Wednesday, August 21, 2002
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Wednesday, August 21, 2002 |
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Avalon brings hits and charm to Peachtree City By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Frankie Avalon began his career as a trumpeter, became a teen idol and then transformed himself into a movie star. This Friday and Saturday, Avalon will perform his vast number of hits at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City at 8 p.m. Avalon was born in Philadelphia on Sept. 18, 1940. His first love was the trumpet and he performed in a number of local amateur contests. A talent scout discovered Avalon at the age of 12 and got him a spot on Jackie Gleason's variety show. By the age of 14 Avalon had released "Trumpet Sorrento" on X Records and was playing with a band called Rocco and The Saints, which featured a drummer by the name of Robert Ridarelli, who was to be known later as Bobby Rydell. Rocco and the Saints were known well locally and this eventually led Avalon to a solo career. Chancellor Records in Philadelphia began to blossom when the television show, "American Bandstand", became a hit. Avalon recorded the songs, "Cupid" and "Teacher's Pet," which found success locally. In December of 1957 Avalon recorded "De De Dinah" and sold a million copies after performing the hit on "American Bandstand." Avalon recorded a number of other hits that enjoyed similar success including "Gingerbread," "Bobby Sox to Stockings," "Just Ask Your Heart" and "Why." His biggest musical success was the song "Venus," which changed his musical style completely. The song featured a full orchestra, female vocals, bells and chimes and opened Avalon up to a completely new fanbase. In the span of two years Avalon had recorded seven top 10 hits, but the fickle teenage fans were soon on to a new artist and, though Avalon continued to record and release albums, he never reached the dizzying heights of the top 10 again. In 1960, Avalon began working in films and in 1963 he began working in what turned out to be a very successful genre, beach movies. Avalon appeared in three beach movies, "Beach Party," "Muscle Beach" and "Beach Blanket Bingo" with Annette Funicello. The films were wildly successful and spawned a number of imitators. The beach movie genre itself was spoofed in 1987 with the comedy "Back to the Beach, which reunited Avalon and Funicello. Avalon is also well known for his cameo appearance in the film, "Grease." In the film, he performs the number "Beauty School Dropout," which is still a fan favorite. Currently, Avalon tours over six months a year. He is a dedicated family man with four sons and four daughters and owns a company that produces a line of health supplement products. Single tickets and standing room only tickets are still available for the show and are $35. The opening act will be Butch and the Buckheads, a 50s style rock and roll band.
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