Frankie Avalon born Francis Thomas Avallone (born 18 September 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) was an American actor, singer and teen idol in the 1950s and early 1960s. By the time he was 12 (1951), Avalon began making appearances on U.S. television for his trumpet prowess, and as a teenager, played with Bobby Rydell in a band known as Rocco and the Saints. In 1959, his songs "Venus" and "Why?" both went to number one on Billboard magazine's Hot 100. Indeed, "Why" was the last #1 hit of the 1950s. During the 1960s, Avalon became known for his roles in the Beach Party film genre. Later, he became the U.S. national television spokesperson for Sonic Drive-In. Songs "Cupid" "Venus" "Why?" "Dede Dinah" "You Excite Me" "Ginger Bread" "What Little Girl" "I'll Wait You" "Bobby Sox to Stockings" "A Boy Without a Girl" "Two Fools" "Just Ask Your Heart" "Beauty School Dropout" "Swinging On A Rainbow" "Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops" "Where Are You" "Tuxedo Junction" "Don't Let Love Pass Me By" "Togetherness" "The Puppet Song" "A Perfect Love" "All of Everything" "Who Else But You" "True, True Love" "You Are Mine" "A Miracle" On 8 April 2009, he performed on American Idol. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.