Newark dedicates street in celebration of music icon Frankie Valli
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- The city of Newark honored a hometown music legend on Thursday as the community sang the praises of Frankie Valli.
Valli returned to his old neighborhood in Newark where the city dedicated a street in his honor.
The 88-year-old icon grew up in Newark's Stephen Crane Village Housing Project before becoming the high falsetto voice of the Four Seasons.
"I think this is amazing and spectacular and deserved," his daughter Antonia Valli said.
The band's songs like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man" and more became instant classics.
Those who knew him best spoke about the honor on Thursday.
"It was family but they were the East Coast Beach Boys so it was just wonderful as a kid watching him on the Ed Sullivan Show," said Nick Massi Jr., whose father was a member of the Four Seasons.
Valli was just as humble as he is famous and loved.
"It's something to remember forever, it's just one of the greatest moments of my life, I can't believe they named a street after me," Valli said. "It's been a wonderful day really, and there is so much sentiment in Stephen Crane Village for me, right up until I became successful I lived here...my mother lived here and died here."
The music icon even took all the time in the world to snap photos with adoring fans.
His rise to fame story was adapted to the the Tony-winning Broadway musical "Jersey Boys" and later a Clint Eastwood film.
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