Valli, still going strong, looks for new outlets
Frankie Valli’s still got it going on with the Four Seasons.
The Tony Award-winning “Jersey Boys” continues to wow audiences around the globe. It plays Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo from April 21 to May 9. Valli, 75, predicts it will be made into a film, although he won’t say who he thinks should play him.
The onetime cast member of HBO’s “The Sopranos” says he wants to do more acting, and that’s not all. He’s getting into the food business.
And there’s more the fashion horse would like to do.
Who is your favorite young pop star?
It’s really difficult because some of them just come and go. Christina Aguilera is probably one of my favorites, but she’s not of the younger generation, either. . . . There’s an awful lot of rap, which is more or less considered pop. There’s a lot of it that’s good. But there’s a lot of it that could be very trashy, and I’m not really into that.
You’ve been singing since 1958. How do you keep your voice in shape?
I usually take a hot shower for 45 minutes to an hour and sing.
Why does that help?
Your vocal cords are like a rubber band. . . . The steam in the shower kind of helps to loosen them up. You do your vocal exercises and sing a few songs and know how good or how bad you’re going to be that day.
Why do you think “Jersey Boys” has been such a success?
There are untold stories that were never written about the Four Seasons when we were having success. We were afraid that if the public found out the guys had trouble in their lives, that the radio might stop playing us, and the record companies would not give us a deal.
What kind of outfit makes you feel the best?
The basic is a suit, or a pair of slacks and a sport jacket. The shirt-and-the-tie thing has never really been overly appealing to me. . . . Even when you see me wearing a tuxedo, in most cases it will probably be a shirt that doesn’t require a tie. I have been for at least 30 years, might be longer, wearing shirts without collars, regardless of what the trend is. I feel most comfortable in an open shirt. Or I like long-sleeve T-shirts with a suit. It gives it a different look.
Had you been watching “The Sopranos” when you were asked to be on the show?
I watched “The Sopranos” from the very beginning. In fact, I auditioned four years before I did some episodes. I read for a particular part. (Writer, director and producer) David Chase, who auditioned me, didn’t feel I was right for that particular part but that somewhere in “The Sopranos,” there might be a character for me. Finally, he came up with this Rusty Millio character. It was probably one of the most exciting periods for me.
Why? The people . . . were absolutely unbelievable. To mash so many great creative people together for a show certainly proves why it was successful.
You also want to start a line of sauces?
I can’t tell you too much about it because it’s in the preliminary stages at this particular point.
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