Tommy DeVito’s Tough Times Now Behind Him
June 1st, 2009
In today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal, columnist Doug Elfman has a terrific interview with Tommy DeVito, who sets the story straight. Tommy talks about his tough early days of poverty and abuse, his wild life of fame and fortune as the founder of The Four Seasons, how he fell on hard times in Las Vegas, and how he rose again on the strength of family, friends and JERSEY BOYS. Here’s a preview to the interview:
Let Tommy rewind back to the start, and tell you the gist of his story, as he sits now in a luxurious house in Henderson, surrounded by gold records and guitars, a wife of four decades and a secretary that’s like family.
“When I was a kid, I was locked up. I was in six or seven jails. I went to prison one time. But my teenage years were a son of a bitch. I was a hell raiser. … I was a menace to everybody.”
But Tommy also worked hard, and so did his band mates, 10 hours a day, traveling, eventually, 100,000 miles a year.
“You know, Frankie Valli used to get paid when he was 18, 19, 20 years old — he forgot he had pay coming. He wanted to sing so bad that he never even thought about it. We had to remind him he got paid. That’s when you know you want to do something.”
It was a wild life of fame and fortune. But by 1970, after more than 13 years of living on the road, he was burned out and quit. He wasn’t thrown out of the band, he says.
“I had had it up to here with the traveling and changing clothes three times a day, and taking two planes and then driving 100 miles to do a date.
“Getting on stage and doing the same stuff — I just had it.”
(Photo Credit: Jerry Henkel/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Tommy deserves his own play, musical, movie, book or tv movie.
Comment by jbboy — June 1, 2009 @ 6:09 pm
I guess you can take Tommy out of Jersey, but you can’t take the Jersey out of Tommy.
Fascinating, his take on life, success, failure, loyalty…..he was truly “the straw that stirred
the drink”.
I agree, he’s a story in himself. Maybe that autobiography will come out some day once he settles that legal issue.
Comment by Ray — June 2, 2009 @ 8:35 am
TOMOOCH IS THE BEST…………HE NEVER FORGOT THE OLD NEIBORHOOD AND FRIENDS, IT WAS A PLEASURE TO HAVE COFFEE WITH HIM LAST SUMMER IN BELLEVILLE, HOPEFULLY I CAN DO THE SAME AGAIN WHEN HE HITS JERSEY THIS SUMMER AGAIN…………JIM (YESTERDAYS TREASURES)
Comment by jim petrecca — June 2, 2009 @ 9:49 pm
Alrighty then, i can understand all the he was thrown out, not thrown out, etc. Whatever it was doesn’t change the music, the sound of the four seasons through 1970 will be unmatched. I was 4 in 1970, and fell into favor with them in a 1974 compilation and been a fan ever since. Fans dont care what happenned as much as it happenned and we love the music. All i can say is the sound when Nick and Tom were there is unmatched by any other 4 seasons reshuffle in any year since. Tom tired, disagreement, time for a buyout, whatever. So Tom why not audition a few guys and go on the road as Tom’s Season revisited. I’m in a band and everytime we do Rag Doll or Dawn, the crowd goes wild….you would knock em out..
Comment by Jallex — June 12, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
I met Mr DeVito when I was 10. I have never forgotten his kindness and that moment of friendship. I wish him every bit of happiness that he deserves and thank him top for all he did to advance great music
Comment by Marshall Zucker — June 22, 2014 @ 5:19 pm