Francine Valli Was in a Relationship with Richie Ramone When She Died

Francine Valli was one of legendary singer Frankie Valli's daughters from his first marriage to Mary Valli. She was romantically involved with drummer Richie Ramone in the last few years of her life, as they both aspired to make their mark in the music scene.

Frankie Valli has kept most of his personal life away from the spotlight, but the singer is known to have experienced quite a few tragedies, particularly in 1980. He married Mary Valli (nee Mandel) in 1954.

Mary had a daughter, Celia, from a previous marriage when they wed. She and Frankie welcomed Francine and her sister, Antonia, before divorcing in 1971. Francine was 11 when her parents' marriage ended. Eight years later, she met Richie Ramone.

The Early Days of Francine Valli and Richie Ramone's Romance

Richie detailed his relationship with Francine in his 2018 memoir "I Known Better Now: My Life Before, During, and After the Ramones." He shared that Francine had grown up in Nutley, New Jersey, and lived 15 minutes away from his parents' house.

They met when she sang in a band called Meridian and began dating soon after. Richie was 20, and Francine was 18. At the time, she lived in a Newark apartment with her mom. Francine invited Richie to move in with them, and he "jumped" at the opportunity.

The pair regularly indulged in harmful substances. Francine's mother didn't have work, but she lived off the alimony she received bi-weekly from her divorce settlement, Richie revealed. She, too, was a drug user.

Francine Valli and Richie Ramone Found Their Own Place

Francine and Richie moved out of the Newark apartment in the spring of 1978 and settled in another in Montclair. Their continued use of drugs once led to a minor car accident, but thankfully, they survived.

In February 1980, Richie moved to New York to further his career as a drummer. He wanted to avoid the hassle of traveling back and forth to New Jersey, but he continued dating Francine. Richie shared that he and Francine still met a few times a month and talked on the phone almost daily.

Things were going well for the artist in New York, but he couldn't say the same for Francine. In August 1980, he received a distressed call from Francine's mother. "Richie! Something's wrong with Francine! Something's wrong with Francine!" he remembered her saying.

"They took her to the hospital. She's not waking up. Something's really, really wrong. I don't know what's going on," she cried. Richie took the bus to New Jersey that morning and met Francine's mother at the hospital.

Mary told Richie that Francine had overdosed on a type of drug and alcohol and was in a coma. Richie stayed at Francine's side for the following days, but she never woke up. She died on August 16, 1980, at 20 years old.

Richie Ramone Attended Francine Valli's Funeral with Her Family

Richie went to New York to get a suit for Francine's funeral and returned to New Jersey for her wake. "The next day, I rode in the limo to the funeral with Frankie and Mary and some of the other family members. Man, Frankie looked like he was just totally destroyed," Richie wrote.

Six months before Francine died, Frankie and Mary had lost Celia in a tragic accident. In 2007, Francine's death was featured in the Broadway musical, "Jersey Boys." Her father confessed it was "difficult" to witness that scene.

Francine was poised to start singing with Frankie before she passed. The singer, who later had three more children, wondered how life would have turned out if she lived. "Jersey Boys" was later adapted into a film in 2014. Directed by Clint Eastwood (father of eight), it starred Erich Bergen and Christopher Walken.