Jon began his career at the age of 12 playing the title role in Sir Cameron Mackintosh's Oliver! at the London Palladium along side Jonathan Pryce. At 16 Jon joined Simon Fullers pop sensation S Club 7. During the 5 years that they dominated the pop world Jon enjoyed Number 1 hits all over the world including 4 in the UK and a top 10 billboard chart position in the US.
Directly after graduating Matt played Steve Binder and Jerry Scheff in Bill Kenwrights This is Elvis (UK Tour). He then portrayed the musical legend Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story, which toured for 4 months around the U.K., led the show for its 18 month run at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End and was invited to Buddy's hometown of Lubbock, Texas for three months where he received personal accolades from Buddy's two brothers, niece and nephew on his portrayal of their famous relative.
DID YOU KNOW?
◦Frankie Valli was born Francis Stephen Castelluccio in 1937.
◦The group were previously known as The Varietones and The Lovers but they had a different line up.
◦Frankie Valli played Rusty Millio in The Sopranos.
◦In 1964, when 'Beatlemania' struck the USA, the group celebrated their strongest year of sales.
◦The group enjoyed 16 top 40 hits in the US in just 28 months between 1962 and 1964.
◦They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
◦'December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)' became the longest charting single in history after it was re-released in 1994 after it featured on the soundtrack to the film Forrest Gump.
◦Frankie Valli took his name from country singer Texas Jean Valley. She often referred to herself as Frankie's sister.
◦The first chart single reached number 68 and was called 'You're the Apple of my Eye'. This was released when the band were called The Lovers and had a different line-up.
◦Frankie and The Four Seasons were going to release the single 'Don't be Cruel' but it was taken away from them at the last moment and became a huge success for Elvis.
◦When they were session musicians, they released tracks through Bob Crewe's record label and gave themselves pseudo names such as Village Voices and Billy Dixon and the Tropics.
◦Nick Massi was born Nicholas Macioci.
◦The group decided they should at least take something away from an audition they failed at a bowling alley in New Jersey so they renamed the band after the bowling alley.
◦'Sherry', The Four Seasons first number one hit, was named after Jack Spector's daughter. Jack was a disc jockey on the radio station WABC.
◦They are the only group to have a Top 100 Billboard hit in each decade of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
◦Valli continued to drive an old car and live in a housing project until the mid-1960s, when success finally seemed real.
WINNER of 53 Major awards worldwide, including the Olivier Award for BEST NEW MUSICAL in 2009.
JERSEY BOYS, The internationally acclaimed hit musical, tells the remarkable rise to stardom of one of the most successful bands in pop music history.
Discover how four New Jersey boys form the wrong side of the tracks invented their own unique sound, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and sold 100 million records worldwide. With spectacular performances of all their hits, JERSEY BOYS is the electrifying true life story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; the mob, the heartaches, the triumphs and the music.
This sensational production features many of the bands worldwide hits, including: BEGGIN', CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU, OH WHAT A NIGHT, WALK LIKE A MAN, BYE BYE BABY (BABY GOODBYE), SHERRY, BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY and many more.
JERSEY BOYS has now been seen by over 4 million people worldwide!
Book Jersey Boy tickets online now
[posted by Louise, 19/03/2011]