Tommy DeVito (musician)
Encyclopedia
Tommy DeVito is an American
musician and singer, best known as a founding member and the lead guitar
ist of the rock band The Four Seasons
.
DeVito's musical career began in the early 1950s when he formed the Variety Trio with his brother Nick DeVito and friend Hank Majewski. This core group performed under various names and changing lineups, including the addition in 1954 of singer Frank Castelluccio (later known as Frankie Valli
). By 1956 the quartet of DeVito/Devito/Majewski/Valli had renamed themselves the Four Lovers. Tommy and Frankie remained the only consistent members of the Four Lovers, as the group released seven singles and one album under the Four Lovers name. Their 1956 debut single, Otis Blackwell
's "You're the Apple of My Eye
", achieved enough national
sales to appear as a minor hit on the Billboard
Hot 100
singles chart. The single landed Tommy his first national television appearance, when the Four Lovers appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.
While his brother Nick left the group, Tommy DeVito continued his musical pursuits, reforming and realigning the group. By 1960 The Four Lovers consisted of DeVito and Valli along with Bob Gaudio
and Nick Massi
. This is the lineup which adopted the name "The Four Seasons" and began a string of hits with the 1962 #1 single "Sherry
."
DeVito left the group in April 1970 before the album "Half and Half" was released. He sold Valli and Gaudio his rights to the Four Seasons' material, name, and touring act (Massi had left the group in 1965).
By the time he retired from the Four Seasons, DeVito's decision to form a trio to play nightclubs and bowling alleys in 1950s New Jersey had led to international fame, repeated appearances on the Billboard singles and album charts and four #1 hit singles.
DeVito, along with fellow original Four Seasons Valli, Massi and Gaudio, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 1990 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
in 1999.
DeVito rejoined Valli and Gaudio (Massi had died in 2000) on stage at the 2005 Broadway opening of the documentary
-style musical
Jersey Boys
, a Tony Award
winning hit chronicling the story of the group's early days.
DeVito has written a lengthy but as-yet-unpublished autobiography (with the help of the late Rex Woodard) about his days with the group which served, along with other accounts, as background material for the musical.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician and singer, best known as a founding member and the lead guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist of the rock band The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (group)
The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles...
.
DeVito's musical career began in the early 1950s when he formed the Variety Trio with his brother Nick DeVito and friend Hank Majewski. This core group performed under various names and changing lineups, including the addition in 1954 of singer Frank Castelluccio (later known as Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
). By 1956 the quartet of DeVito/Devito/Majewski/Valli had renamed themselves the Four Lovers. Tommy and Frankie remained the only consistent members of the Four Lovers, as the group released seven singles and one album under the Four Lovers name. Their 1956 debut single, Otis Blackwell
Otis Blackwell
Otis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll...
's "You're the Apple of My Eye
You're the Apple of My Eye
"You're the Apple of My Eye" is a song written by Otis Blackwell and initially recorded and released as a single in 1956 by The Four Lovers, the precursor to The Four Seasons. Recorded after they were denied the opportunity to record another Blackwell song, "Don't Be Cruel", "You're the Apple of My...
", achieved enough national
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sales to appear as a minor hit on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart. The single landed Tommy his first national television appearance, when the Four Lovers appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.
While his brother Nick left the group, Tommy DeVito continued his musical pursuits, reforming and realigning the group. By 1960 The Four Lovers consisted of DeVito and Valli along with Bob Gaudio
Bob Gaudio
Robert John "Bob" Gaudio is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist/backing vocalist for The Four Seasons.-Early career:...
and Nick Massi
Nick Massi
Nick Massi was the bass singer and bass guitarist for the Four Seasons. He was born in Newark, New Jersey...
. This is the lineup which adopted the name "The Four Seasons" and began a string of hits with the 1962 #1 single "Sherry
Sherry (song)
"Sherry" is a song written by Bob Gaudio and originally recorded by The Four Seasons. It was their first nationally-released single and also their first number one hit, initially reaching the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on September 15, 1962...
."
DeVito left the group in April 1970 before the album "Half and Half" was released. He sold Valli and Gaudio his rights to the Four Seasons' material, name, and touring act (Massi had left the group in 1965).
By the time he retired from the Four Seasons, DeVito's decision to form a trio to play nightclubs and bowling alleys in 1950s New Jersey had led to international fame, repeated appearances on the Billboard singles and album charts and four #1 hit singles.
DeVito, along with fellow original Four Seasons Valli, Massi and Gaudio, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 1990 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
in 1999.
DeVito rejoined Valli and Gaudio (Massi had died in 2000) on stage at the 2005 Broadway opening of the documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
-style musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
, a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winning hit chronicling the story of the group's early days.
DeVito has written a lengthy but as-yet-unpublished autobiography (with the help of the late Rex Woodard) about his days with the group which served, along with other accounts, as background material for the musical.
External links
- Jersey Boys is the Broadway musical story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.