Biography
A pop crooner and teen idol during the late 1950s, singer Frankie Avalon transformed into a movie star via a string of surf-and-sand musicals in the 1960s like "Beach Party" (1963) and "Muscle Beach Party" (1964). Slight of stature and build but handsome and charismatic in an eminently safe and approachable way, Avalon wooed teenage girls with light romantic tunes like "Venus" and "Why," both of which shot to the top of the charts. When rock …
Career Milestones
| Was a trumpet prodigy at age nine | ||
1957 | Made film acting debut in "Jamboree" | |
1957 | Made first appearance on "American Bandstand" | |
1957 | Signed a recording contract with Chancellor Records | |
1960 | Had dramatic roles in "Guns of the Timberland" and "The Alamo" | |
1963 | First teamed with Annette Funicello in "Beach Party" | |
1976 | Starred in summer series "Easy Does It..." (CBS) | |
1987 | Served as co-executive producer (with Annette Funicello) of "Back to the Beach" (also actor) | |
1995 | Appeared as himself in "Casino" | |
1995 | Played himself in "A Dream is Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story" (CBS) | |
2001 | Made guest appearance as the bride's godfather in the Chicago stage production of "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding" (summer) | |