At 19, Gaudio was the youngest member and the group’s de facto musical director. A former member of The Royal Teens (composer of “Short Shorts”), he possessed formal keyboard training and an intuitive grasp of pop structure. Gaudio wrote or co-wrote nearly all of the group’s major hits, often tailoring melodies to Valli’s specific vocal breaks.

Valli’s role transcended that of a typical lead singer. His four-octave range, particularly his piercing, resonant falsetto, became the group’s trademark. However, Valli was not a songwriter nor a primary instrumentalist. His power lay in —the ability to inject blue-collar pathos into songs like “Rag Doll” and “Walk Like a Man.”