Back in August, we reported that the singer Frankie Valli, 90, was seen seemingly struggling to lip sync during a concert. That, combined with his age, led to rumors that Valli is being ‘forced’ to keep performing by unknown forces.
Now, Valli has finally broken his silence to address these rumors head-on.
Valli Speaks Out
“I know there has been a lot of stuff on the internet about me lately so I wanted to clear the air,” Valli told People Magazine. “I am blessed to be 90 years old and still be doing what I love to do and as long as I am able, and audiences want to come see me, I am going to be out there performing as I always….I absolutely love what I do. And I know we put on a great show because our fans are still coming out in force and the show still rocks.”
“How do we do the show?! The Four Seasons sound was always about layering vocals and instruments,” he continued. “We use our 60 years of experience so we sound like the records. I sing, I have singers who sing, great arrangements….everything. I get a chuckle from the comments wondering if someone forcing me to go on stage. Nobody has ever made me do anything I didn’t want to do.”
Valli concluded by making it clear that he has no intention to stop performing anytime soon.
“I plan to be doing shows as long as I can, delivering that great Four Seasons sound,” he stated. “Like that line in Jersey Boys, I’m like that bunny on TV, that just keeps going and going and going. Chasing the music.”
Related: Frankie Valli, 90, Responds To Concerns About His Health After He Struggles To Lip-Sync At Concert
Valli Videos Surface
This came after various videos surfaced in which Valli appeared to be struggling to perform. In one of the videos, Valli seemed to be behind in the choreography while performing his hit song “December 1963 (Oh What a Night).”
“He needs to rest!” one viewer commented, with another adding that the footage was “very sad.”
Check that video out below.
Another viral video showed a separate performance of “Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby, Goodbye).” In that video, Valli looked to be missing some of the lyrics, leading to accusations that he was lip syncing.
“He looks exhausted,” one fan commented. Another stressed, “I really want someone to check on him.”
Check that video out for yourself below.
At the time that these videos spread online, a rep for Valli spoke out to defend the singer.
“Frankie is doing just fine and super happy to still be performing. The audiences are filling venues and listening to some great music,” the rep told The New York Post. “Frankie is doing what he loves to do at 90. We should all be so lucky.”
Related: ‘American Pie’ Singer Don McLean Reveals Secret Behind Good Songwriting
Valli’s Tour
Despite celebrating his 90th birthday back in May, Valli still maintains an active performing schedule. His current tour is scheduled to run through April of 2025, and he’s also had various residencies in Las Vegas in recent years.
When asked if Valli plans to perform all of the tour dates that are currently listed on his website, his rep responded, “Most definitely.”
The Broadway musical Jersey Boys, which is based on Valli’s life, is the 12th longest-running show on Broadway. It has been seen by over 30 million people.
Valli is a true living legend, and there will never be another one like him. While it’s nice that fans are so protective of him, it seems that performing is exactly what he wants to be doing. Here’s hoping that Valli can keep doing it for many years to come!
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