Zoom link will be emailed to the address you provide [], Enrico Granafei has taken the harmonica from the simple instrument played by bluesmen and folksingers like Bob Dylan, and expanded it into genres from jazz to classical to folk and beyond. It was a gig. Since then, she has called at dances both large and small throughout the Northeast. Despite all of that, only true aficionados are even aware that Polci sings the song, or that he exists at all. By continuing to use this website, you agree to UniCourts General Disclaimer, Terms of Service, I stayed for another year and a half. I also sang a lot of backgrounds. I was tired, but it was good. Candy Girl has some of the highest notes youll ever hear on record. A native of Passaic, he was playing drums in a school band at 13 when Frank LaGallo, a custodian who also led a band at weddings, asked him to join his combo. It was a small town of maybe 7,500 people. That was pretty crazy. It was OK. If youre in a band, you sing along. Career: Music I dont know. I cant do it. And he hired everyone back. I got more into doing commercials, which were at least longer stretches of playing. Its not impossible, but a little bit daunting, which is fine. Its been streamed more than 373 million times on Spotify, and no other tune in the Four Seasons catalog even hits the 100 million mark. What was even more unusual was that Mr. Valli assigned the lead singing role to Mr. Polci. SEE ALSO: Atila Altaunbay- 12 Facts About Grace Jones Bodyguard Turned Husband, Other Details All rights reserved. He started playing local gigs a year later as part of a trio, drawing influence from jazz greats like Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, and Louie Bellson. I dont know who would want to read it. WebMini Bio (1) Gerry Polci is known for Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) (1975), Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: Who Loves You (1975) and The It was difficult. It was beaten out a little while later by, I think, Who Let the Dogs Out. We beat out White Christmas.. Gerry Polci, former drummer with Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Support Quality Journalism in Greater Morristown. We hated it. I am, very much so. What brought you back?One, I missed it. He was very versed in theory. There will be an artists reception on Tuesday, April 18th, 6:30 - 8:30pm. I have never seen Jersey Boys, but my wife Rhea saw it and took her adult son and daughter to see it in Orlando and Vegas. WebGerry Polci married Antonia Valli, Frankie Vallis daughter, for a short time. After leaving the Four Seasons, he returned to college at Montclair State University in New Jersey and, at the age of 43, began a teaching career at New Providence Middle School. Its the craziest thing, Polci tells Rolling Stone via Zoom while visiting Manhattan on a trip away from his home in Ocala, Florida. On Thursday, the quintet captured the sound and spirit of tunes like Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Youre So Vain and Locomotion. We made a song called Spend the Night in Love. It was like the guy who sang Oh, What a Night about his first experience, and now hes a dog. When we toured, we updated the old hits. The bands original line-up was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and joined the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. I knew the guy really well. Don Ciccone, the ex-lead singer for my band, the Critters, was one of the 1970s Four Seasons. That was a lot of fun in that respect. He was one of the central figures in the band, having been the drummer as well as a singer for the group. OK. [Laughs.]. WebAnd to top it all off, he's a music teacher. If they like what we did previously, hopefully theyll like whats coming up. Im sorry Bobby, being in the business that long, felt some pressure though. I dont worry about that. End of Elm + Art Gallery Exhibit Monique Sarfity & Elissa Swanger She Gazed First, History Lunch Break: Lake Denmark Ammunition Depot Explosion, Troubadour Concert Series: Enrico Granafei & Kristine Massari, John Pizzarelli Big Band Swings in Tribute to Bucky. We were all going, Theres no way in the world were going to do this. How did the momentum start to build towards the Who Loves You record?It started with just the song Who Loves You. It was a one-off with Warner Bros. that we were going to record. ManThats the business. In June 1993, Mr. Valli announced to an Atlantic City audience the birth of his granddaughter, Olivia. I was also shocked that certain tunes were used in it. Do you think hes singing live?Im sure a lot of it is pre-recorded, like a lot of artists. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad8d05312b67e9aad0ebf1cb165f0ee2" );document.getElementById("g49535b400").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Then we said, OK, cool.. Sound guys, lighting guys We just stopped and listened to him warm up and sing a little bit into the mic. He was a sax player. 2022-07-12, Marion County Courts | Probate | But they did and it was effective., Playing Madison Square Garden himself seemed like a distant dream, but hed be on that stage in just a few years thanks to a local kid named Frankie who his parents knew back in the Fifties. In 2015, Gerry Polci married Rhea Gay Chiles, daughter of late U.S. By the mid-Seventies, the once-unstoppable Four Seasons seemed like they were heading into oblivion. I would start singing parts. Gerry Polci (born June 9, 1952) is an American singer and musician who was a member of the American rock and pop band The Four Seasons. Gerrys daughter Olivia has taken after her father and grandfather, for she has some powerful vocal cords on her and she performs to large audiences and places like the Bergen PAC in Englewood New Jersey. ", A Four Seasons Singer Is Back in the Limelight, https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/05/nyregion/a-four-seasons-singer-is-back-in-the-limelight.html. I did television work in 1978 and 1979. I have a cousin who did some production work. I did a lot of demo work. Age: 70 years old He fired his complete band. At this time, he had become a music teacher. What are your favorite songs off that record?I like Put a Little Away. I sang on that one. Everyone went above and beyond to make Rhea and I feel so comfortable and welcome. He kind of restructured the song so it made sense, since it changed key a few times. Riders get better. It was absolutely crazy. The Tyneside Tavern, which celebrates its 200th year in 2019, was recommended for the gathering by the owners of Letham House. The Beatles could hit L.A. and Florida and all over the world. Learning it was Number One, I still have all the Record Worlds and the magazines that show it going up the charts and finally hitting Number One. There were some good points to that album, and some not-so-good points to that album. Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli is one of the leading interpreters of the Great American Songbook. Did you feel a real shift of energy at the concerts?It was always really good. was good news for Mike Curb Records in Nashville, which re-released the record, made 18 years earlier. What do you remember about the earliest version you heard of December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)?That song has an interesting history in that Bobby and his wife, the late Judy Parker, played the song for us. Language, Mature content. And I still worked weekends. Thank you so much. Editors' Code of Practice. I didnt think it would be a good thing for me to be in a band with him again, but Lee tried for a number of years. I already knew all those guys since Id done the shows before. One of the evenings highlights came when Ryan (whose roots are in Plainfield and Westfield) picked up an acoustic guitar and his buddies surrendered their instruments, for some close-harmony vocalizing on Silence Is Golden and Dions Runaround Sue. Since the success of the re-release of the record, Mr. Polci has received feelers about making new recordings, returning to the Four Seasons or even starting up his own band. The show picked up steam with a medley of hits by Tommy James & The Shondells (I Think Were Alone Now, Hanky Panky, Mony Mony). You did it day after day after day. Join us on Wednesday, May 24, from 7-8pm to learn how to support biodiversity and create your own eco- paradise. The band didnt. had indeed swept the charts in Australia and was on its way to the United States. When I got with the Seasons, it was like I joined the Beatles. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Web180K views 3 years ago The Fours Seasons members Bob Gaudio, Gerry Polci and songwriter Judy Parker tell the story behind 'December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)'. I was living in Las Vegas. We did one show in L.A. at the Roxy. [1][2] Their daughter, Olivia Valli, is now a musical theatre performer, including taking the role of her own grandmother in the musical Jersey Boys that dramatizes the early days of the band. This might have been just the right timing to stick its head through all that chaos. We turned out to be a pretty good band. Mr. Polci, 41, a resident of Caldwell, decided to retire from the Four Seasons four years ago. Online program. I felt very stifled in Florida. Were the new band. I enjoyed that very much. We decided to nurture it. Oh, What a Night was used in it. But we did that song every night. Thats such a radically different lifestyle than being a touring musician. They were bolstered by a three-piece horn section, led with verve by Mark Feinberg on sax. You had the Bee Gees going. 1 in Australia," said Mr. Valli, a former resident of Englewood who moved to California and now lives in Hollywood. Polcis band Four Seasons was one of the only two American bands to enjoy substantial chart success before, during, and after the British Invasion. Join Facebook to connect with Gerry Polci and others you may know. I knew we were going to share leads. We turned down maybe 30 percent of the work because I was teaching. It was too dangerous. And the travel. WebLee Shapiro, Gerry Polci, Jimmy Ryan, Larry Gates, and Russ Velazquez of The Hit Men perform during the IEBA 2013 Conference - Day 3 at The Omni of 1. We were kids back then but you were like a genius lol, musicially. We certainly couldnt use his headphone mixes since it was bad. Join us for a brewery tour, wine tasting courtesy of Main Street Wine Cellars, beer sampling, and light fare courtesy of 54 Main Bar & Grille on Tuesday, May 2nd from 6-9pm at Double Tap Brewing at 50 Parsippany Road, Whippany. Thanks for reaching out, and the compliment! As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Mr. Polci joined the Four Seasons in 1973 at the age of 20 while he was a sophomore at Montclair State. Nobody ever approached me and said, Are you interested in a solo deal? I dont know why. Did it surprise you at first they wanted you to sing on it?On some other records that werent released, we had done a lot of recording. First Take is an a cappel-la vocal ensemble specializing in modern arrangements of a wide array of songs sung in the barber-shop style, from Pop to Broadway to classics [], Friday June 2, 7:30pm Saturday June 3, 2:00pm & 7:30pm Sunday June 4, 2:00pm Matilda: The Musical is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. Whilst the photograph was getting taken, everybody was singing: Oh, What a Night. We had a table of 16 in and one of the women at the table had come over and said to one of the members of staff that the song was the first dance at her wedding. So I left at the end of 1977. The pair have been together since 1972 and share a daughter named Hanako Williams. Three groups at the center of the 1960s Folk Revival continue to delight fans with their smooth musical sounds: The Kingston Trio (Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Tom Dooley), The Brothers Four (Try to Remember) and The Limeliters (Take My True Love by the Hand). I didnt even sing background vocals for the first couple gigs. Trending Do you remember learning that it had gone all the way to Number One?I do. We didnt feel so much pressure since the band felt, Lets just put out good stuff, songs we like, and see where it goes. Robinson & Rohe have created a distinctive repertoire that draws on the roots music they hold dear, and engages their versatile musical and literary sensibilities as arrangers, improvisers, poets, and producers. [Bass singer] Joe Long left in 1976. [Bob] Crewe was involved and Charlie Calello did the arrangement. Theyre looking for a drummer. Id been working so much. Why is this public record being published online? It was just the right timing. The following day, the happy couple started their honeymoon by staying at Letham House, by Haddington, before stopping off at the towns Tyneside Tavern and entertaining a number of fans. His National popularity began with his joining The Four Seasons and being the co-founder of the group The Hit Men. Did you get any offers to make a solo record?Thats a good question. Thats what was tremendously disappointing. They had put out a conceptual album [The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette] in 1969. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can But my father was born in Newark. He wasnt all that jazzed, but that didnt matter at that point. No. Menu. We didnt. That was kind of weird. The duo delivers a powerful live show replete []. Having played so many shows, you dont throw out your Number One right away. You didnt want one?I never thought about it until years later. WebWife as singer, semi-professional demo style (with christian leanings and some messages. Who Is Randy DeBarge? Registration: $5 (non-refundable). There were only 600 kids in the high school, and we put between 130 and 140 on the field. Elton John), who hired guitar ace Jimmy Ryan for a studio session in the 70s, also got a nod with sizzling renditions of Crocodile Rock and Saturday Nights Alright. "It seems that a group in Holland had taken 'December '63' and remixed it, changing the percussion but otherwise leaving everything else as is," Mr. Polci said. "December '63 (Oh What a Night!)" Date of birth: 9 June 1952 His first marriage was to a woman called Toni Valli and his second was to Rhea Gay Chiles. In that neighborhood, everybody knew everybody. He had always done the singing himself.". Raise your glass to support our new gallery spaces and upcoming [], Join Jason Huggan, Cultural Resource Manager, Environmental Affairs Division, Directorate of Public Works at Picatinny Arsenal for a presentation on the 1926 Lake Denmark Ammunition Depot explosion including recently uncovered silent newsreel of the aftermath. You were hired as their drummer. Kandy Johnson Isley: Everything To Know About Ronald Isleys Wife, The Reklaws: Members, Best Songs, Other Unknown Facts. They wrote, One could only guess about [Polcis] stage demeanor since he was buried in the back, playing drums while singing. Sexuality: Straight, 2023 JukeBugs - A Property of GlassWorks Media. Thats a 4,500-seater. You had this generational thing. Gerry Polci joined the band Four Seasons in 1973 when he was 17 years old. You had Fleetwood Mac. It kind of freed us to open our repertoire more and play more of the hits. CHILES, RHEA VS POLCI, GERALD Case Summary On 07/01/2021 CHILES, RHEA filed a Family - Other Family lawsuit against POLCI, GERALD. Senator and Florida Governor Lawton Chiles and Rhea Grafton Chiles. He came up the ranks. I was the assistant director for the high school marching band in New Providence, New Jersey. Cancellation and Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, and In 2017, he renewed his vows with Rhea. The crowds were younger, definitely more energetic, and it was one really good venue after another. They were such a massively popular band, with so many hits in the Sixties. I enjoyed that a lot. They get their reactions and radio stations get that information. He left and went back to school to study some more music and later became a music teacher. It was a nice atmosphere and he chatted to the customers as well.. I knew the styles. According to Four Seasons legend, it was about Gaudio's initial attraction to Parker in the 1960s. Editors picks It was a nice record. [Laughs.] Theyre showing up for marching band. I did my thing every day. Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian Folk-Rock Troubadour, Dead at 84 It must have been a thrill when that song hit so big.It was huge thrill for everybody. ", Mr. Polci looked at a number of items of memorabilia in his home and said: "I'm considering all the possibilities, none of which have really firmed up as yet. At that point, it became the longest-running record on the Billboard Hot 100. He also was able to maintain a near average of 4.0 at Montclair State and he also received the Ruth Lewin Award given to a music student which he tutored for showing great potential in music education. As of Jan. 23, that recording, "December '63 (Oh What a Night! Thankfully thats been rectified, so to speak, very thankfully. I had a lot of input in terms of what I wanted to play. The surprise, of course, came a little later. I do. Her two years of research brings to light this fascinating 1880s initiative by local society ladies to teach over 500 young girls practical sewing skills. DocketUpdated Event INJUNCTION HRG on 08/02/2021 0900 AM - REMOVED, DocketCLS:FINAL JUDGMENT OF INJUNCTION UNTIL 8/2/2022, DocketNOTICE OF FILING PROOF OF RESIDENCY FILED BY RESPONDENT, DocketNOTICE OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FILED BY RESPONDENT, DocketNOTICE OF CONFIDENTIAL FILING FILED BY RESPONDENT, DocketNOTICE OF RELATED CASES FILED BY RESPONDENT, DocketNOTICE OF APPEARANCE FOR RESPONDENT, DocketSHERIFFS RETURN OF SERVICE FOR GERALD POLCI ON 7/1/2021, DocketActive Process DOMESTIC VIOLENCE disposition on 07/01/2021. But in 1980, Im listening to the Police, the Clash. I had one group together with three other guys called Twenty Times. It was a shame. Tell me about making the Who Loves You record. Polci played and sang in the band a lot of times between 1973 and 1990 before leaving the band. I always worked. It saved his career. We did 57 gigs in a month at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. Bob and Frank might have. It was well known I had left the group. It became so popular that Valli briefly tried to leave the group in the aftermath and let Polci take over as full-time lead singer. He goes, I have a band. Gerry Polci was hired to play drums for Frankie Valli's group in 1973, but he soon became a vocalist and briefly led a spinoff version of the band, Gerry Polci sang lead on the Four Seasons' comeback hit "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night). It was a good rapport, and I got the gig. "First they had come in with a song about Prohibition, of all things, with lines like 'Flappers, flipping on the floor,' and we all hated it," he said. It came out in April. He probably could provide the personality the group lacks at the moment. That makes a lot of sense. There was also a lot of poetic license taken there. 2021-12-29. He kind of knew my father and things about me. That year, in 1973, we still sold out Madison Square Garden twice. Are you suddenly playing to bigger places and seeing younger fans at the shows?Well, we always played big places for some reason. He had worked with a number of people. Jersey Boys opened on Broadway in 2005. I did The White Shadow. ", He Brought the Four Seasons Back From the Dead With Oh, What a Night. 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I havent seen him in a long time. There would always be nostalgic crowds willing to pay to hear Frankie Valli sing early-Sixties classics like Big Girls Dont Cry and Sherry, but the group seemed about as likely to score a new hit as the Dave Clark Five, Gerry and the Pacemakers, or the Shangri-Las. On their first night in the area, the couple toasted their wedding vows using a quaich presented to them from the Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons UK Fan Club, which had been presented to them at their wedding. The group should consider hiring another drummer and putting Polci up front. Odee Perry: Life, Death, What Is The Shocking Truth About His Murder? How are we getting a guy that just had a Top Ten record the year before, and he wants to come work with us? The harmonies sparkled. Hes actually done over 30 years off it. So we brought her up the back and introduced her to Gerry and got her photograph taken with him. Mr. Polci recalls the recording date in 1975 vividly. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. I eventually had to decide which of the two I wanted to do since I was conflicting. I moved to L.A. in February 1978. And he did that. Leaving college to tour, Mr. Polci found himself that same weekend playing before 7,000 people in Chicago on a Saturday night and before 10,000 people in Tennessee the next day. Not getting rewarded for that was a real slap in the face for me. Mr. Polci, described by his wife as a perfectionist who practiced his drumming five hours a day, has maintained a near 4.0 "Then," he said, "I decided it was time to get a life. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. He had a very powerful presence. I watched some recent video. THE singer of an iconic 1970s number one hit toasted renewing his wedding vows by staying in Haddington. Gerry Polci, former drummer with Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and lead singer on December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night), renewed his vows with wife Rhea at Cromlix Castle, near Dunblane. But we all have things to give. I listened to his music. As advertised, The Hit Men really are more than a cover band; these session wizards helped Frankie Valli, Carly Simon, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, Carole King and many others create some of their most memorable songs. I loved that band, oh my goodness. After a few years, we were like, Its obvious this has legs. A month later, I get a call from Barry Manilows tour manager telling me Barry wanted to meet me and asking if I wanted to join his band. What did I know?

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