September 24, 2009

Reflections from Two of the Four Seasons: Gaudio & Valli

September 24th, 2009

As a preview to Frankie Valli performing this Sunday at TPAC’s Jackson Hall in Nashville, Dave Paulson of Tenessean.com has a feature with two of the men who comprised The Four Seasons nearly fifty years ago–Valli and his partner (and Nashville resident) Bob Gaudio!

The partners talk about the success of their group, the hits, and the JERSEY BOYS phenomenon. Here’s a sneak peek:

It’s been over 30 years since Bob Gaudio — a founding member and the main songwriter of the Four Seasons — retired from the stage to focus on writing and producing. He hasn’t felt the need to take the stage since.

“Truth be known, I probably can’t play some of (the old songs) anymore,” Gaudio — a Nashville resident since the early ’90s — says with a laugh. “I haven’t done it in so long. It’s a distant memory for me.”

When the two meet in Nashville this week, Valli says they’ll “break bread together, have some fun and some laughs.”

Still, fans shouldn’t hold their breath for an onstage reunion.

“I’m not a reminiscer,” Gaudio says.

If that’s the case, Gaudio has certainly picked an interesting job in recent years, traveling frequently as a principal overseer of Jersey Boys — the smash musical based on his former group that’s spawned seven separate productions around the globe. Its success has helped solidify the public’s perception of the Seasons as an actual band with a vast and impressive body of work.

“I think it’s created a new awareness,” Valli says. “There are a lot of people who were not aware of the fact that we had as many hits as we did, and people began to do more research. … We’ve recorded so many different ways and so many different bags, a lot of people didn’t relate it all to us.”

2 Comments »

  1. I have been a Seasons fan since their 1st hit, Sherry. Just saw The Jersey Boys in Las Vegas two days ago. It was an a-w-e-s-o-m-e musical play. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear it was the actual Four Seasons on stage. I can’t say enough about the cast and the storyline. The music was great. Several of their hit songs now have new meanings since the play. I will see it again when I return to Las Vegas in 3 months.

    Comment by a. skinner — September 24, 2009 @ 7:47 pm

  2. You, Frankie Valli are coming to Houston in Feb. on MY BIRTHDAY! Can’t wait!

    Comment by Sandra — September 25, 2009 @ 5:20 pm

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