Frankie Avalon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frankie Avalon
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Avalon in 1959
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| Born |
Francis Thomas Avallone
September 18, 1940 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Occupation | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 1952–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Kathryn Diebel
(m. 1963) |
| Children | 8 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | |
Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), known as Frankie Avalon, is an American singer and actor. He was a famous teen idol in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He had many popular songs, including two that reached number one: "Venus" in 1959 and "Why" in 1960.
Frankie Avalon also became well-known for his acting. He starred in several "Beach Party" movies in the 1960s. Later, he had a memorable role in the 1978 musical film Grease, where he sang "Beauty School Dropout".
Contents
Early Life
Frankie Avalon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents, Mary and Nicholas Avallone, were Italian-American. His mother was from Sicily, Italy. His father was a butcher whose family came from Italy as well.
Music Career
Starting Out
Frankie Avalon first appeared on national television in December 1952. He played the trumpet on The Jackie Gleason Show. He even released two singles in 1954 that showed off his trumpet skills. As a teenager, he played music with Bobby Rydell in a band called Rocco and the Saints.
Hit Songs
In 1959, Frankie Avalon's song "Venus" became a huge hit. It was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks. The next year, in 1960, his song "Why" also reached number one. This song was actually the first number one hit of the 1960s!
Between 1958 and 1962, Avalon had 31 songs that made it onto the U.S. Billboard charts. Some of his other popular songs included "Just Ask Your Heart" and "I'll Wait for You". Most of his hit songs were written or produced by Bob Marcucci.
Acting Career
Early Films
Frankie Avalon started acting in films in the late 1950s. His first movie appearance was a small role in Jamboree (1957). He played the trumpet and sang a song in the film.
In 1960, he co-starred with Alan Ladd in the Western movie Guns of the Timberland. He sang two songs in this film. After seeing him in Timberland, famous actor John Wayne cast Avalon in his movie The Alamo (1960). Wayne was very impressed with Frankie's acting.
The 1960s and Beach Party Movies
Frankie Avalon became very busy as an actor. He provided the singing voice for a character in the Japanese animated film Alakazam the Great (1960). This movie was distributed by American International Pictures (AIP), which he would work with a lot.
He had a small role and sang the title song in the science fiction film Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961). He also appeared in the comedy Sail a Crooked Ship (1961).
In 1963, Avalon starred in Beach Party with Annette Funicello. This movie was a big success and led to many sequels. These "Beach Party" films were cheerful musical comedies. They were very popular and helped make Frankie Avalon a movie star.
He continued to star in these fun beach movies, including Muscle Beach Party (1963) and Bikini Beach (1964). In Bikini Beach, he even played two different characters! He also appeared in Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), which he remembered as a lot of fun.
Frankie Avalon also appeared in many TV shows during the 1960s. He was on The Bing Crosby Show and The Patty Duke Show. He also became a spokesperson for Sonic Drive-In restaurants.
Later Roles
In 1978, Frankie Avalon had a famous role as Teen Angel in the movie Grease. He sang the song "Beauty School Dropout" in the film. This role introduced him to a whole new generation of fans.
In the 1980s, Avalon had the idea to make a new "Beach Party" movie with Annette Funicello. This led to the film Back to the Beach (1987), which was a moderate success. He and Funicello also made a cameo appearance in Troop Beverly Hills (1989).
After this, Frankie Avalon started his own business, Frankie Avalon Products. He sold health and beauty items on television.
1990s and 2000s
Avalon continued to make appearances in films and TV shows. He had a cameo role as himself in the 1995 film Casino with Robert De Niro.
He also performed in stage versions of Grease as Teen Angel. In 2001, he appeared as himself in an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
In 2009, Frankie Avalon performed on American Idol. He has also toured with other famous singers from Philadelphia, Fabian and Bobby Rydell, in a show called "Dick Fox's Golden Boys".
Recent Years
In 2015, Frankie Avalon released a cookbook called Frankie Avalon's Italian Family Cookbook. He continues to perform and make appearances. In 2021, he performed on Dancing with the Stars.
Personal Life
Frankie Avalon married Kathryn "Kay" Diebel on January 19, 1963. She was a beauty pageant winner. They have eight children together. His son, Frankie Jr., was an actor who appeared in the original The Karate Kid movie.
Images for kids
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Avalon in 1959
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Avalon performing in 1960
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Avalon and Annette Funicello during the Beach Party era, c. 1965
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Avalon in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Frankie Avalon para niños
