APRIL KIRKWOOD: THREE DECADES AS MISTRESS OF SINGER FRANKIE VALLI of THE FOUR SEASONS

The intimate story of April Kirkwood, a Mistress of the singer Frankie Valli, of the "Jersey Boys" group, The Four Seasons, who has loved him practically all her life -  30 YEARS - forever  - is one that challenges our definition of Mistress, confused it with Groupie, and confounds it with issues of legality.

In this era of Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein scandal, in which both were and are accused of sex trafficking and having sex with numerous women under 18 years old, which is the age of consent, we have to question "what is statutory rape?"  I'm not suggesting April was sex trafficked by anyone or that she was raped, but the question of consent is large. And also, I'm aware that historically and in some places on this earth, 14 year old girls get married.

We know that Groupies have had sex with Rock Stars when they were under 18.  We don't confuse them with women being pimped or sex trafficked to men they have not chosen, especially because groupies go after these sexy musicians and singers and they don't file complaints.  It seems they felt they had a choice. Let me say that I once knew a Groupie, who grew up and never seemed to regret her under-age liaisons, which included running away with a famous band. Her parents knew where she was and didn't stop her. She continued to be sexual with men in music almost exclusively until she married her very own music man and has been in a good and surprisingly conservative - faithful - marriage, ever since.

I wonder though. Did Frankie have April confused with a groupie?

Frankie Valli, a tenor lead singer of a group that had it's roots in the hard streets of New Jersey and the Doo Wop era of the 1950's, had a series of number one hits with The Four Seasons in the early 1960's.  Some of these songs are the most romantic ever.  I can imagine being in the audience and feeling the lead singer was just singing to me.

Frankie met April when she was a child. She says she first saw him on stage at age six or seven and first met him at age eight. Their affair began when she was sixteen,  her first affair, and yes, he was much older.  In interviews she says she had Daddy Syndrome.

Today she sees her family, her mother in particular, who she says had a personality disorder, as influential in presenting her as a child Four Seasons - Frankie Valli fan.  When the group came through the Youngstown, Ohio town area where they lived, She and her mom were sure to go to the concert.  April has a photo of herself as a child gaining the singer's attention in full fan regalia; obviously she did not create this outfit herself.  She was not a groupie, but she feels she was, in so many words, groomed by her mother in particular, to find this relationship with a famous man acceptable.

She says that after sex, Frankie would give her "fatherly" advice such as telling her not to have sex with other men, to not do drugs, and to keep up her looks. This affair went on for three decades, off and on, an emotional roller coaster ride.  She says she still loves him, though in a different way.

April Kirkwood went to see the Broadway show, Jersey Boys, and she realized she was part of the history. She decided to write her book and three years later it was published and she started doing interviews.  We'll look at some of those this month - her own words.  In one video I watched she made it clear that the headline "Frankie Valli Took Me at 16 and Used Me in Decades Long Affair", which appeared in 2015 in the New York Post, does not reflect what she herself said, and that is not her attitude. She does not feel used.

April Kirkwood is a professional therapist at this time in her life.  As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) she has a master's degree and is trained to work with individuals, or families, or groups, to treat mental, behavioral, and emotional problems. She also has a Masters in Education, both degrees from Youngstown State University.

This former Miss Ohio is an accomplished woman and a mother. She has videos up that give women advice on YouTube and her own website to counsel women. However, unlike many therapists, there is a metaphysical aspect to her which includes the belief in twin flames, soul mates, reincarnation, and destiny. Though her mother is described as having a personality disorder and grooming her, she also says that her mother had emotional struggles of her own, that she could cry for hours, and that she herself also advised love and forgiveness.

Maybe her attitude of gratitude makes April a perfect November Mistress of the Month, since this is the month of Thanksgiving here in the United States.

Missy

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Research for this blogpost includes watching YouTube videos of April's promotionals as well as interviews and articles published on line, a couple of which I will link to and excerpt this month.