Dawn is the beginning of morning twilight

Dawn sky in Chicago

Dawn (from an Old English verb dagian "to become day") is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon. Dawn should not be confused with sunrise, which is the moment when the leading edge of the sun itself appears above the horizon.

The duration of the twilight period between dawn and sunrise varies greatly depending on the observer's latitude, from a few minutes in equatorial regions to many hours in polar regions.

Technical definitions[link]

There are also more technical definitions of dawn, including the following:

Astronomical dawn 

the moment after which the sky is no longer completely dark; formally defined as the time at which the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon in the morning.^[1]

Nautical dawn

the time at which there is enough sunlight for the horizon and some objects to be distinguishable; formally, when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon in the morning.^[1]

Civil dawn 

that time at which there is enough light for objects to be distinguishable, so that outdoor activities can commence; formally, when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon in the morning.^[1]

Solar dawn 

that time at which the leading edge of the sun reaches the horizon in the morning, ignoring the effect of atmospheric refraction.

Panoramic view of a dawn in Higuerote, Venezuela.

Causes and effects[link]

Early morning in Xepon, Laos (July 2004)

A cloud becomes luminous in the Northern Sky at Civil Dawn in California, USA

Civil Dawn in Southern California, USA

Civil dawn in Gorzow, Poland

During dawn (and dusk) it is usually possible (provided that the sky is cloud-free) to see approximately in which direction the sun is (though it's below the horizon). Though it is possible to localize the direction of the sun during astronomical dawn and dusk, people in general experience astronomical dawn and dusk as night, even without clouds. Zenith is dark and more than just the brightest shining stars can be seen (except low above the horizon in the direction of the sun).

At civil dawn there is no darkness in any direction, nor at zenith. The sky is bright, even when cloudy. In mid and northern Scandinavia, summer nights never get any further than to civil dusk or dawn. This period of "bright nights" is longer at higher latitudes (further north).

North of the polar circle (at 66°30′ N) the sun does not set at all at the summer solstice. The period of no sunset is longer closer to the North Pole. The angular radius of the polar circle is equal to the angle between the plane of Earth's equator and that of the ecliptic. At true solar noon at London (latitude 51°30′ N), the sun is at an angle of (90 - 51,5 =) 38.5 degrees above the horizon at the equinoxes. At winter solstice the "sun height" (solar elevation angle) is (38.5 - 23.5 =) 15.0 degrees above horizon. At summer solstice the "sun height" is instead (38.5 + 23.5 =) 62 degrees above horizon.

Nautical dawn is more difficult to describe. Near the summer solstice, latitudes higher than 54°30′ get no darker than nautical dawn/dusk; the "darkness of the night" varies greatly in these latitudes.

But while, for instance, Glasgow, Scotland at 55°51′ N and Copenhagen, Denmark at 55°40′ N get a few hours of "night feeling", Oslo, Norway at 59°56′ N and Stockholm, Sweden at 59°19′ N seems very bright all the time the sun is below the horizon. This may call for a different classification of dawn and dusk terminology for more practical use than astronomy. When the sun gets 9.0 to 9.5 degrees below the horizon (at summer solstice this is at latitudes 57°30′–57°00′), zenith gets dark even on cloud-free nights (if there is no full moon); more than just the brightest shining stars are clearly visible in a large majority of the sky.

All phases of dawn and dusk are shortest at the equator, where the sun at equinox rises and sets at a right angle to the horizon. Civil, nautical, and astronomical dawn and dusk last only 24 minutes each. Dawn and dusk times are fastest at the times around the equinoxes and slowest at summer and winter solstices on all places on the earth.

At the poles, the sun rises at the spring equinox and sets at the autumn equinox, with a long period of dawn/dusk, lasting for a few weeks .

Mythology and religion[link]

Many Indo-European mythologies have a dawn goddess, separate from the male Solar deity, her name deriving from PIE *h₂ausos-, derivations of which include Greek Eos, Roman Aurora, Indian Ushas, Slavic Zornitsa and possibly a Germanic *Austrōn- (whence Easter). The Hindu dawn deity Aruṇa is male. In Native American mythology, Anpao is an entity with two faces.

Prime is the fixed time of prayer of the traditional Divine Office (Canonical Hours) in Christian liturgy, said at the first hour of daylight.

In Islam, dawn (Arabic fajr) is the time of the first prayer of the day, and the beginning of the daily fast during Ramadan. For such contexts, some Islamic writings teach that dawn may be easily determined by observing the contrast between white and black threads.^[2]

Literature[link]

Homer used the stock epithet "rosy-fingered Dawn" frequently in The Iliad and The Odyssey.

An Aubade (Occitan Alba, German Tagelied) is a song about lovers having to separate at daybreak.

See also[link]

• Dusk
• Sunrise
• Sunset
• Twilight

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dawn

• Worldwide timetable for dawn time calculation

v t e Parts of a day Dawn · Twilight–Sunrise · Morning · Daylight · Evening · Sunset–Twilight–Dusk · Night Related articles: Blue hour · Golden hour · Terminator · Forenoon · Noon · Afternoon · Midnight · Daytime · Midnight sun

Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli in 2010, with Linda November and Artie Schroeck
Background information
Birth name	Francis Stephen Castelluccio
Born	(1934-05-03) May 3, 1934 (age 78)
Origin	Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Rock, Pop
Occupations	Vocalist
Years active	1953–present
Associated acts	The Four Seasons also known as The 4 Seasons The 4 Seasons featuring the "sound" of Frankie Valli The Wonder Who?

Frankie Valli (born May 3, 1934) is an American popular singer, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons beginning in 1960. He is well known for his unusually powerful falsetto voice.

Valli scored 29 Top 40 hits with The Four Seasons, one Top 40 hit under The Four Seasons' alias 'The Wonder Who?', and nine Top 40 hits as a solo artist. As a member of The Four Seasons, Valli's number one hits included "Sherry" (1962), "Big Girls Don't Cry" (1962), "Walk Like a Man" (1963), "Rag Doll" (1964) and "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" (1975). Valli's recording of the song "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" reached number two in 1967. "You're Ready Now", a Valli solo recording from 1966, became a surprise hit in Great Britain as part of the Northern soul scene and hit number eleven on the British pop charts in December 1970. As a solo artist, Valli scored number one hits with the songs "My Eyes Adored You" (1974) and "Grease" (1978).

Valli, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio — the original members of The Four Seasons — were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990^[1] and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.^[2]

Early life[link]

Valli was born Francis Stephen Castelluccio in the First Ward of Newark, New Jersey. His father, Anthony Castelluccio, was a barber; His mother, Mary Rinaldi, was a homemaker.^[3][4] He was inspired to take up a singing career at the age of seven after his mother took him to see the young Frank Sinatra at the Paramount Theater in New York City.^[5] His early mentor was Texas singer Jean Valley, from whom he obtained his last name, although it took him some time to settle on the spelling "Valli".^[4] Until he could support himself with music, he worked as a barber.^[5]

As with many other celebrities, Valli's birth year has been called into question. Valli never addressed the issue himself, until the 2007 posting at the Official Frankie Valli Site, sponsored by his current record label, Universal Records. Much of the previous official publicity surrounding his career had used 1937 as the birth year. It is hard to tell when and why this occurred, but inference can be made that by chopping a few years off his age, he would seem more commercially viable to a younger audience. Other sources, such as the Bear Family Records release, entitled 'The Four Lovers' (BCD 15424), as well as a 1965 "mug shot", available through The Smoking Gun, all identify his year of birth as 1934.

Music career[link]

1950s – 1960s[link]

Valli began his professional singing career in 1951 with the Variety Trio (Nickie DeVito, Tommy DeVito and Nick Macioci). Valli's desire to sing in public was initially granted when, having heard Valli sing, the group offered him a guest spot when the group performed. In late 1952, the Variety Trio disbanded and Valli, along with Tommy DeVito, became part of the house band at The Strand in New Brunswick, New Jersey. For his part, Valli played bass and sang. He cut his first single, "My Mother's Eyes," in 1953 as "Frankie Valley," a name he adopted from "Texas" Jean Valley, a favorite female singer. Around this time, Valli and Tommy DeVito left the house band at The Strand and formed The Variatones with Hank Majewski, Frank Cattone and Billy Thompson. In 1956, as part of an audition backing a female singer, the group impressed New York record man Peter Paul, who had them auditioning at RCA Victor a week later. Renamed The Four Lovers, the group recorded several singles and one album's worth of tracks. They had a minor hit with "You're the Apple of My Eye" in 1956. Nickie DeVito and Hank Majewski left in 1958 to be replaced by Nick Macioci (now Nick Massi) and Hugh Garrity. Massi was in and out of the group, and, occasionally Charles Calello joined on accordion. The group continued to perform until 1959, when Bob Gaudio became a member. After a few more changes, the group was renamed "The 4 Seasons" in 1960.^[6][7][8][9]

As the lead singer of The Four Seasons, he had a string of hits beginning with the number one hit "Sherry" in 1962. As a footnote to this period of Frankie's career with The Four Seasons, the group's bassist and vocal arranger Nick Massi was replaced in 1965 by Charlie Calello, the group's instrumental arranger, and, then shortly thereafter, Charlie was replaced by Joseph LaBracio, who went by the pseudonym Joe Long.

During the 1960s, Gaudio and his then songwriting partner, producer Bob Crewe (born Stanley Robert Crewe on November 12, 1931), worked with Valli to craft solo recordings with varying degrees of success. This concept of a major recording artist performing solo in opposition to his or her own group performances was new to the rock/pop world and may have given tacit approval to other groups and members of other groups to pursue such a path. The potential to dominate the charts with group and solo recordings was great, and Valli, Gaudio and Crewe occasionally rose to the occasion with both great performances and commercial hits. Valli was the original artist to record the Gaudio-Crewe composition "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)", a performance that was copied nearly note for note when recorded by The Walker Brothers, an American group based in England. The Walker Brothers version was a huge success. Valli continued to record solo performances and finally reached major success with the release of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". Though it only reached number two in the charts, the song itself was widely recorded by many other artists.

Valli's debut solo album was a gathering together of various single releases and a few new recordings. Prior to the release of Valli's second solo album, a single was released in July 1967 with the A-side "I Make A Fool Of Myself," a record that reached number 18. 'Timeless,' Valli's second solo album release was more coherent and Valli took more time in recording it. 'Timeless' contains one Top 40 hit, "To Give (The Reason I Live)."

Finally, Valli ended the '60s with a string of recordings that were included in the Valli/Four Seasons album 'Half & Half' or released as various singles. The only hit to emerge at this time was the recording of "The Girl I'll Never Know (Angels Never Fly This Low)," reaching number 52.

1970s to the present[link]

"You're Ready Now", a Valli solo recording from 1966, became a surprise hit in Great Britain as part of the Northern soul scene and hit number eleven on the British pop charts in December 1970.

In 1975, Valli's single "My Eyes Adored You" hit number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100. In the same year, he also had a number 6 Billboard hit with the disco-laden "Swearin' To God", while a further UK Chart success came with "Fallen Angel" written by Guy Fletcher & Doug Flett and produced by Bob Gaudio; Valli was in the UK charts with this at the same time as The Four Seasons enjoyed a UK hit with "Silver Star" on which Valli did not appear.

In 1976, Valli covered the Beatles song "A Day in the Life" for the ephemeral musical documentary All This and World War II.

In 1978, Valli sang the theme song for the film version of the stage play, Grease, a song written by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, which became a number 1 hit. He had two further chart successes the following year, "Save Me, Save Me" in November 1978, which entered the Billboard Easy Listening chart, and "Fancy Dancer" in January 1979, which entered the pop charts.^[4]

Valli suffered from otosclerosis in the 1970s, forcing him to "sing from memory" in the latter part of the decade. Surgery restored most of his hearing by 1980.^[10]

In 1992, a new Four Seasons album was released entitled Hope and Glory.

In 2005, the Broadway musical Jersey Boys opened on the "Great White Way". Besides performances of many of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons hit recordings, the musical features a biographical narrative, told as four separate points of view by each of the members of The Four Seasons (Tommy DeVito, Frankie Valli, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio). The musical dramatizes several real-life incidents from Valli's life, including his estrangement from his daughter Francine, who died in 1980. The show was widely acclaimed, financially successful, and won six Tony awards. The musical has touring companies around the world, as well as a version at The Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas.

In October 2007, Valli released Romancing the 60s, an album containing covers of his favorite songs from the 1960s, two of which he had previously recorded. Those songs were "Sunny" and "Any Day Now".^[5]

In October 2010, a duet version of "The Biggest Part of Me" by Frankie Valli and Juice Newton was released on Newton's album Duets: Friends & Memories.

Acting career[link]

Valli made several appearances in Seasons 5 and 6 of the HBO series The Sopranos as mobster Rusty Millio.

Philanthropic activities[link]

Valli has been a supporter of heritage-related causes, particularly the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). In 2006, he received the NIAF Lifetime Achievement Award at the Foundation's Anniversary Gala. In 2008, NIAF presented a scholarship in his name to an Italian American music student during the Foundation's East Coast Gala.

Discography[link]

Singles:

Studio Albums[link]

For albums recorded as part of The Four Seasons, see Discography of The Four Seasons

Many of Valli's solo recordings, recorded before 1975 were recorded with the participation of one or more of The Four Seasons.

Compilations and Misc. Four Seasons Albums with Frankie Valli "Solo" Songs[link]

• 04/1970: Half & Half - Philips PHS 600-341 (five tracks by Frankie Valli; five tracks by The 4 Seasons)
• 05/1972: Chameleon - MoWest MW108L (two tracks by Frankie Valli; seven tracks by The Four Seasons)
• 12/1975: Valli Gold - Private Stock PS 2001
• 04/1978: Frankie Valli Hits - Private Stock PS 7012
• 12/1979: Very Best Of Frankie Valli - MCA 3198
• 08/1980: Superstar Series Volume 4 - Motown M5-104V1 (five tracks by Frankie Valli; four tracks by The Four Seasons)
• xx/1988: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 25th Anniversary Collection - Rhino Records Inc RNRD 72998-2 (twelve tracks by Frankie Valli; forty-two tracks by either The Four Seasons or The Wonder Who?)
• xx/1990: Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons volume 2 rarities - Rhino Records Inc R2 70924 (two tracks by Frankie Valli; sixteen tracks by The Four Seasons)
• xx/1994: FRANKIE VALLI SOLO TIMELESS 2LPs ON 1 CD + BONUS TRACKS - ACE Records Ltd CDCHD 538
• xx/1996: THE 4 SEASONS FRANKIE VALLI HALF & HALF PLUS 6 BONUS TRACKS - ACE Records Ltd CDCHD 635 (eight tracks by Frankie Valli; eight tracks by The Four Seasons)
• 07/1996: FRANKIE VALLI GREATEST HITS - Curb Records D2-77714
• 05/2001: IN SEASON THE FRANKIE VALLI & THE 4 SEASONS ANTHOLOGY - Rhino/Warner Special Products R2 74266 OPCD-5508 (fourteen tracks by Frankie Valli; thirty-seven tracks by either The Four Seasons or The Wonder Who?)
• 06/2007: ...Jersey Beat... The Music Of FRANKIE VALLI & THE 4 SEASONS - Rhino R2 74852 3 CDs + 1 DVD (thirteen tracks by Frankie Valli; sixty-three tracks by either The Four Seasons or The Wonder Who?) (DVD contains two solo performances by Frankie Valli and ten group performances by The Four Seasons)
• 04/2008: The Four Seasons Present Frankie Valli Solo - Timeless - collector's choice Music CCM-927
• 04/2008: Closeup - Valli - collector's choice Music CCM-928 (this CD contains a longer version of "Swearin' To God" than the original album release of 02/1975. This version clocks in at 10:35. Also, the tracks "Can't Get You Off My Mind" and "Easily" have been edited down from their original album lengths.)
• 04/2008: Our Day Will Come - Lady Put the Light Out - collector's choice Music CCM-929
• 04/2008: Frankie Valli Is the Word - Heaven Above Me - collector's choice Music CCM-930
• 05/2008: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: The Motown Years - Hip-O Select.com Motown A Universal Music Company B0010777-02 2 CDs (fourteen tracks by Frankie Valli; thirteen tracks by The Four Seasons)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Biography at Starpulse.com
• Frankie Valli interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969).[1]

v t e The Four Seasons Frankie Valli Tommy DeVito Bob Gaudio Nick Massi Charles Calello Joe Long Albums Sherry & 11 Others (1962) The 4 Seasons Greetings (1962) Big Girls Don't Cry and Twelve others (1963) The 4 Seasons Sing Ain't That a Shame and 11 Others (1963) Golden Hits of the 4 Seasons (1963) Chameleon (1972) Who Loves You (1975) The Very Best of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (2002) Singles "Sherry" "Big Girls Don't Cry" "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" "Walk Like A Man" "Ain't That a Shame" "Candy Girl" "New Mexican Rose" "Dawn (Go Away)" "Stay" "Ronnie" "Rag Doll" "Alone (Why Must I Be Alone)" "Save It for Me" "Sincerely" "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" "Big Man in Town" "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" "Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye)" "Since I Don't Have You" "Girl Come Running" "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" "Let's Hang On!" "Don't Think Twice" "Working My Way Back to You" "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me)" "On the Good Ship Lollipop" "I've Got You Under My Skin" "The Proud One" "Tell It to the Rain" "Beggin'" "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" "C'mon Marianne" "Lonesome Road" "Watch the Flowers Grow" "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" "You've Got Your Troubles (I've Got Mine)" "My Eyes Adored You" "Our Day Will Come" "Who Loves You" "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" "Silver Star" "Grease" Related topics Discography Members Albums Songs The Four Lovers The Wonder Who? Bob Crewe Jersey Boys Ces soirées-là Book:The Four Seasons

Tony Orlando
Linda November and Tony Orlando, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis
Born	(1944-04-03) April 3, 1944 (age 68)
Origin	New York City, United States
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer
Years active	1961–present
Associated acts	The Five Gents, Wind, Tony Orlando and Dawn

Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis (born April 3, 1944), better known as Tony Orlando, is an American show business professional, best known as the lead singer of the group Tony Orlando and Dawn in the early 1970s. Discovered by producer Don Kirshner, Orlando had songs on the charts in 1961 when he was 16, "Halfway to Paradise" and "Bless You". Orlando then became a producer himself, and at an early age was promoted to a vice-president position at CBS Records, where he was in charge of the April-Blackwood Music division. He sang under the name "Dawn" in the 1970s, and when the songs became hits, he went on tour and the group became "Tony Orlando and Dawn". They had several songs which were major hits including "Candida", "Knock Three Times", and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree". The group hosted a variety program, "The Tony Orlando and Dawn Show" on CBS from 1974 to 1976, and then broke up in 1978. Orlando then continued as a solo singer, performing in Las Vegas and Branson, Missouri.^[1] Orlando has hosted the New York City portions of the MDA Labor Day Telethon on WWOR-TV since the 1980s. He quit the show in 2011 in response to Jerry Lewis' firing from the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis to a Greek father and a Puerto Rican mother, he spent his earliest years in Manhattan, New York's then-notorious Hell's Kitchen. In his teenage years, the family moved to Union City and later, Hasbrouck Heights in New Jersey.^[2]

Tony Orlando's musical career started with The Five Gents, a doo-wop group he formed. His first success came at the age of 16, when he recorded the hits "Bless You and "Halfway To Paradise" in 1961. He also appeared at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater with DJ Murray the K.^[3] In 1969 he recorded with the studio group Wind and had a #28 hit that year with "Make Believe" which was released on producer Bo Gentry's Life Records.