FOUR SEASONS, THE

American rock-and-roll group that was among the best-selling recording artists of the early and mid-1960s. Best remembered for lead singer Frankie Valli's soaring falsetto, the Four Seasons had a string of more than 25 hits over a five-year period that began with Sherry in 1962. The principal members were Frankie Valli (original name Francis Castelluccio; b. May 3, 1937, Newark, N.J., U.S.), Tommy DeVito (b. June 19, 1936, Belleville, N.J.), Bob Gaudio (b. Nov. 17, 1942, New York, N.Y.), Nick Massi (b. Sept. 19, 1935, Newark), and Nick DeVito. Evolved from a Newark vocal group called the Varietones and briefly known as the Four Lovers, the Four Seasons developed a harmony-based style that shared Italian-American doo-wop origins with Dion and the Belmonts. Bassist Gaudio, along with producer Bob Crewe, became the group's chief songwriter as the Four Seasons cranked out rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll hits, first for and then for Philips Records. Among the Top Ten hits from the group's golden period were Big Girls Don't Cry (1962), Walk Like a Man (1963), Dawn (Go Away) (1964), and Let's Hang On! (1965). Valli, who possessed a three-octave range, began a parallel solo career with the hit Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. His popularity and that of the group declined in the late 1960s but rebounded in the mid-1970s when Valli had number one singles with My Eyes Adored You and Grease, while the Four Seasons had hits with Who Loves You and December 1963 (Oh What a Night) before being relegated to the oldies circuit. The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.