By the end of 1943 he was more popular in a DownBeat poll than Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Bob Eberly, and Dick Haymes. [17] Sinatra was raised in the Catholic Church. Sinatra said: "The reason I wanted to leave Tommy's band was that Crosby was Number One, way up on top of the pile. The documents include accounts of Sinatra as the target of death threats and extortion schemes. [322] Sinatra was always adamant that such a book would be written on his terms, and he himself would "set the record straight" in details of his life. [572][575] Sinatra was buried in a blue business suit and his grave was adorned with mementos from family memberscherry-flavored Life Savers, Tootsie Rolls, a bottle of Jack Daniel's, a pack of Camel cigarettes, a Zippo lighter, stuffed toys, a dog biscuit, and a roll of dimes that he always carriednext to his parents in section B-8 of Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California. [81][o] On September 3, 1942, Dorsey bade farewell to Sinatra, reportedly saying as Sinatra left, "I hope you fall on your ass",[80] but he was more gracious on the air when replacing Sinatra with singer Dick Haymes. [236], Throughout his professional career, Sinatra recorded more than 1,300 songs and participated in more than fifty films. [618][619], Sinatra was convinced that Johnny Fontane, a mob-associated singer in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather (1969), was based on his life. [76] As his success and popularity grew, Sinatra pushed Dorsey to allow him to record some solo songs. In May 1945, he officially corrected the name on his birth certificate to "Francis A. Sinatra". He left high school without graduating,:38 having attended only 47 days before being expelled because of his rowdy conduct. Granddaughters A.J. Although still a registered Democrat, Sinatra endorsed Republican Ronald Reagan for a second term as Governor of California in 1970. and Where Are You?his first album in stereo, with Gordon Jenkins. [258] With Sinatra in mind, singer-songwriter Paul Anka wrote the song "My Way", using the melody of the French "Comme d'habitude" ("As Usual"), composed by Claude Franois and Jacques Revaux. [445] Sinatra had two stints as a regular member of cast of Your Hit Parade;[af] his first was from 1943 to 1945,[447] and second was from 1946 to May 28, 1949,[448] during which he was paired with the then-new girl singer, Doris Day. [116] Sinatra's last two albums with Columbia, Dedicated to You and Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra, were released in 1950. [400], Sinatra starred opposite Doris Day in the musical film Young at Heart (1954),[401] and earned critical praise for his performance as a psychopathic killer posing as an FBI agent opposite Sterling Hayden in the film noir Suddenly (also 1954). [217] He decided to form his own label, Reprise Records[218] and, in an effort to assert his new direction, temporarily parted with Riddle, May and Jenkins, working with other arrangers such as Neil Hefti, Don Costa, and Quincy Jones. [147][r], Sinatra's decline in popularity was evident at his concert appearances. [505], For Santopietro, Sinatra was the personification of America in the 1950s: "cocky, eye on the main chance, optimistic, and full of the sense of possibility". [191] On June 9, 1957, he performed in a 62-minute concert conducted by Riddle at the Seattle Civic Auditorium,[200] his first appearance in Seattle since 1945. Sinatra was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. [139] A workaholic, he reportedly only slept four hours a night on average. You cross him, he never forgets.". He was deeply involved with politics starting in the mid-1940s and actively campaigned for presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. [116] Sinatra had competition; versions by Art Lund, Dick Haymes, Dennis Day, and The Pied Pipers also reached the top ten of the Billboard charts. "[185], In 1955 Sinatra released In the Wee Small Hours, his first 12" LP,[186] featuring songs such as "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", "Mood Indigo", "Glad to Be Unhappy" and "When Your Lover Has Gone". [547] Sinatra often invited Kennedy to Hollywood and Las Vegas, and the two would womanize and enjoy parties together. [540], Sinatra held varied political views throughout his life. W hen he was 19, Frank Sinatra Jr was kidnapped and held to ransom for four days. Sinatra family portrait, 1949, with Frank Jr. at far right. Zeitlinger, Ron (December 9, 2021). [107][108][109], Toward the end of the war, Sinatra entertained the troops during several successful overseas USO tours with comedian Phil Silvers. [161] Tom Santopietro notes that Sinatra began to bury himself in his work, with an "unparalleled frenetic schedule of recordings, movies and concerts",[162] in what authors Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan describe as "a new and brilliant phase". Sinatra obliged and chose to sing "My Kind of Town" for the rally held in Chicago on October 20, 1972. [386] He briefly appeared at the end of Richard Whorf's commercially successful Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), a Technicolor musical biopic of Jerome Kern, in which he sang "Ol' Man River". "[341][342], In 1995, to mark Sinatra's 80th birthday, the Empire State Building glowed blue. ", Barbara Sinatra on Sinatra's popularity with women. Horne developed vocal problems and Sinatra, committed to other engagements, could not wait to record. Snelson, Tim (2012). According to Jimmy Van Heusen, Sinatra's close friend and songwriter, Evans's death to him was "an enormous shock which defies words", as he had been crucial to his career and popularity with the bobbysoxers. [214][215] Granata noted the "lifelike ambient sound" quality of Nice and Easy, the perfection in the stereo balance, and the "bold, bright and snappy" sound of the band. [308] During a party at Caesars in 1979, he was awarded the Grammy Trustees Award, while celebrating 40 years in show business and his 64th birthday. In one incident witnessed by Stafford backstage at the. [254] Writer Stan Cornyn wrote that Sinatra sang so softly on the album that it was comparable to the time that he suffered from a vocal hemorrhage in 1950. [115], In 1946 Sinatra released "Oh! His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra . Browse 569 frank sinatra family stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [521], Sinatra became the stereotype of the "tough working-class Italian American," something which he embraced. [247] Sinatra pulled out from the Sands the following year, when he was driven out by its new owner Howard Hughes, after a fight. ABC agreed to allow Sinatra's Hobart Productions to keep 60% of the residuals, and bought stock in Sinatra's film production unit, Kent Productions, guaranteeing him $7million. [532] The FBI documented that Sinatra was losing esteem with the Mafia as he grew closer to President Kennedy, whose younger brother Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy was leading a crackdown on organized crime. [114], Despite being heavily involved in political activity in 1945 and 1946, in those two years Sinatra sang on 160 radio shows, recorded 36 times, and shot four films. In 1965, he recorded the retrospective album September of My Years and starred in the Emmy-winning television special Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music. [265], In an effort to maintain his commercial viability in the late 1960s, Sinatra would record works by Paul Simon ("Mrs. Robinson"), the Beatles ("Yesterday"), and Joni Mitchell ("Both Sides, Now") in 1969. Years ago, his voice was more even, and now it is divided into at least three interesting ranges: low, middle, and high. [483] He was also romantically linked to Pat Sheehan, Vikki Dougan, and Kipp Hamilton. of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. We are saddened by this unexpected death and we express our deepest condolences to Sinatra family. He recorded one of his collaborations with Jobim, the Grammy-nominated album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antnio Carlos Jobim, which was one of the best-selling albums of the year, behind the Beatles's Sgt. Rojek notes that the Rat Pack "provided an outlet for gregarious banter and wisecracks", but argues that it was Sinatra's vehicle, possessing an "unassailable command over the other performers". [323] According to Kelley, the family detested her and the book, which took its toll on Sinatra's health. [132] He gave a series of concerts in Israel in 1962, and donated his entire $50,000 fee for appearing in a cameo role in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) to the Youth Center in Jerusalem. [180][182] Swing Easy! Songs include "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Have Yourself. [477] Gardner filed for divorce in June 1954, at a time when she was dating matador Luis Miguel Domingun,[478] but the divorce was not settled until 1957. [403][ac] After roles in Guys and Dolls,[405] and The Tender Trap (both 1955),[406] Sinatra was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role as a medical student in Stanley Kramer's directorial dbut, Not as a Stranger (also 1955). [192], In 1963, Sinatra reunited with Nelson Riddle for The Concert Sinatra, an ambitious album featuring a 73-piece symphony orchestra arranged and conducted by Riddle. [159] His last studio recording for Columbia, "Why Try To Change Me Now", was recorded in New York on September 17, 1952, with orchestra arranged and conducted by Percy Faith. Frank Jr., who was present during the recording, noted the "huge orchestra", which Nancy Sinatra stated "opened a whole new era" in pop music, with orchestras getting bigger, embracing a "lush string sound". However, being the son of one of the most famous jazz singers and personalities of the twentieth century did not necessarily open the doors quite as easily as expected Francis Wayne Sinatra was born on 10 th January 1944, to Frank and Nancy . [543] He was outspoken against racism, particularly toward black people and Italians, from a young age. He died as a practicing Catholic and had a Catholic burial. By 1962, he reportedly held a 50-percent share in the hotel. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [42] In New York, Sinatra found jobs singing for his supper or for cigarettes. [151] At the Desert Inn in Las Vegas he performed to half-filled houses of wildcatters and ranchers. In May 1976, he was invited to speak at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) graduation commencement held at Sam Boyd Stadium. [531] The FBI kept him under surveillance for almost five decades beginning in the 1940s. 2 files available. Behind the scenes, Sinatra was busy with a bustling family life on top of his career. [141] Sinatra continues to be seen as one of the icons of the 20th century,[5] [397] After several years of critical and commercial decline, his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor win helped him regain his position as the top recording artist in the world. [104] Sinatra released "You'll Never Know", "Close to You", "Sunday, Monday, or Always" and "People Will Say We're in Love" as singles. On television, The Frank Sinatra Show began on CBS in 1950, and he continued to make appearances on television throughout the 1950s and 1960s. [121] "Mam'selle", composed by Edmund Goulding with lyrics by Mack Gordon for the film The Razor's Edge (1946),[122] was released as a single. [501] He spent lavishly on expensive custom-tailored tuxedos and stylish pin-striped suits, which made him feel wealthy and important, and that he was giving his very best to the audience. Kelley notes that when Lee J. Cobb nearly died from a heart attack in June 1955, Sinatra flooded him with "books, flowers, delicacies", paid his hospital bills, and visited him daily, telling him that his "finest acting" was yet to come. [216] His first attempt at owning his own label was with his pursuit of buying declining jazz label, Verve Records, which ended once an initial agreement with Verve founder, Norman Granz, "failed to materialize". [212] Nice 'n' Easy, a collection of ballads, topped the Billboard chart in October 1960 and remained in the charts for 86 weeks, [213] winning critical plaudits. [608], Sinatra has subsequently been portrayed on screen by Ray Liotta (The Rat Pack, 1998),[609] James Russo (Stealing Sinatra, 2003),[610] Dennis Hopper (The Night We Called It a Day, 2003),[611] and Robert Knepper (My Way, 2012),[612] and spoofed by Joe Piscopo and Phil Hartman on Saturday Night Live. [316], Santopietro stated that by the early 1980s, Sinatra's voice had "coarsened, losing much of its power and flexibility, but audiences didn't care". [187] According to Granata it was the first concept album of his to make a "single persuasive statement", with an extended program and "melancholy mood". [442] By the end of 1942, he was named the "Most Popular Male Vocalist on Radio" in a DownBeat poll. [569] For Santopietro, Sinatra was the "greatest male pop singer in the history of America",[583] who amassed "unprecedented power onscreen and off", and "seemed to exemplify the common man, an ethnic twentieth-century American male who reached the 'top of the heap', yet never forgot his roots". Miller tried to offset Sinatra's declining record sales by introducing "gimmicky novel tunes" into the singer's repertoire such as "Mama Will Bark" to appeal to younger audiences. Newspapers at the time highlighted the Bobby soxers' great fanaticism and passion for Sinatra; they experienced hunger, fatigue, and dizziness while waiting in line to see him. American singer and actor Frank Sinatra with his three children Christina, Nancy and Frank Jr on the set of the film 'The Tender Trap', circa 1955. On the waterfront is Frank Sinatra Park, where a bronze plaque was placed in 1989 upon its opening. [530], The FBI kept records amounting to 2,403 pages on Sinatra, who was a natural target with his alleged Mafia ties, his ardent New Deal politics, and his friendship with John F. Sinatra fired off an angry letter in response calling Royko a "pimp", and threatening to "punch you in the mouth" for speculating that he wore a toupe. [309][310] That year, former President Gerald Ford awarded Sinatra the International Man of the Year Award,[311] and he performed in front of the Egyptian pyramids for Anwar Sadat, which raised more than $500,000 for Sadat's wife's charities. [347] Critic Gene Lees, a lyricist and the author of the words to the Jobim melody "This Happy Madness", expressed amazement when he heard Sinatra's recording of it on Sinatra & Company (1971), considering him to have delivered the lyrics to perfection. [606][607], Sinatra has also been portrayed on numerous occasions in film and television. The album, entitled Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back,[268] arranged by Gordon Jenkins and Don Costa,[280] was a success, reaching number 13 on Billboard and number 12 in the UK. [198] Granata considers "Close to You" to have been thematically his closest concept album to perfection during the "golden" era, and Nelson Riddle's finest work, which was "extremely progressive" by the standards of the day. [15] Due to his injuries at birth, his baptism at St. Francis Church in Hoboken was delayed until April 2, 1916. [219] Sinatra built the appeal of Reprise Records as one in which artists were promised creative control over their music, as well as a guarantee that they would eventually gain "complete ownership of their work, including publishing rights. [529] She also states that Sinatra and Hank Sanicola were financial partners with Mickey Cohen in the gossip magazine Hollywood Night Life. [318] That year he made a reported further $1.3million from the Showtime television rights to his "Concert of the Americas" in the Dominican Republic, $1.6million for a concert series at Carnegie Hall, and $250,000 in just one evening at the Chicago Fest. His mother, Dolly Sinatra (18961977), was a Democratic Party ward leader,[541] and after meeting President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, he subsequently heavily campaigned for the Democrats in the 1944 presidential election. [601][602] It helped keep him at the top of his game. [311] He owned a Jewish skullcap, known as a kippah or yarmulkah, which was sold as part of his wife's estate many years after his death. While films appealed to him,[376] being exceptionally self-confident,[377] he was rarely enthusiastic about his own acting, once remarking that "pictures stink". [460] When Sinatra came out of retirement in 1973, he released both an album and appeared in a TV special named Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back. [358] Tommy Dorsey observed that Sinatra would "take a musical phrase and play it all the way through seemingly without breathing for eight, ten, maybe sixteen bars". [153] By April 1952 he was performing at the Kauai County Fair in Hawaii. For his performance in Come Blow Your Horn (1963) adapted from the Neil Simon play, he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. [552] Sinatra had spared no expense upgrading the facilities at his home in anticipation of the President's visit, fitting it with a heliport, which he smashed with a sledgehammer after the rejection. [137] In April, Sinatra was engaged to perform at the Copa club in New York, but had to cancel five days of the booking due to suffering a submucosal hemorrhage of the throat. This left Williams with just a few months to design and . Born to Italian immigrants in Hoboken, New Jersey, Sinatra was greatly influenced by the intimate, easy-listening vocal style of Bing Crosby[3] and began his musical career in the swing era with bandleaders Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. [241] A career anthology, A Man and His Music, followed in November, winning Album of the Year at the Grammys the following year. [73], In his first year with Dorsey, Sinatra recorded over forty songs. Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Italian immigrants Natalina Della (Garaventa), from Northern Italy, and Saverio Antonino Martino Sinatra, a Sicilian boxer, fireman, and bar owner.
Mary Kelleher Obituary, Articles F