Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio, who had a string of hit songs as members of The Four Seasons in the 1960s and ’70s, are scheduled to be in Portland Saturday to help honor the memory of a man who was instrumental in their careers.
Valli and Gaudio will attend the dedication of the new Bob Crewe Program in Art and Music at Maine College of Art on Congress Street, said Raffi Der Simonian, director of marketing and communications for the college.
Crewe, who died in Scarborough in September 2014 at the age of 83, co-wrote many hit songs recorded by the Four Seasons or Valli alone, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” Crewe is also a supporting character in the long-running Broadway musical “Jersey Boys,” based on the story of the Four Seasons.
Crewe, a New Jersey native, moved to Maine later in his life. His brother, Dan Crewe, came to Maine in 1991 and was a co-founder of the Gateway Mastering Studio in Portland. The studio works on recordings by many of pop music’s biggest acts.
The new MECA program and facility being dedicated Saturday is funded by a $3 million gift, given to MECA by the Bob Crewe Foundation in April 2014. When the grant was announced in 2014, Dan Crewe said the idea of starting a music program at an art school came about, at least partly, because his brother had started out as an artist before going into a career in music. Dan Crewe also said his brother, thankful for his own success, wanted to do what he could to support budding artists and musicians.
The program named for Crewe includes three classes this fall as well as 25,000 square feet of renovated space at the college’s main building on Congress Street. The renovated space will house studios, recording equipment, performance spaces and classrooms. The renovated space at MECA also includes the Bob Crewe Gallery, featuring some of his artwork. Valli, 81, was the lead singer of The Four Seasons and had solo hits as well. He still performs regularly and tours, and did a concert in Bangor last fall. Gaudio, 72, was a member of The Four Seasons who co-wrote many songs with Crewe.
The dedication on Saturday is by invitation only.
Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at:
rrouthier@pressherald.com
Twitter: @RayRouthier
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