Frankie Avalon Biography

Fast Facts

• Was a teen idol, with a string of hit singles from 1958 to '62, including "Venus" and "Why
• " Made a series of beach movies aimed at the teenage demographic in the 1960s with Annette Funicello, including Beach Party, Beach Blanket Bingo, Bikini Beach and Muscle Beach Party
• Appeared as a child-prodigy trumpet player on The Jackie Gleason Show and The Perry Como Show
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995
• His appearance in the 1978 movie Grease, singing "Beauty School Dropout," introduced him to a new generation of fans
• Other movie appearances include The Alamo with John Wayne in 1960, Back to the Beach with Annette Funicello in 1987 and Casino with Robert DeNiro in 1995
• Appeared on American Idol singing "Venus" in April of 2009