Always a highlight of the N.G.A. Convention, this event is a special evening to gather with family, friends and associates to enjoy a superb meal and top-notch entertainment. At the Chairman’s Gala, N.G.A. will honor outgoing board members and WGA will present its Woman of the Year Award.

Performing live on stage for this year’s 2008 Chairman’s Gala is the Original ‘Jersey Boy’, Mr. Frankie Valli along with the Four Seasons. In his amazing sixth decade of stardom, Frankie Valli remains as visible and authoritative within American pop culture as ever, playing dozens of live concerts yearly and drawing rave reviews for his role in the landmark television drama “The Sopranos”. His life is also the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical “Jersey Boys,” billed as the story of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time.

Frankie Valli launched his solo career in 1965 after several years of chart-topping success with his group, which was re-billed as “Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.” He actually began his career as a solo artist under the name “Frankie Valley,” releasing the single “My Mother’s Eyes” in 1953, but his debut single recording under his new moniker was “(You’re Gonna) Hurt Yourself,” released at the end of 1965. His first solo success came with the gold-selling “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” (June 1967) which appeared on his first solo album, Frankie Valli – Solo (July 1967). After releasing his third single, “Timeless,” in 1968, Valli discontinued his solo work for six years, to concentrate on working with his group. He returned to solo recording in the mid-1970s, releasing hits including “My Eyes Adored You” (November 1974), “Swearin’ to God” (May 1975), “Our Day Will Come” (October 1975), and the unforgettable number one “Grease” (May 1978).

Frankie Valli and the legendary Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. When the band was named the “longevity champ of the rock era” by Billboard magazine, The Four Seasons were recognized among an elite handful of acts who have recorded chart-topping singles in every decade since the 1950s.