A Life of Hits

Hard work and talent earn iconic singer widespread respect

Look no further than this year’s edition of venerable record executive Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy party for proof of the enduring appeal of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Valli, who brings the current lineup of the Four Seasons to Las Vegas for two dates this week, brought the audience of A-list celebrities to its feet with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” as Demi Lovato captured Olivia Rodrigo’s uninhibited joyful reaction for posterity on Instagram.

Valli was in good voice, and recent jazz recordings demonstrate his ability to deliver in the upper reaches of his vocal range. At 88, he tours with the energy of an entertainer half his age and sees interest in his music surge time and again in pop culture. Last year marked the 60th anniversary of “Sherry,” the No. 1 record that introduced his soaring falsetto to the Top 40, and it’s been nearly two decades since Jersey Boys brought the Four Seasons’ story to Broadway.

Francesco Stephen Castelluccio began his evolution into Frankie Valli at Broadway and 43rd Street, where his mother took the 7-year-old to see Frank Sinatra at the Paramount Theatre in Times Square. Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan were formative influences, but it was a fateful meeting with musician Bob Gaudio that led to the classic lineup of the Four Seasons and a string of hits including “Walk Like a Man,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Dawn.”

Valli sings just about every Four Seasons song in his sets that a fan could request, plus solo singles and ’70s material such as “My Eyes Adored You,” “Swearin’ to God” and “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night).” Maneskin fans might be familiar with “Beggin’” as the Italian rock group, who opened the pre-Grammy party, covered the song in 2017. Elvis Costello, Jennifer Hudson, Lizzo, Lil Wayne and Sheryl Crow went on to perform that night, but it was Valli who would go viral. –Matt Kelemen

Westgate Las Vegas, 8 p.m. March 10-11, starting at $35. ticketmaster.com