Frankie Avalon born Francis Thomas Avallone (born 18 September 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) was an American actor, singer and teen idol in the 1950s and early 1960s. By the time he was 12 (1952), 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. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Frankie+Avalon">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.