showing up. And I think what I'm looking forward to is when the industry can now keep up with the talent. Because we're overflowing with talent. 

The problem now is, how do we get all of this talent recognized around the world? I mean, when I get to the top 20 on "American Idol" literally, I could start a record company on the top 20. We're throwing off such amazing talent. You constantly have to think, Okay, what are we doing?  

For example, Jennifer Hudson did "American Idol," and she was let go at number nine, and then went on to become a massive star. This year coming up, Carrie Underwood won "American Idol"  and here she is now coming back as a judge and mentor. 

My situation now is, how do we get more of this talent recognized to the world? We were very fortunate back then because everything back then was global. There were only basically four different networks you could deal with. And then if you want to go outside of that, it's called BBC. What the internet did was great in terms of everybody's on it, but it also made it a big soup. You've got so many different angles and avenues. How do you focus your audience? 

I think what's going to happen in the next couple of years is technology is going to be able to help us in a lot of ways. Because there has to be a new model that's going to be able to showcase not only the artists, but then there's the writers, the producers, the engineers, the musicians. 

Yes! More focus on the collective who create the art. Where are the credits? I want my liner notes.

Exactly! I don't want to be the guy who’s like, "Bring back the good old days," but… 

I think a lot of people are saying the same thing, no matter what age they are.

I couldn't wait to read the liner notes. Who's on that record? Oh my God, that writer was on there. Oh my God, that musician was on there. So-and-so sat in on the session . Part of the whole magic of the song was to know the back side of it, what was really happening. There's a lot that we can discover going forward, but there's a lot that we are losing from the past that I would like to bring up. Because we're not really giving credit where credit is due. 

We need time. But we also need the advocate, the voice behind a message, which you are so clearly great at. You saw darkness in the world and put out a song. We know that song is not going to fix whatever the problem is, but the music becomes a comfort. What is that song for you that brings you to the place where you're feeling downright comfort?

I don't want to be the one to go that route, but my go-to for calm is "Easy Like Sunday Morning" ["Easy", from the Commodores’ 1977 self-titled album]. I know that it's always best when you use somebody else's song, but I wrote that song in a state of just that. I wasn't quite sure. I wasn't aware. The other song would be "Zoom" [from the same album]. The lyrics to that song basically sums up exactly where we all are. There's a place we'd all like to go and just hide for a moment to get away from all this craziness. I use those two songs as my mantras just because of the message that it gives. 

That duality of "I'm telling you my story, but also we're all sharing this." I love it.

I think the entry of that was, "I may be just a foolish dreamer, but I don't care. All I know is my happiness is out there somewhere." We're all looking for that silver lining, that horizon that we've never seen before. When I wrote those lyrics, I must tell you, it was exactly the feeling of where we are now as a world. Because it was confusing. Think about it. This is the early ‘70s, coming out of the ‘60s, the craziness of Vietnam, and as a kid, what's out there for us? I don't know. What's the possibilities? We're not sure. And so here we are again, yet again faced with this survival of how do we stay sane in this world of insanity?

And how do we feed each other with things that feel nourishing?

What I love about the music business is that what determines a real hit record is when people walk up to you and go, "Lionel, I felt the same way." Now, that means you start realizing that, "Yes, I wrote a love song, but those words helped everybody else. That feeling that I felt is the feeling that everybody else felt." 

So it's a confirmation that we're all human. We're all feeling. There are moments of happiness. There are moments of tragedy. And we're all doing this in the same world of trying to cope. And so I always say at the end of the day, there's got to be this common bond of humanity and mankind. There's got to be a thread of hope. Otherwise, we've lost the plot completely.

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Living Legends: Beres Hammond On His Enduring Career, Timeless Music & 'Brand, Jamaica!'

Beres Hammond has had a lengthy career in reggae, both as a member of Zap Pow and as a solo artist. The two-time GRAMMY nominee discussed his enduring popularity and what he hopes younger artists can learn from his story.

Prior to performing his first song at Reggae Sumfest 2024, Jamaica’s largest music festival, legendary vocalist Beres Hammond shared a concise but important message.  "Jamaica," he bellowed, seemingly as a greeting, which he followed by shouting "brand." "We are a brand! I am, you are. Brand! Say it," he instructed. "Brand, Jamaica!"

Throughout his July 20 Sumfest set , Beres interspersed the catchphrase "brand, Jamaica," as if reminding the audience of 15,000 (and the younger artists backstage) at Montego Bay’s Catherine Hall, of Jamaican music’s significant legacy and widespread impact. Countless musical gems comprise brand Jamaica, but few, if any, are more precious than the songs of Beres Hammond.

Born Hugh Beresford Hammond in the small fishing village of Annotto Bay, the two-time GRAMMY nominee first gained notoriety in the early 1970s fronting reggae/R&B fusion outfit Zap Pow. As a solo artist, Beres’ songs primarily explore the erratic complexities of romantic relationships; his charismatic, powerfully granular vocals have been likened to that of soul legends Otis Redding , Teddy Pendergrass and Sam Cooke .  

"I never thought I’d reach this point," Hammond tells GRAMMY.com. "Even now, I still show respect to the folks that helped me to grow and are helping me to still be relevant."

At Sumfest, accompanied by his superb Harmony House band and three flawless female backup singers, Beres delved into his beloved catalog, as the audience, spanning three generations of fans, loudly sang along. After performing his first No. 1 single, the 1976 soul nugget "One Step Ahead," which held the top spot in Jamaica for over three months, Beres reminisced onstage, " People thought I was an American guy. It was my first taste of success, but I had no money, I couldn’t even ride the bus. I was broke!"

Beres released a spate of popular singles beginning in the late 1970s into the mid-1980s yet he continued to struggle financially. His situation improved with his initial release on his own Harmony House label, the 1985 hit "Groovy Little Thing."

A sequence of hits followed recorded for various Jamaican producers including 1987’s "What One Dance Can Do," which spawned several answer records (including Hammond's own "She Loves Me Now"). His 1990 defiant social critique, "Putting Up Resistance" , produced by Tappa Zukie, remains one of the biggest reggae songs from that era.

Working with producer Donovan Germain’s Penthouse Records, in 1990 Beres laid his vocals over a riddim called "A Love I Can Feel" (after singer John Holt’s 1970 hit, itself a Temptations cover). The resultant "Tempted to Touch" topped reggae charts internationally and commenced a stream of Penthouse hits for Beres that also included "A Little More Time" and "Who Say," collaborations with a gruff-voiced teenaged sensation, Buju Banton .

As his fan base expanded throughout the Caribbean and reggae Diaspora, alongside increasing acclaim for his stellar songwriting and passionate, pliant vocals, it was inevitable Beres would attract major label interest. He signed to Elektra Records, for whom he released just one album, the outstanding In Control , in 1994, featuring the sublime, sultry R&B flavored single "No Disturb Sign ."

Between 1996 and 2018 Beres released seven self-produced studio albums through his Harmony House label’s joint venture with Queens, NY based VP Records , including two GRAMMY nominated titles in the Best Reggae Album category. Beres received the nod for his 2001 album, Music is Life at the 44th GRAMMY Awards and again at the 56th GRAMMY Awards for his 2012 album One Love, One Life .

Beres has collaborated with dancehall superstars Sean Paul and Popcaan , and his work has been referenced by Jamaican artists including singer/songwriter Tanya Stephens and sing-jay Mavado . Although he hasn't had a U.S. mainstream hit, Hammond's music is nonetheless recognized by some of the industry’s biggest names. In 2012 Rihanna tweeted the lyrics to Beres’ "They Gonna Talk,"   obliquely addressing her then rekindled relationship with Chris Brown ; at an event in Barbados, she was seen singing along to a medley of Beres hits. Drake conveyed his fondness for the iconic vocalist by retweeting a fan’s declaration that she’d like Beres Hammond to sing at her wedding. Wyclef Jean conclusively expressed the veneration due the bespectacled songster on the outro to his 2001 duet with Hammond "Dance 4 Me," bluntly stating, "All you fake singers, bow down to the legend."

Beres Hammond's most recent single "Let Me Help You" was released on May 3; VP Records says a new Beres project is possibly due by the end of 2024. In between rehearsals for a spate of performances in the New York tri-state area,  Beres Hammond sat down with GRAMMY.com and discussed his enduring popularity, his messages to younger artists and the meaning of "brand, Jamaica."

Welcome back to New York City. I was at Reggae Sumfest and I saw your wonderful performance. There’s something extra special about your performances in Jamaica, seeing, hearing different generations of fans singing along to your songs.

 What I like most is when the young folks, teens and 20s say, "My mom used to listen to you when she’s in the kitchen working, that’s how I know these songs." They still love them, still sing them. It makes me feel like I came out here to do a job and everything’s been accomplished. 

Why do you think your music has such vast appeal among various age groups?  

I think it’s the way I present my songs. I make it so easy for everyone to have access. I don’t use Wall Street words; I make it A-B-C. I just do my thing in the simplest manner so everybody can sing it! 

You just performed two sold out shows at the Coney Island Amphitheater and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center part of your Forever Giving Thanks tour . So many decades after you started out, that must feel extremely gratifying.

 Everyday feels like a new day on the job. I’m giving thanks that I’m in good health and I’ve still got some voice left. All the folks around me, like the band and crew, they’re treating me as if we just started. When you have people around you like that, it’s almost like the journey has just begun. 

Have you been working with the same band members for all these years?  

For a lifetime, almost. Some have been with me for over 30 years. For the newest members, it might be 10 years.

Throughout your Sumfest performance you intermittently shouted, "brand, Jamaica!" What does that mean?

I was talking about me, what a beautiful brand, but also Jamaica, itself, to the world. Helluva brand! I join the folks that still have Jamaica on the world map as a brand to be reckoned with. Because we nah go nowhere. We deh yah! [We’re here].

I’ve always thought of myself as a brand and upcoming artists should recognize the legacy that’s left here for them. I say "brand" again, to make them understand the role they’re supposed to be playing in what was handed down to them. Be proud of what you’ve got because you are standing on some broad shoulders; be careful how you step on those shoulders.

Coming up in the 1970s and early '80s, whose shoulders did you stand on?

What introduced me to wanting to sing was a few voices including Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder , he’s still amazing. I used to love Aretha Franklin and I still love Patti LaBelle . I listened to those voices and said, "Yeah, I would love to sing like them." Then checking on my Jamaican folk, Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, hearing those voices, I thought, there must be something out there for me.

Learn more: Remembering Coxsone Dodd: 10 Essential Productions From The Architect Of Jamaican Music

  Are there any artists you are mentoring, artists that are standing on your shoulders?  

Some of them come up to me and say Father B — they call me all kinda names, Father B, Dada, and they give me some nice accolades. I don’t seek them out, they find me and I always have the right things to say to them, if they ask. Kids still want to learn and being around me, you will learn many things. 

Thirty years ago, in 1994, you released your album 'In Control' for Elektra Records. It's still one of my favorite albums.  

At that time Elektra went into some merger. The beautiful Elektra crew working with me — some got fired, some went to other places; it was a mess, man. That had a great effect on what the album should have done and really turned me off from Elektra and major labels. This is how people with their big bag of money treat people, come in, push us around. But through the years, I’ve learned that [Elektra] took my music to places that I don’t think I would have reached, so it helped me along. 

You continue to have a very successful career, but I can’t help but wonder, had 'In Control' received the push it should have, would your music be better known beyond a reggae audience?  

I don’t know, but I know where I stand now and where we are still aiming to go. That never came out of our focus because, hey, the sky’s the limit.

Where are you aiming to go, what are some of the things that you’d still like to do?

I’d like to sing that song that makes the whole world sing along. I’m not sure if I’ve made that one yet.

I hope that my Jamaican brothers and sisters who are making music take it seriously and remember, you’re an influence. Ask yourself, what kind of influence do you want to be to the next generation? Do you want to be the one to make them have a better education? Do you want to be the one that makes them aspire to be leaders?  Or do you want to be the one to send them to prison?  

Is there any place that you haven’t yet performed but would like to?  

People have asked me, what’s my favorite place to perform? I still don’t know. My favorite place is anywhere in the world; once you gather to see me, oh God, that’s my favorite place.  

How has the music industry changed in the years that you’ve been in it?  

You have to brace to face any new challenge in music. But all I’ve ever wished for is, no matter what kind of changes the music goes through, keep the thing positive so the people can learn. I can’t tell the younger generation what to do. I had my time and did what I had to do; you have to allow them to be themselves, too. Whatever changes the new generation wants to make, I’m there with them; just keep those values and you’re good. 

  On Jan. 1, 2023, you and Buju Banton put on a very successful concert in Jamaica called Intimate. Any chance you’ll bring that back?  

They just talked to me yesterday about it. [ Hammond  imitates Buju’s resounding voice ] "What ‘appen? What are we saying? Second leg? Father B, give I the green light." So, we are looking forward to bringing that back in January 2025.

Read more: Buju Banton's Untold Stories: The Dancehall Legend Shares Tales Behind 10 Of His Biggest Songs

You’ve recorded many songs with Buju and in 2023 you released another collaborative single "We Need Your Love" ; an album was expected to follow. Are there any release plans for the Beres/Buju album?

We’ve already recorded 12-15 songs so when them ready, they will tell me. I did songs for Buju and he did songs for me. 

  Earlier, you mentioned turning on the radio to hear a song that everyone will sing along to; do you listen to Jamaica’s radio stations to hear the latest music?  

I listen to talk shows to tap into what the country is doing. You have people calling in, talking about what the prime minister is doing, how many people died today. Music is around me through my kids, my friends. I’m up on everything; without actually listening to it, I’m hearing it. 

You have six children; some are pursuing music careers. Tell me about them.  

One of them, DJ Inferno, he’s always on the road with me; he plays before I perform, and he mashes up the place all the while. My son Rasheed is in production, trying to establish his own label, he’s ready to start releasing music. One of my daughters, Nastassja, they call her Wizard, she’s a writer, artist, producer. My other daughter, Andrene, is an actress (Andrene Ward-Hammond stars on the CW Network’s "61st Street") and she’s on tour with me looking after my personal needs.

Sometimes I am out here with all six of my children. It’s a beautiful thing. They make me proud.

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Living Legends: Kurtis Blow On How Hip-Hop Culture Was "Made With Love" & Bringing The Breaks To The Olympics

More than 40 years after he became hip-hop's first commercial breakout star, Kurtis Blow is still moving the culture forward. The rapper and OG B-boy reflects on hip-hop’s rich history, and the impact of seeing hip-hop represented at the 2024 Paris Games.

On the eve of the first-ever Olympic breakdancing competition, hip-hop legend Kurtis Blow was thrilled. It was the first time one of the core elements of hip-hop culture had reached such a global stage.

Alongside DJ Kool Herc (whose breaks provided the soundtrack for B-boys and girls), Blow is credited with popularizing breakdancing. The rapper began breaking as a teenager in the early 1970s, as part of the Hill Boys breaking crew — named for the Sugar Hill area of Harlem where Malcolm X first started his galvanizing pro-Black movement —  

And while the International Olympic Committee decided to remove breakdancing from the 2028 Olympics , Blow is unbothered. As far as he’s concerned, his legacy and the legacy of breaking itself is all but set in stone. 

"It was definitely something special," Blow tells GRAMMY.com. "And I wasn’t the only one who realized it at the moment it was happening."

Born Kurtis Walker, the Harlem-based Blow began DJing when he was just seven years old. In 1979, the 20-year-old's " Christmas Rappin’ " sold over 400,000 copies and turned the up-and-comer into a household name. But it was his follow-up single, 1980’s "The Breaks," that helped launch a whole new genre: rap music. "The Breaks" became the first hip-hop album to receive a gold certification from the RIAA, and proved that Blow wasn’t just a one-trick pony. 

Kurtis Blow proved to be immediately influential on the then-nascent rap scene. When Rev. Run of Run-D.M.C. started his career, he billed himself as " The Son of Kurtis Blow " to give him an air of credibility that helped propel the hip-hop trio into the pop culture stratosphere. But Blow's influence didn’t begin and end with his "adopted son": Everyone from Russell Simmons to Wyclef Jean has worked with Blow, and he has been sampled by Nas ("If I Ruled The World" is all but an interpolation of Kurtis Blow’s song of the same name), KRS-One and many others. In fact, more than 100 songs have used samples from "The Breaks," and nearly 1,500 songs have used a sample or an interpolation from Blow’s discography. 

Learn more: Essential Hip-Hop Releases From The 1970s: Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash, Sugarhill Gang & More

Kurtis Blow was also one of the first rappers to sign to a major label (Mercury Records) and was the first rapper to be a multihyphenate (in addition to his music, Blow worked as an actor on films like In a Dark Place and California Dreamers , and was the musical coordinator for the legendary hip-hop film Krush Groove ). Blow continues to work steadily in hip-hop today, though he eschews the legendary breaking parties in favor of cultural events that offer a new glimpse into the culture he helped create. 

To wit, Blow is performing with The Hip Hop Nutcracker , in which Tchaikovsky’s classic score is set to breakdancing and modern hip-hop dance; the emcee will perform a brief set to kick off each show. A nationwide tour kicks off in Southern California in November and concludes at the end of December in Durham, North Carolina.

Kurtis Blow spoke with GRAMMY.com about the importance of bringing breaking to the Olympics, reconciling his ministry with modern hip-hop’s message, and his four-decade legacy. 

This interview has been edited and condensed .

Breakdancing has been a huge part of hip-hop culture for many, many years — and it’s long overdue to be recognized on a global scale like the Olympics. What are your thoughts about seeing this movement that you started getting this kind of recognition?

This whole culture that we call hip-hop started back in the 1960s. With the Civil Rights movement, community organizers, and government officials all debating about something so basic: the right to all be seen as equal and free. It was a traumatic time, you know? But we had music that was so relevant to the whole movement. 

By the time the late 1970s and early 1980s came along, everyone was trying to escape all of the traumatic racism that was still going on. And music became our escapism. That’s where breaking came in: everyone was just trying to mimic James Brown on the dance floor. You’d see one guy doing his thing, and everyone would form a circle around him. Pretty soon, someone else would join the circle and challenge him. And before you knew it, there was a whole competition — and whoever won became the most popular in the club. 

That kicked it all off. To see it recognized on such a large scale just reaffirms, to me, that this hip-hop culture of ours was made with love. 

There were breaking films such as 1985's 'Krush Groove' that were completely revolutionary in that it gave everyone — not just those within the culture — a view into the world of hip-hop, and suggested what it could become. At the time, you were becoming the first commercially successful rapper and one of the pillars of what would become the New York sound. Were you aware that you were on the precipice of something revolutionary?

I don’t want to call myself a visionary or anything like that, but I did know that this was something special, because I saw how quickly it spread around different boroughs in New York City. 

From Harlem and the Bronx, and then over into Queens, Brooklyn, and even New Jersey, it was amazing to see everyone just gel around that whole hip-hop scene. As I said before, we all needed that escapism, you know? Forget about your troubles, just come and dance.

With me being in Harlem, right down the block from the Cotton Club and that whole mindset around dancing becoming America’s pastime  — just coming from that era, where we had to go to the parties to have a good time — [I knew] that we had created something that would outlast us. 

Not only did you attend divinity school, but you are also an ordained minister. How do you bridge those two aspects of your life and how do you reconcile being a rapper with being a minister?

That is such a great question, and thank you for asking. 

It’s very simple: God is the Creator. God created hip-hop. We have to start with that, right here. God gave us the talent to perform the music; he gave us the passion to want to spread the music to the masses. He gave us the desire to say, "Hey, come take a look at me! God has blessed me with this — can you do this?"

Now, when you talk about the actual elements of hip-hop — that is, the emcees, and the message that we bring — it’s crucial to understand that we are commanded by God to uplift our community and to show them love. This is the actual essence of hip-hop: peace, unity, love, and just having safe fun. 

My mission is to believe in the faith that God is real, and God is in the miracle business. I have seen nothing but miracles for the last 45-50 years in this thing called hip-hop. And it’s important to understand that God is in the mix, and we are all blessed by the common denominator known as hip-hop. It should be our mission to get that back. 

As for what’s going on today — the nature of the lyrics, the gangster rap, and all the violence — it didn’t really start out that way, did it? And if we can inspire the future for our youth, then we’ve made a difference. Because the future is in their hands, and we need to inspire them. 

But, as a counterpoint, times are different today. And what these men and women are speaking to may not necessarily be destructive — rather, there could be a case made where they’re merely being street poets, and telling the reality of life as they see it. What advice would you give to those people who are telling a different story than the one you told all those years ago?

We are called to be these soldiers, warriors, servants, and communicators. So I understand their reality is different, you know? The world is upside down. The kids out there are just telling it like it is. They’re communicating their reality.

But I think that we should not only communicate how it is, but how it could be. And how it should be. 

Think of how different it would be if they also gave some inspiration for a positive future: "Yeah, we goin’ through this, we goin’ through that, but with God, you can overcome all of that. With prayer, you can have miracles, and blessings, come down."

Even if you just understand the nature of the reality that we’re going into right now — things like mass incarceration, the drug epidemic, gun violence, the war profiteering off of Black and brown bodies — it falls upon the shoulders of the elders of this community, this hip-hop movement, to inspire and communicate the possibilities to the younger up-and-comers. 

They need to understand that they are the product of royalty. They are the descendants of kings and queens of Africa. They need to honor themselves and honor their ancestors, accordingly. 

The culture of hip-hop isn’t just about the music. It’s about fashion, slang, cars, the sports — if you think about it, anthropologically, hip-hop is a civilization onto itself. But, as with all things, so much of it has been co-opted and mainstreamed. How do we bridge the divide between the originators and the colonizers?

Only love can bridge that gap between the ages, the races, our government — the diversity of all these different countries — you know, it needs to be all love. 

This is what it’s going to have to take for us to change our present reality. And I feel that in hip-hop, that is the key to that future. The OG’s had the right mindset: peace, love, unity, and having safe fun. We need to get back to that. 

When you look back on your career and the legacy you leave behind, how do you want to be remembered?

I remember being in divinity school at Nyack College in New York, and the professor asked the whole class the same thing.  And I thought about it for a while, you know? I thought about being remembered as a pioneer of hip-hop — an OG breakdancer — a DJ when I was just seven years old — and an incredible educator. 

But what stuck with me was being known as a man of God. That’s it. Because that encompasses everything that I have been through and survived. All of my success, and everything you know about me, comes from God — and to God be the glory. 

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Living Legends: MC Lyte On Her New Album '1 of 1,' Building An Empire & Being The Guiding Light

"What I'm saying is real. And it's important," Lyte tells GRAMMY.com on her groundbreaking work and new release, '1 of 1,' featuring Stevie Wonder, Queen Latifah, KRS-ONE, and more. "It's just real talk, and I think we haven't had that for some time."

MC Lyte is hip-hop's original female emcee. Born in Brooklyn, the multi-hyphenate rapper, actor, entrepreneur, and fearless advocate for women is a pioneering force. Nine years since her last album, Lyte is finally ready to release her ninth studio album, 1 of 1 , on Aug. 9.

Lyte is celebrated not only for her conscious lyrical prowess, but also for shattering gender barriers. At 16, she released her debut single, " I Cram to Understand U (Sam) ," making a poignant statement about addiction in the '80s. In 1988, she unleashed her debut album, Lyte as a Rock , becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album.

"[Early hip-hop] was so much freedom that we were able to really make a difference," Lyte tells GRAMMY.com. "That's myself with Heavy D and KRS-One and Rakim and all of the greats having the opportunity to use their voices the way that they wanted to use it."

Her 1993 release, Ain't No Other , earned her (and all female solo rappers) two firsts: the first GRAMMY nomination for " Ruffneck ," and the first song to be certified gold. In 1996, she struck gold again with Bad As I Wanna B , featuring " Keep On, Keepin' On " with Xscape . Lyte's ability to illuminate powerhouse female voices in music shines through her collaborations with Janet Jackson on " You Want This " and Brandy 's remix of " I Wanna Be Down " with Yo-Yo and Queen Latifah .

Earlier this year, she released two singles ahead of 1 of 1 : "Woman," featuring Salt of Salt-N-Pepa , Big Daddy Kane , and Raheem DeVaughn in support of Women's History Month, and " King King " featuring Queen Latifah. Other legends on the new work include Stevie Wonder , KRS-One, Common , Q-Tip , Mary Mary , and Muni Long .

Beyond music, she is also a voiceover artist, actress, and active mentor through her organization, Sunni Gyrl , which focuses on artist development and creative services, and co-founded the Hip Hop Sisters Foundation , to promote positive images of diversity.

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Lyte has been honored with a special salute at the 2024 Black Music Honors, received the I Am Hip Hop Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards, and Harvard University's W. E. B. Du Bois Medal. At the Recording Academy, she has served in multiple roles, including President, Trustee, and Governor of the Los Angeles Chapter.

"I think we've sort of permeated every space of entertainment you can ever imagine," Lyte says of the culture in hip-hop. "Never could I have imagined years ago that we'd be here."

Over Zoom from the set location where she plays Detective Monroe in the BET original series "Angel," GRAMMY.com caught up with MC Lyte to discuss the new album, the source of her limitless passion, and her advice for the next generation.   

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

It's been nine years since you released your last album, Legend . What can fans expect from 1 of 1 ?

It's executive produced by Warryn Campbell , who by far has won his share of GRAMMYs through his own work and through production for others. But just so happens that he's also my pastor.

When we set out on this mission, I knew that I would feel comfortable enough to stay in the new lane that I have created for myself. It's interesting to now be in this space and not only navigate what's new, but also be at the forefront of what is my career. You know, starting at 16, 17, you're doing everything that everyone else wants you to do. You're standing that way. You're moving in that way. You're wearing this.

But this album, because I'm in a different, spiritual place, it felt good to be in collaboration with Warryn Campbell because there was nothing on it [trying] to be something that I was ; something that he sees me being. And I think a lot of times, at least in my experience, producers have said, "Oh, we need to do something that sounded like that," or "You need to attack the mic like you did in that song." It's just a bunch of references made to older things.

So, 1 of 1, to me, is sort of a second coming of age. Where I'm able to stay in my truth and also give inspiration to others who are at a point where it feels like they can't get beyond the ridge.

** Your new single "Woman" was released during Women's History Month and "King King " was recently released with Queen Latifah. Who else shows up on this album? **   I made a lot of calls for this album. A lot of people answered the calls. So we've got some really great talent on the record, which I'm really excited about. We've got Common and Stevie Wonder and Q-Tip .

Our leading charge is a song called "Thank You," and that's with Mary Mary and Muni Long. And I just think, for all of the times where I didn't make the call, making a call at this time feels great to have people answer like, "Yes, I wanna do it." We've hit a space with people wanting to engage without, you know, [dollar] signs.

You've always been such an outspoken proponent of celebrating and sharing the experience of womanhood through your music — why is that so important to you?

I do believe having the opportunity to release music shouldn't be taken for granted. And so with that notion, I always, I guess, even from "I Cram to Understand U," my very first song, I always wanted to record with a purpose.  

We recorded ["Woman"] before the pandemic, actually . And we knew that it needed to come out for Women's History Month. So if we missed Women's History Month, we had to wait for the next year. That's the type of focus that we wanted to have on that particular record. I think we were able to achieve it, and it's also one of those songs that we don't hear a lot of these days.

To have a song that celebrates women simply — with a wonderful hook by Raheem Devaughn — but then also seeing what's important to the two women that are in the song, myself and Salt, the perspective that we're coming from is in alignment with the way that a lot of women think. So we wind up speaking not just to them, but for them. Then to have Big Daddy Kane say all that he adores about women is just icing on the cake.

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To bring it all the way up to now to "King King ," which wasn't really planned to do as let's do a song for women, and now let's do a song for men . It didn't go like that. And when I tell you that "King King " and "Thank You" I wrote in bed at about 1 o'clock in the morning — it was just God downloading the lyrics so quickly. I couldn't even believe it. As I was writing it, I was like, oh my goodness. It's gonna stop. It won't stop .

Having this kind of conviction for your testimony speaks to the spiritual nature of your music. How else does that influence your work?  

It brings people together. I think it just falls to me in a space of responsibility. It's not anything that's separate from me. Often I'll let the music lead me. And if I listen to a track, and it's like, oh, this is great. But it doesn't incite power or purpose , I'll put that track to the side. When I'm ready to just rap about nothing or rap about how dope I am, I'll pick that up. But when I'm looking for something that I want a message attached to it, the music literally will lead me into the place where I need to be open to whatever God puts on my heart.

So much of what is said in "Woman" is who I am. And same thing with "King King ," it's what I believe. It's the times when I see guys in huge celebrations when they're winning, you know, trophies for basketball, and it is just like one of the most vulnerable moments to see them as they celebrate with their friends. You can see the pain and the anguish and the triumph and the tears. And it just brings chills all over my body.  

To see that from these men that usually have to have these hard faces with this stance that's so mighty and strong. That's how I feel about, specifically men of color. No no one knows him. And so I wanted to celebrate them and then also their walk towards responsibility and not shying away from what it means to be in a long lasting, loving relationship.

What about your relationships with men in hip-hop? I know you and Rakim just performed together on the same stage at Rondos Day in St. Paul, Minnesota.  

The interesting thing about Rakim , he's probably one of the emcees I know the least about, on a personal level. But yet , whenever we're in one another's company, we have such a high level of admiration and adoration for one another. It feels like we know one another really well. I really give honor to that. However, there are others like Biz Markie and Heavy D and Chuck D and KRS-ONE. These are my big brothers in the business.

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Those are people that would just call me and say, "What is going on? How are you feeling?" Or they'll see some performance… That's Big Daddy Kane. He's gonna tell me, "I like what you was wearing on there," or "I like the energy." It's all of these moments where I am the little sister. You know, they've seen me grow up in this business. And many times over, they've assisted in some capacity.

It's so funny how many layers, relationships exist within hip-hop, and you may not know it because you don't see it. But we know that, you know, that connection is real.

Has your songwriting or creative process evolved through the years?

Yeah. Absolutely. There's a few things that have happened. One, when you're in the spell of writing, stay there. When I was younger…you leave a song open ended to have to try to find the same sentiment days later. And it may not be there. And so [I've learned] to stay still during the writing process. And then I've also learned much more melody than usual.

Coming from New York, we have a way of wanting to put all the words that we can find to show how dope and how advanced we are as emcees. And I think for me to be able to slow down on this record and find melody and nuances that weren't as important to me before, I think that it really benefited me with this record, and that's where I will give the credit to Warryn to push me.

I remember long ago, I was talking to Nelly , and I was about to embark upon a new album. It might have been 14 years ago. But what Nelly began to explain to me, is that "I lived in New York for a summer, you guys moved so quickly. It's no wonder you all rap like that." He said, "Where we're from, we're driving to our destinations." I think that was brought to the forefront for me here with this album. I'm not in a rush. I don't need a lot of tricks with what it is that I'm saying because what I'm saying is real. And it's important. I don't need a lot of influence. You know, I'm simply speaking. It's just real talk, and I think we haven't had that for some time.

You live in Los Angeles now, but do you get back to New York?

I've lived in Brooklyn. I've lived in Manhattan. I've lived in Queens, and I've lived in Jersey. And then I came to California. I've been in California for some time now. But I go back and forth often enough that I don't really feel like I'm missing anything. I'm going back this first week of August, which is pretty exciting, doing a lot of press for the album, and then also, performing at Wingate Park, which is where I attended high school.  

**Speaking of, where are we going to see MC Lyte performing soon?**   I'm on the Queens of R&B tour. So we did Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, and then Madison Square Garden. There's going to be a show [in Los Angeles] at the [Kia] Forum. Cincinnati Music Festival, I'm performing out there, and I'm doing "King King ," bringing them, you know, some new music at the same time, which is pretty exciting .  

You also have a full plate with your other endeavors: acting, voice overs, mentorship. Do you get fuel from these different activities to inspire the other work you do?

Absolutely. I'm actually on set now. I played detective Monroe in a [BET] show called "Angel." I'm on set all week with this.

We have a full fledged production and management company [Sunni Gyrl ]. Right now, our premier talent is Van Van , who is an internet sensation turned actor, recording artist. She's actually 5; she just released her first album. She also plays a character called Vancy with Snoop Dogg on Doggyland .

We've got other talent, gospel singers, Dave Hollister. And then production wise, we had a sitcom that I wrote ["Partners in Crime"], and we did some really great things with that with AMC. And now we've got a few deals around town with different projects, TV shows, cooking shows, competitive shows. I just signed on to be music supervisor for a short film called The Memo , by a new company called A Seed Productions and it's pretty powerful . I'm looking forward to all that comes from that.  

But, yeah, each day it's a different hat. It makes it completely exciting.

What drives you to continue to commit yourself to mentorship and fostering new talent in the next generation through all that you're doing through Sunni Gyrl ?

It just feels it feels like the right thing to do. I don't know any other way. And it's crazy because I meet people all the time that had met me at a younger age. And they say to me, "You said this to me and that really mattered at that time. I wanna tell you what it did for me."

My close friends would call me grandma because I'm always imparting something that can be used later — and I don't even know that I'm really doing it. I'm just talking. It's just the idea of never being afraid to share your weaknesses and your shortcomings. Just being an open book to help someone else get to the next step, the next phase.

There have been some autobiographies that I've read throughout time, and you know the ones that are just ink on the page. And you know the ones that had to see past their tears to actually write it. And that alone is what brings people closer to you. It's the human bond. And if you're willing to just be that open book, so many people can learn from what it is that you're saying. And it may not even be what you're saying. It could be the cornerstone for them to go get the knowledge or, you know, educate themselves about something completely different. I think as an emcee, I have to really be in tune with the power that I have and that words are powerful and have meaning. And so why not use them, responsibly and purposefully?

Can you tell me a bit more about the importance of listening? And have you always felt like a good listener?

No. Even now, it's still a struggle with me. You know, acting is all about listening.

I think a lot of times [what] we do in life is we take the part that incites some sort of reaction, and then we don't even pay attention to what was said before or after. For me, it's important that I slow down in order to listen. Because first off, I'm quick. And so are a lot of other people.

I've tasked myself each and every day with slowing down enough to listen.

Listening during acting has taught me how to listen in life. And that not everything said deserves a response or requires a response. It's the admittance of not knowing that's humbling.

How do you find the energy ? What is the source of this well that you're continually pouring from?  

The source: God. That's all I can attribute it to, because it's certainly not me. I just allow myself to be used as the vessel to get the thing done. It's a part of the dream. So while I'm doing it, I'm just grateful like, wow. I asked for this . Oh, yeah. And I asked for that . And so I only ask that God give me the wherewithal to handle it as it comes and also to say no to the things that I just don't have time to do and don't fulfill the ultimate goal .  

What artists today are you excited about or you're listening to?

I love what Common and Pete Rock are doing right now. Rapsody , Tierra Whack . I listen to a lot of people in terms of Kendrick , in terms of Drake . And, I listen to Tems .

I just hope that the new artists coming in today find their strength at an earlier turn than a lot of us.  

A lot of times , I believe artists understand who they are much more when they've gone out into the world and understand how blessed they are to even be in the position to speak their minds. There are plenty of places where not just women, but anyone who wants to speak out against the system, or disagree with a certain politic, or a political stance, or political agenda [cannot].

What other advice would you give a younger you or artists coming up now?

Surround yourself with people that have your best interest. And when you're young, you don't really know who those people are. But I would just say what you see, believe it. And you can see things much better than what you're told. Because people lie. Unfortunately, if everybody told the truth, then I wouldn't have to advise you to watch people show you much better than they tell you anything.

There's always room for improvement and to stay focused on what it is that you started out with. Because many times, there will be distractions. There will be distractions along the way, and you wanna make sure that you reach the intended goal. And know what you're in it for.

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Frankie Valli announces ‘The Last Encores’ farewell tour. Get tickets

We can’t wait to hear that famous falsetto one more time.

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons just announced their farewell run of shows they’re calling ‘The Last Encores Tour.’

And yes, the 89-year-old “Sopranos” bit player will drop into New York and New Jersey a handful of times on this final 2023-24 stretch.

First, he’ll swing into Morristown, NJ’s Mayo Performing Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 13.

After that, the Jersey Boys will hit Englewood, NJ’s Bergen Performing Arts Center on Oct. 15, Red Bank, NJ’s Count Basie Center on Nov. 29 and Westbury, NY’s NYCB Theatre on Nov. 30.

Then, in 2024, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees are scheduled to headline at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on March 22 and Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Cafe Hotel on June 22.

“I am eternally grateful for the love and support of our fans throughout the decades,” Valli shared in a press release. “I always loved touring and can’t wait to see the fans.”

And if you can’t wait to see Valli belt out the classics like “Sherry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “December, 1963 (Oh What A Night),” “Beggin’,” “Grease” and so many more live, you can pick up your tickets as soon as today.

Although inventory isn’t available for the newly added dates on Ticketmaster until Friday, Oct. 6, fans who want to ensure they have tickets ahead of time can purchase on sites like Vivid Seats before tickets are officially on sale.

Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.

A complete calendar of all upcoming tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.

The musical “Jersey Boys” based on the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons ran on Broadway from Nov. 2005 to Jan. 2017 making it the longest running show in the August Wilson Theatre’s history.

Although, the jukebox musical is no longer on the Great White Way, you can catch it on tour all over North America in cities like  Virginia Beach and Las Vegas .

Want to know if and when “Jersey Boys” is coming to you?

Check out the show’s schedule to see where it will be when, here .

With a deep catalog of hits — Valli has been active since 1953! — there’s clearly a number of songs the Four Seasons could bust out at shows.

However, based on our findings at Set List FM , here’s what you’ll likely hear at Frankie Valli concerts this year and next.

01.) “Grease”

02.) “Save It for Me”

03.) “Dawn (Go Away)”

04.) “Beggin'”

05.) “Silence Is Golden”

06.) “Tell It to the Rain”

07.) “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (Cole Porter cover)

08.) “Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry ’bout Me)”

09.) “Swearin’ to God”

10.) “Stay” (Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs cover)

11.) “My Eyes Adored You”

12.) “Working My Way Back to You”

13.) “Our Day Will Come” (Ruby & the Romantics cover)

14.) “My Girl / Groovin'” (Temptations and The Young Rascals medley)

15.) “Who Loves You”

16.) “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)”

17.) “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”

18.) “Sherry”

19.) “Big Girls Don’t Cry”

20.) “Walk Like a Man”

21.) “Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye)”

22.) “Rag Doll”

23.) “Let’s Hang On!”

It’s been a whopping 53 years since the ’60s ended.

We can’t believe it either.

Somehow, quite a few acts that broke into the mainstream over the course of the free love decade are still playing to audiences all over the U.S.

Here are just five of our favorite singers and groups that were big back when The Beatles were around who are touring in 2023.

•  Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band

•  The Temptations

•  The Beach Boys

•  Smokey Robinson

•  Rod Stewart

Want even more of the biggest stars from yesterday?

Check out our list of the  22 biggest classic rockers on tour in 2023 here .

Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase.

Frankie Valli 2023 tour: Dates, schedules, where to buy tickets

• Published: Jan. 21, 2023, 10:05 a.m.

Frankie Valli will make two stops in New Jersey while on his 2023 tour. AP

• Nicole Iuzzolino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Despite being 88 years old, Frankie Valli is nowhere near done performing on the live stage.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons scheduled 23 shows across North America , where they plan to perform their greatest hits such as “Walk Like A Man,” “Sherry” and “Working My Way Back To You.”

The tour began on Jan. 13 in Atlanta and will wrap up on June 30 in Chautauqua, New York .

While touring, Valli will make stops in Newark on April 28 and Red Bank on June 1 .

Here is how you can get tickets to Frankie Valli on tour.

Where can I get tickets to see Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tickets?

Tickets for Frankie Valli and the Four Season’s tour are available to purchase on Ticketmaster .

However, there are still many tickets available on the secondary market.

Fans can look for tickets on StubHub , Vivid Seats , TicketNetwork , TicketCity and MegaSeats .

First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 by entering promo code NJ20 at checkout.

A complete list of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ tour dates is available here .

More massive upcoming tours in 2023

Frankie Valli and the Fours Seasons are not the only artists going out on tour in the next few months.

Here are a few more upcoming tours you won’t want to miss.

RELATED STORIES ABOUT LIVE EVENTS:

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• September 27, 2024 Setlist

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Setlist at State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

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Tour: The Last Encores Tour statistics Add setlist

• Beggin' ( The Four Seasons  cover) Play Video
• I've Got You Under My Skin ( Cole Porter  cover) Play Video
• Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me) ( The Four Seasons  cover) Play Video
• Stay ( Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs  cover) Play Video
• My Eyes Adored You ( Frankie Valli  cover) Play Video
• Who Loves You ( The Four Seasons  cover) Play Video
• December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) ( The Four Seasons  cover) Play Video
• Can't Take My Eyes Off You ( Frankie Valli  cover) Play Video
• Sherry ( The Four Seasons  cover) Play Video
• Big Girls Don't Cry ( The Four Seasons  cover) Play Video
• Walk Like a Man ( The Four Seasons  cover) Play Video
• Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye) ( The Four Seasons  cover) Play Video
• Rag Doll ( The Four Seasons  cover) Play Video

Note: Setlist incomplete

Edits and Comments

2 activities (last edit by bardown59 , 28 Sep 2024, 15:51 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Beggin' by The Four Seasons
• Big Girls Don't Cry by The Four Seasons
• Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye) by The Four Seasons
• Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli
• December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) by The Four Seasons
• I've Got You Under My Skin by Cole Porter
• My Eyes Adored You by Frankie Valli
• Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me) by The Four Seasons
• Rag Doll by The Four Seasons
• Sherry by The Four Seasons
• Stay by Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
• Walk Like a Man by The Four Seasons
• Who Loves You by The Four Seasons

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

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Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Gig Timeline

• Sep 05 2024 Cobb Energy Centre Atlanta, GA, USA Add time Add time
• Sep 06 2024 Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts Greensboro, NC, USA Add time Add time
• Sep 27 2024 State Theatre This Setlist New Brunswick, NJ, USA Add time Add time
• Sep 28 2024 The Theater at MGM National Harbor National Harbor, MD, USA Start time: 7:15 PM 7:15 PM
• Sep 29 2024 Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts Worcester, MA, USA Add time Add time

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Tour Update

Marquee memories: kimbra.

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