Since 1963, Frankie Avalon has been wed to Kathryn Diebel.
Avalon was a budding singer at the time of their marriage, having achieved a few successful hits, such as “Venus” and “Why.” Diebel, meanwhile, had just emerged as a finalist in the yearly Miss Rheingold Contest, which at the time was akin to Miss America.
Avalon’s film career took off shortly after their wedding when he was chosen to star with Annette Funicello in Beach Party. The acting pair starred in several Beach Party spinoffs in the early 1960s. But Avalon’s most well-known performance was perhaps as Teen Angel in the 1978 musical Grease, where she is renowned for serenading Frenchy with “Beauty School Dropout.”
Avalon and Diebel were busy growing their family, as well as advancing their acting and singing careers. Together, the couple welcomed eight children during a ten-year period: four boys and four girls. They are now the delighted grandparents of eight grandchildren.
During an interview on The Rosie O’Donnell Show in 1997, Avalon remarked of Diebel, “My wife did a sensational job raising eight children.” Diebel, the singer observed, had her hands full at home, particularly when he was gone in the studio or on set. He continued, “She did all the bathing and other things by herself because we didn’t have any help in the house or anything like that.”
The couple leads a quite tranquil life now that all of their children are grown and out of the house. To stay in touch with and stay connected to their Italian heritage, Avalon and Diebel prepare a large Italian buffet for their family every Sunday.
Who then is the wife of Frankie Avalon? Everything you need to know about Kathryn Diebel and her romance with the singer of “Ginger Bread” is provided here.
They got married in 1963
On January 19, 1963, Avalon wed Diebel in a small ceremony. The bride wore a simple white gown with a fit-and-flare style, which she emphasized with a lace-sleeve overlay. White gloves and a pillbox hat with a veil of white tulle served as her finishing touches.
Avalon, on the other hand, sported a silver tie and a black tuxedo. He was pictured with his groomsmen sporting ivory boutonnieres.
She is a mom of eight
Together, Avalon and Diebel welcomed eight children: daughters Dina, Laura, Kathryn, and Carla, and sons Frank Jr., Tony, Joseph, and Nicolas. Avalon and Diebel have made a concerted effort to keep their family life out of the public eye since the birth of their children. Frank Jr. is the sole child of the couple to carry on his father’s legacy. His breakthrough performance was as Chucky in the 1984 film Karate Kid. The lives of the other Avalon kids are private.
Frankie says the secret to their decades-long marriage is “love”
In 2016, before celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary, Avalon shared the key to his and Diebel’s “wonderful” union.
There is a single word that truly captures everything. It’s called love, and as long as you have that fundamental love, anything in a marriage—good, bad, or neutral—is OK, the musician said to Fox News. Respect, according to Avalon, is also very important in relationships.
Avalon remarked, “Our relationship is amazing.”
Their favorite pastime is Sunday night family dinners
It doesn’t get much better for Avalon than preparing his family’s homemade pasta and meatballs. Avalon quipped in an interview with AZCentral that he and Diebel wouldn’t have it any other way, but his kids have a regular Sunday night dinner reservation at his house.
Our family is quite close-knit. All of my eight children and ten grandchildren are within ten miles of my home,” he remarked. “The majority of people with children have one living in Idaho and one in New York. We have a great deal of luck.
Although the initial purpose of Sunday dinners was to bring the family together on a regular basis, Avalon’s attempt to modernize traditional family recipes eventually led to the creation of his own cookbook.
“I want to continue that custom when I leave this world,” Avalon stated to VC Star in reference to their Italian dinners served in the family. Concerning Frankie Avalon’s Italian Family Cookbook: From Mom’s Kitchen to Mine and Yours, he further mentioned that his grandchildren and children now have access to this resource.
She and Frankie still attend red carpets together
Like her spouse, Diebel enjoys musicals. The two appeared on the red carpet for Jersey Boys’ premiere night at the August Wilson Theater in New York City in November 2005. The pair was once more among the crowd on opening night when the musical returned to Los Angeles in 2007.
Aside from theater productions, Diebel has escorted Avalon to several red carpet events, such as the 22nd Annual Race to Erase MS in 2007.
She joined Frankie at the White House
Diebel and Avalon met then-President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan at an event at the White House in June 1988 honoring the restoration of Ford’s Theater. In a stately ballroom, the pair is seen in photos shaking hands with the Reagans. Diebel chose short heels and a lace dress with a high neckline for the auspicious event.
