Let Frankie Valli’s Voice Amaze You With “Big Girls Don’t Cry” In 1962

Let Frankie Valli’s Voice Amaze You With “Big Girls Don’t Cry” In 1962 | I Love Classic Rock Videos

via OLD TAPES / Youtube

The Four Seasons, fronted by Frankie Valli, made a hit out of the song “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” which was written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. For three weeks, the song topped Billboard’s Rhythm and Blues chart. It was the group’s second consecutive top-charting R&B single as well in the United States.

Tennessee’s Partner, a 1955 western starring John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, and Ronald Reagan, was confirmed to have served as inspiration for this song. Payne’s character slaps Fleming’s blonde bombshell character and then asks her opinion on the slap. After collecting herself, she says, “Big girls don’t cry.” Crewe, who was dozing off at the time, wrote down the lyrics, and then spent the next day writing the song.

This was meant to have a similar sound to another Four Seasons hit “Sherry,” which was the group’s first song and topped the charts for five weeks. The song has long been featured in several movies including Dirty Dancing (1987), The Main Event (1979), and Mermaids (1990).

Watch Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’ rare 1962 performance of “Big Girls Don’t Cry” in high definition below.