The Four Seasons (band)

For the Indonesian band, see Four Seasons (Indonesian band).
For other uses, see Four Seasons (disambiguation).

The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons in 1966. Top: Tommy DeVito; left: Bob Gaudio; right: Joe Long; bottom: Frankie Valli.
The Four Seasons in 1966.
Top: Tommy DeVito; left: Bob Gaudio; right: Joe Long; bottom: Frankie Valli.
Background information
Also known asThe Four Lovers (1956–1960)
The Wonder Who? (1965–1967)
OriginNewark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Years active1960–1977, 1979–present
Labels
MembersFrankie Valli
Robby Robinson
Rick Keller
Basil Fung
Andy Sanesi
Ronen Bay
Craig Cady
Carmen Grillo
Alfredo Lopez
Aaron Alexander Gordon
Noah Rivera
Past membersTommy DeVito
Bob Gaudio
Nick Massi
Joe Long
Demetri Callas
Clay Jordan
Gerry Polci
Lee Shapiro
Don Ciccone
John Paiva
Larry Lingle
Jerry Corbetta

The Four Seasons is an American vocal quartet formed in 1960 in Newark, New Jersey. Since 1970, they have also been known at times as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time, having sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide.[5]

The band evolved out of a previous band called The Four Lovers, with Frankie Valli on lead and falsetto vocals, Bob Gaudio on keyboards and tenor vocals, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar and baritone vocals, and Nick Massi on bass guitar and bass vocals. The band had two distinct eras of widespread success: the 1960s, during which Joe Long replaced Massi in 1965, and the mid to late 1970s, with the lineup consisting of Valli, Don Ciccone (bass guitar and vocals), John Paiva (lead guitar and vocals), Gerry Polci (drums and vocals), and Lee Shapiro (keyboards and vocals), with Gaudio still working with the band as a non-performing songwriter and producer. Gaudio has been the band's main songwriter throughout its history, with many of the 1960s hits written in collaboration with producer Bob Crewe.

The legal name of the organization is the Four Seasons Partnership, formed by Gaudio and Valli, and was taken after a failed audition in 1960. Valli and Gaudio (who has been a non-performing member of the group since 1973) each own 50% of the act and its assets, including virtually all of its recording catalog.[6][7] The touring lineup of the group includes Valli as the sole remaining original member,[5] backed by a separate vocal quartet and a band led by musician Robby Robinson, who has served as the group's music director since 1984.[8] The touring version of The Four Seasons is slated to end after Valli's farewell tour concludes in 2025.[9]

The band's original line-up was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990,[10] the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999[11] and the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2017.[12] The Hollywood Walk of Fame awarded a star, jointly credited to Valli and to the group, in 2024.[13]

  1. ^ Aquila, Richard (2000). That Old-time Rock & Roll – A Chronicle of an Era, 1954–1963. University of Illinois Press. p. 225. ISBN 9780252069192. Retrieved October 7, 2022. A pop-rock group with a pedigree…a dynamic blend of pop and doo wop, showing how good 1960s pop rock could be.
  2. ^ Guarisco, Donald A.. The Four Seasons – The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  3. ^ The following sources cite the Four Seasons as either white soul, blue-eyed soul, pop-soul, or Northern soul:
  4. ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. "The Four Seasons Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bronson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Sasfy, Joe (1987). Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons: 1962–1967 (Liner notes). Warner Special Products. Time-Life Music The Rock 'N' Era 2RNR-15.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Eggers was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference farewelltour was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "The Four Seasons". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  11. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "The Four Seasons". Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  12. ^ "New Jersey Hall of Fame - 2017 Inductees". New Jersey Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  13. ^ "FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS TO BE HONORED WITH STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved September 3, 2024.