Frankie Avalon had 31 charting US Billboard singles from 1958 to late 1962, including number one hits, "Venus" and "Why" in 1959.
34 Facts About Frankie Avalon
2.
Frankie Avalon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Mary and Nicholas Avallone.
3.
Frankie Avalon's father was a butcher from Naples or Salerno, in Campania, Italy.
4.
In December 1952, Frankie Avalon made his American network television debut playing the trumpet in the Honeymooners "Christmas Party" sketch on The Jackie Gleason Show.
5.
Two singles showcasing Frankie Avalon's trumpet playing were issued on RCA Victor's X sublabel in 1954.
6.
Frankie Avalon's trumpet playing was featured on some of his LP songs as well.
7.
Frankie Avalon concentrated on his acting career which detracted from his recording career, and "Why" of 1959 would be Frankie Avalon's final top 10 hit.
8.
Frankie Avalon's first film was a short appearance in Jamboree, playing a trumpet and singing "Teacher's Pet".
9.
Frankie Avalon provided the singing voice for the lead character in the English-language version of a Japanese musical anime, Alakazam the Great, which was done at the behest of the US distributor, American International Pictures.
10.
For Irwin Allen, Frankie Avalon had a small role and sang the title song in the science fiction adventure film, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, a solid commercial hit.
11.
Frankie Avalon had a supporting role in a comedy, Sail a Crooked Ship.
12.
Arkoff said AIP originally wanted Fabian Forte to co-star with Funicello, but when he proved unavailable, they went with Frankie Avalon; it was a big hit and led to several sequels.
13.
Frankie Avalon received an offer to appear in a swashbuckler set in 10th century Spain about Fernan Gonzalez of Castile, The Castilian.
14.
Pajama Party was the unofficial fourth film in the series; it was a science fiction spoof in which Frankie Avalon ceded the leading man duties to Tommy Kirk, but he did have a cameo in it, however.
15.
Frankie Avalon was back as the leading man in Beach Blanket Bingo.
16.
Frankie Avalon appeared in nearly two dozen TV episodes, including ABC's The Bing Crosby Show and The Patty Duke Show, appearing often as himself.
17.
All this activity meant he was reluctant to appear in another "beach party" film, so Hickman played the lead in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, although Frankie Avalon had a cameo.
18.
In January 1966, Frankie Avalon said he no longer wanted to make beach films.
19.
AIP tried to find a new starring formula for Frankie Avalon, casting him as a stock car driver in Fireball 500, alongside Fabian and Funicello, for director William Asher.
20.
In 1976, Frankie Avalon updated his song "Venus" with a new disco treatment.
21.
In early 1979, Frankie Avalon portrayed Sergei in the episode "Dewey and Harold and Sarah and Maggie" of the NBC television series $weepstake$.
22.
In 1980, Frankie Avalon appeared in the film Blood Song as Paul Foley, a serial killer.
23.
Frankie Avalon had the idea of returning to beach party films with Funicello.
24.
Frankie Avalon hired several screenwriters and shopped the screenplay around town, eventually managing to set up the project at Paramount Pictures.
25.
Frankie Avalon made a cameo appearance as himself with Robert De Niro in the 1995 film, Casino.
26.
Frankie Avalon has starred in stage productions of Grease in the role of Teen Angel and in Tony n' Tina's Wedding as a caricature of himself.
27.
On October 18,2021, Frankie Avalon performed on Dancing with the Stars.
28.
Frankie Avalon was a beauty pageant winner he met while playing cards at a friend's house.
29.
Frankie Avalon told that friend she was the girl he would marry.
30.
Frankie Avalon's agent warned him that marriage would spoil his teen idol mystique, to no avail.
31.
Frankie Avalon was mentioned in the System of a Down song "Old School Hollywood".
32.
The song supposedly is about Daron Malakian's experience in a celebrity baseball game, where he and Frankie Avalon were both ignored.
33.
The main character, English professor Laurie Jameson, watches a PBS reunion show featuring Frankie Avalon singing the song, and sings a line of it to her daughter.
34.
Frankie Avalon is referenced in the 1994 film, The Stoned Age, in which he makes an ending scene cameo appearance.