Frankie Valli and his Four Seasons scored their first #1 hit with “Sherry” in 1962. That was 62 years ago. Frankie Valli celebrated his 90th birthday in May. That’s 360 seasons! He’s still playing live — not just reaching up for falsetto notes but acting out some version of the teenage-love showmanship that made him famous in the first place. Clips of Valli’s performances have been going around on TikTok for a few years, and a recent viral Twitter post claimed that sending Valli out to perform today is tantamount to “elder abuse.”

Whoever keeps sending Frankie Valli out on stage at this point is committing elder abuse. pic.twitter.com/GZisf1Bxw6

— kereD (@i__m__kered) September 29, 2024

In response, Valli has sent a statement to People, claiming that “nobody has ever made me do anything I didn’t want to do” and that he’ll keep performing for as long as he possibly can. Here’s Valli’s statement:

I know there has been a lot of stuff on the internet about me lately so I wanted to clear the air. I am blessed to be 90 years old and still be doing what I love to do and as long as I am able, and audiences want to come see me, I am going to be out there performing as I always. I absolutely love what I do. And I know we put on a great show because our fans are still coming out in force and the show still rocks.

How do we do the show?! The Four Seasons sound was always about layering vocals and instruments. We use our 60 years of experience so we sound like the records. I sing, I have singers who sing, great arrangements….everything. I get a chuckle from the comments wondering if someone forcing me to go on stage. Nobody has ever made me do anything I didn’t want to do.

I plan to be doing shows as long as I can, delivering that great Four Seasons sound. Like that line in Jersey Boys, I’m like that bunny on TV, that just keeps going and going and going. Chasing the music.