Frankie Avalon Net Worth, Early Life and Successful Career
Frankie Avalon is an American actor, singer, playwright who has a net worth of $20 million. Frankie Avalon was among the most popular teen idols of the late 1950s and 60s. From 1958 to 1962, he had 31 charting Billboard singles in the United States, including the number-one hits Venus and Why. As an actor, Avalon appeared in such films as Guns of the Timberland, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Sail a Crooked Ship, Fireball 500, Grease, and most of the films in the Beach Party series. He frequently teamed up with the equally popular actress/singer Annette Funicello.
Early Life
Frankie Avalon was born as Francis Avallone on September 18, 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Italian immigrant parents Mary and Nicholas.
Music Career
Avalon emerged on the music scene in the early 1950s as a skilled trumpeter. Two singles showcasing his trumpet playing were released in 1954. He also performed with Bobby Rydell in the band Rocco and the Saints. Avalon’s music career really took off in the late-50s; in 1959, he scored his two biggest hit singles, Venus and Why, both of which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Avalon had 29 additional charting Billboard singles between 1958 and 1962, including Just Ask Your Heart, I’ll Wait for You, and A Boy Without a Girl. The majority of his hits were written by Bob Marcucci, the head of Chancellor Records.
Film Career
After appearing briefly in the 1957 rock and roll film Jamboree, Avalon had his first dramatic acting role in the 1960 Western Guns of the Timberland. He quickly landed his second dramatic role, appearing opposite John Wayne in the epic historical war film The Alamo. Now in demand as an actor, Avalon appeared in the science-fiction disaster film Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and the comedy heist film Sail a Crooked Ship, both released in 1961. The next year, he starred in Ray Milland’s science-fiction film Panic in Year Zero!
Avalon had a big year in 1963, starring in four films: the war film Operation Bikini, the adventure film Drums of Africa, the historical biopic The Castilian, and the teen musical comedy Beach Party. The lattermost of those was particularly successful, spawning several sequels, including Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, and Beach Blanket Bingo. Avalon continued to act in other comedies as well, such as I’ll Take Sweden, Ski Party, Sergeant Deadhead, and Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine.
In 1966, Avalon reunited with his Beach Party director William Asher and his costar Annette Funicello for the stock car racing film Fireball 500. Fabian also starred with the pair. Avalon next starred alongside George Nader and Shirley Eaton in the British spy film The Million Eyes of Sumuru. He subsequently starred in Otto Preminger’s comedy Skidoo and the British horror film The Haunted House of Horror. In the 1970s, Avalon appeared in the action crime drama The Take and played the role of Teen Angel in the big-screen adaptation of the musical romantic comedy Grease.
