Gerry Polci is an American musician who is well known for his work with the American rock and pop band called The Four Seasons. He was one of the central figures in the band, having been the drummer as well as a singer for the group.
Together with other members of the group – Frankie Valli (the founder), Lee Shapiro, Don Ciccone, and others – he performed songs that would become major hits around the world. One of those hits includes December 1963 which is also known as Oh what a night. The song stayed on the hot 100 lists of Billboard magazine for 52 weeks straight.
Gerry Polci’s Early Life
Very little is known about the early life of Gerry Polci. Not much has been revealed about the man’s childhood or origin but it is known that he was born on 9 June 1952.
We also know that the singer and drummer attended high school at Montclair, and later in his life he went on to pursue a degree at the Montclair State University in music. Afterward, he went on to work in the Cladwell Public Schools as a music instructor.
We also know that his dad and Frankie Valli, the most notable member of the band, went to school together and when Gerry started playing with the Four Season’s band, he introduced his dad to his fellow band player, Frankie.
Polci’s Music Career
Gerry Polci joined the band ‘Four Seasons’ in 1973 when he was 17 years old. Before joining Four Seasons, he was already working professionally as a drummer in New York from the age of 14. Later, he was recommended to Four Seasons, the band which had been formed already.
Polci eventually joined Four Seasons and started touring with the band. Although he started out solely as a drummer, he soon started contributing as a singer to the band when they performed live on stage. Polci played and sang in the band a lot of times between 1973 and 1990 before leaving the band.
After he left, he co-started another band called The Hit Men with Lee Shapiro after Lee hit him up a couple of times with the proposal. The Hit Men also included some of his former bandmates at Four Seasons; Lee Shapiro and Don Ciccone. At this time, he had become a music teacher.
Who Is Gerry Polci’s Wife?
Gerry Polci married twice. His first marriage was to a woman called Toni Valli and his second was to Rhea Gay Chiles. Interestingly, his wife, Toni is the daughter of Frankie Valli, the most celebrated member of The Four Seasons. They later divorced.
After parting ways with Toni Valli, He met Rhea in March of 2015, and shortly after, they got married. In 2017, he renewed his vows with Rhea.
How Much Is Gerry Polci Worth?
Gerry Polci’s exact net worth at the moment is not very clear. However, while some reports claim he has varying net worths, Net Worth Post puts his net worth to be about $1.9 million.
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Check Out 10 Fast Facts About Gerry Polci
- Gerry was married to Valli’s daughter Toni but sadly their marriage didn’t last for long. He has two children with her; Olivia and Dario.
- Polci’s band Four Seasons was one of the only two American bands to enjoy substantial chart success before, during, and after the British Invasion. The band’s original line-up was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and joined the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. They are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time and they have sold an estimated 100 million records all around the world.
- It was his first wife who urged him to leave the band and do something else. He left and went back to school to study some more music and later became a music teacher.
- He is a perfectionist and as it is his nature, he practices for five hours on his drumming every day. He also was able to maintain a near average of 4.0 at Montclair State and he also received the Ruth Lewin Award given to a music student which he tutored for showing great potential in music education
- Gerry actually has a calling for mentoring youngsters. He said in one of his interviews that he convinced a teen at the parent’s request not to drop out of college and go to school and he listened and eventually went to college.
- One of the people who mentored and helped Gerry Polci achieve his drumming dexterity is Joe Morello who played with Dave Brubeck.
- Gerry’s daughter Olivia has taken after her father and grandfather, for she has some powerful vocal cords on her and she performs to large audiences and places like the Bergen PAC in Englewood New Jersey.
- Gerry Polci sang lead on a couple of songs while with the Four Seasons band. These songs even went on to become hits. The songs include their 1976 and 1994 hit; ‘December 1963 (Oh, What A Night).
- His dad was really proud of him when he joined the Four Seasons. He grew up watching his parents who were huge fans of the band and when he eventually joined them, his dad felt over joyous. In his interview with Gary James, Gerry said that his dad felt like he had joined The Beatles and was super happy and proud.
- Gerry Polci Tours with ‘The Hit Men on weekends while continuing his regular job as a public school teacher during the weekdays. He has been touring with The Hit Men for over 25 years.
