Frankie Avalon
| Frankie Avalon | |
|---|---|
Publicity photo, 1963
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| Born |
Francis Thomas Avallone September 18, 1940 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Occupation | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 1951–present |
| Spouse(s) | Kathryn Diebel (m. 1963) |
| Children | 8 |
| Website | Official website |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Pop, Rock & Roll, Swing, Jazz |
| Instruments | Vocals, trumpet |
Frankie Avalon (born Francis Thomas Avallone, September 18, 1940) is an Italian-American actor, singer, and former teen idol.
Avalon was born in Philadelphia, the son of Mary and Nicholas Avallone. He was on U.S. television playing his trumpet by the time he was 11, performing on such programs as The Jackie Gleason Show. Two singles showcasing Avalon's trumpet playing were issued on RCA Victor's "X" sublabel in 1954. His trumpet playing was also featured on some of his LP songs as well. As a teenager he played with Bobby Rydell in Rocco and the Saints. In 1959, "Venus" (5 weeks #1) and "Why" went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Why" was the last #1 of the 1950s. Avalon had 31 charted U.S. Billboard singles from 1958 to late 1962, including "Just Ask Your Heart" (U.S. #7), "I'll Wait for You" (U.S. #15), "" (U.S. #8), and "A Boy Without a Girl" (U.S. #10). Most of his hits were written and/or produced by Bob Marcucci, head of Chancellor Records. He was less popular in the U.K., but did still manage four chart hits with "Why", "Ginger Bread", "Venus" and "Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops".
Teamed frequently with Annette Funicello, Avalon starred in a number of popular "beach party" comedy films during the mid-1960s. The wholesome and romantic coupling of "Frankie and Annette" in summer movies such as Beach Party and Beach Blanket Bingo became iconic figures in American films during that era.
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Wikipedia