Charles Calello

Composer, Arranger, Record Producer, Artist

Charles (Charlie) Calello is an American singer,
composer, conductor, arranger and record producer. Calello has had over 100 Billboard chart records, 38 of which have been top 10. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he attended Newark Arts High School, majoring in music.  In the late 1950s, while attending Manhattan School of Music, in New York City, Calello became a member of Frankie Valli’s group The Four Lovers. In 1962, when the group was transformed into The Four Seasons, he became the newly-rechristened group’s arranger. From 1962 to 1965 Calello arranged 21 of their 24 Billboard chart records. In 1965 he replaced Nick Massi as a Four Seasons, remaining just long enough to recruited Joe Long to succeed him. Calello departed from the group, becoming a staff arranger/producer at Columbia Records. In 1968, after producing the acclaimed Laura Nyro, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession album, he left Columbia to become an independent producer and arranger.

The following year he arranged Frank Sinatra’s Watertown album and the classic song by Neil Diamond, “Sweet Caroline.”

He has worked with such diverse artists as Shirley Ellis, The Toys, Lou Christie, Al Kooper, Nancy Sinatra, Roberto Carlos, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Engelbert Humperdinck, Glen Campbell, Janis Ian, Barry Manilow, Juice Newton, and many others. In 1979 he had his own hit record with a disco version of “Sing, Sing, Sing.”

In 1992 he became principal arranger and assistant conductor of the Boca Pops in Boca Raton and later held the same position for the Sunshine Pops Orchestra.