Chasing the Music
The Four Seasons is an American rock band known for the distinctive falsetto of lead singer Frankie Valli and immortalized in the Broadway musical Jersey Boys. The group produced a string of hits throughout the 1960s, many of which are still familiar today: "Sherry," "Walk Like a Man," "Rag Doll," and "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)."
The group's blend of doo-wop, rock, and pop, combined with Valli's unique voice, made them one of the most successful and enduring acts of the era. Sixty-plus years later, the group's touring line-up combines Valli -- the only remaining original member at age 90 -- with a vocal quartet and band, and they plan a final tour in 2025.
The musical Jersey Boys tells the story of the group's rise, success, and eventual breakup, and the musical is divided into four "seasons," with each of the original band members narrating a different part of the group's history from their own perspective. Here are the play's four "seasons":
Formation: How Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio came together to form The Four Seasons, despite their humble beginnings and connections to the mob.
Rise to Fame: Their rapid rise to stardom, marked by hit songs like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," and "Walk Like a Man."
Personal Struggles: The personal and professional challenges the band faced, including conflicts among the members, financial problems, and personal tragedies.
Breakup and Legacy: The eventual breakup of the original lineup and the band's lasting legacy in music history.
Jersey Boys premiered on Broadway on November 6, 2005, at the August Wilson Theatre
and ran until January 15, 2017, making it one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. It had over 4,600 performances and has spawned numerous productions around the world, including a recent run at Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego. In 2006, the show won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
Consider these iconic words of Frankie Valli, looking back on his career as the lead singer with The Four Seasons:
"They ask ya," he says, "'What was the high point?' 'The Hall of Fame, sellin' all those records, pullin' "Sherry" outta the hat?' It all was great. But the first time the four of us made that sound, our sound ... when everything dropped away and all there was was the music ... that was the best. That's why I'm still out there singin', like that bunny on TV with the battery, I just keep goin' and goin' and goin' ... chasin' the music, tryin' to get home."
Even with Valli's distinctive New Jersey dialect, do you hear the biblical echoes? Aren't we all chasing the music, trying to get home?
As you move through your week, consider Romans 8:28 and the role of the Holy Spirit in your life: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
How will you chase the music this week, and how will you encourage those around you in their God-ordained purpose as well?