FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS ? ? ?
One of the great pleasures of life is when someone comes up to you and remembers something you did that made a big impression on their lives. Especially when that person does it 40 years later. You might find this hard to believe, but that sort of thing happens to me quite often. Out of the blue someone will step up and thrust out their hand. I automatically thrust out my hand for a good ol’ handshake. However, in a “take-a-hike” sort of movement, they raise their hand to reveal fingers painted to look like people and burst into song.
If you were not a fan of the show you most likely have no idea what I am talking about. Fortunately in this latest incident, I have a picture to show what I mean. To explain as briefly as possible, one of the many innovations for presenting records on TV was the use of the Thaxton created “Finger People.” They were responsible for presenting hundreds of hits on The Lloyd Thaxton Show.
Well, it happened again just a couple of days ago. Check the date in the upper right hand corner of the picture. 7/14/06. This is 40 years after I presented the Finger People doing Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons singing their big hit “Sherry.” On this date (documented above, mind you) West Hollywood jeweler R. Zach Wagner was the star. The venue was a hair salon next door to his shop. The whole presentation was in cahoots with hair stylist, Jimi, who was cutting my hair at the time, and long time friends Eileen and Charles Olsen, who also have a jewelry shop in the area. On cue, Zach jumped in the room, said hello, and then did the famous hand thrust. Up popped his painted hands (shown in the picture) for a chorus of “Sherry, Sherry baby. Won’t you come out tonight?”
I loved it; every silly moment.
The next day, still reveling in this delight, I had an epiphany. I’m famous, I said to myself (actually I said it out loud). “I AM REALLY FAMOUS.”
Think about it. Thomas Edison is famous for giving people the light bulb. Alexander Graham Bell is famous for giving people the telephone. Lloyd Thaxton is famous for giving people the finger.
Life is good.
Stay tuned.
posted by Lloyd Thaxton at 8:02 PM
4 Comments:
I'm gonna start this off this time, lol...
That was soo cute--the picture that is..
Your influence made people give that finger.
In fact, I used to do those "finger productions" after your shows, painting my fingers with pens.
Wow, its coming back to me now..
Lloyd rules....:D
2:28 PM
And I'll promise you this: As long as I'm alive, and have fingers, and if you ever need one, I'll be there to give you the finger.
duke
3:10 PM
Is it the FOUR SEASONS or is it Frankie Valli AND the Four Seasons, cuz I see FIVE fingers! Doesn't look like the Four Seasons, though.....too shaggy. I thought it was the Dave Clark Five! The guy on the left looks like Dave cuz he's apart from the others. The guy on the far right DEFINITELY is Lenny Davidson, cuz he's so short. The line-up is pictured as follows (left to right) Dave Clark, Mike Smith, Rick Huxley, Denis Payton, Lenny Davidson. Isn't it obvious now??
Gary
5:03 PM
The "finger people" is (are?) one (five?) bit (bits?") that'll always stay fresh in what's left of my mind. When Daddy walked in one rainy, late afternoon, and you had the dynamic digits dancin', he looked, laughed and said, "Now, ya see that, boys? If ya give someone the finger, that's what it oughtta LOOK like!"
One other recurring bit stood out: The Four Tops (literally, tops!). But the "finger people" were (was?) partly responsible for the decency in the Rock Relic back when he was just a Pebble.
As far as the Seasons themselves: If ya haven't taken in JERSEY BOYS (the play based on Frankie & Co.), DO it! It's dynamite ... and the cast is outtasite!
Thanks for the memories, LL!
Now ... if I can ... just get this ... INK ... off my fingers before I get back to the boards:
THE ROCK RELIC
http://therockrelic.tripod.com
10:36 PM
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