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Artist Info
Frank Sinatra
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The only child of Italian immigrants Antonio Martino Sinatra and Natalie Della Garaventa, Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey and raised as a catholic. He was expelled from school after 47 days for rowdy conduct. His main interest was music and he started singing at the local nightclub bar at the age of eight. His professional singing began in the 1930s as a teenager. He never learned to read music.
He joined “The Three Flashes” in 1935 later known as the “Hoboken Four.” The group won first prize with 40000 votes on the show “Major Bowes Amateur Hour” and a six month contract to perform across United States. He returned home in late 1935 as a singing waiter and MC at Rustic Cabin for $15 a week.
He recorded “Our Love” with Frank Mane Band on March 18, 1939. He released his first commercial record “From the Bottom of My Heart” in July 1939 with the James Band, selling less than 8,000 copies. Through 1939, he released ten commercial tracks with James including “All or Nothing at All” which became a hit on re release by Columbia Records.
In November 1939, Sinatra joined Tommy Dorsey’s band as replacement for Jack Leonard, which got him increased visibility with the American public. Sinatra released “I’ll Never Smile Again” which topped the charts for twelve weeks among the forty songs that he released that first year with Dorsey.
Sinatra was bound by contract to pay one-third of his lifetime earnings in entertainment industry to Dorsey. In 1942 his first solo released with the Bluebird Label with Dorsey’s consent. In the same year he left Dorsey’s band triggering stories of his links with the Mafia. The contract with Dorsey was bought by Jules Stein, founder of MCA for $75000.
In May 1941, Sinatra topped the male singers’ poll due to his appeal to the teenage girls, a.k.a. the bobby soxers. On December 31, 1942 and October 1944 he appeared at Paramount Theater in New York causing near stampedes. During 1942-44 musicians’ strike, “All or Nothing At All” recorded in 1939 was re-released and reached number 2 on best selling charts on June 2, 1943. Sinatra signed as a solo artist with Columbia on June 1, 1943 and had great initial success. He recorded nine songs during June 7 to November 10 and seven were on the best selling list.
He was classified 4-F and could not serve in the military during World War II. This made him one of the most hated men of America.
In 1945 he earned a special academy award as a crew member of The House I Live In and a Golden Globe for “Promoting Good Will”. In 1946 he released “The Voice of Frank Sinatra”, his first album and introduced his weekly radio show.
After a down ranking in 1948, he was well received with Gene Kelly in “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”, a major critical and commercial success.
In his 30s during the 1950s, Sinatra’s appeal to the new teen audiences declined after he suffered hemorrhaging of his vocal cords on stage at the Copacabana on April 26, 1950. In February 1951 he attempted a near suicide after witnessing the popularity of Eddie Fisher at the Paramount Theatre. In September, the same year CBS aired the second series of the Frank Sinatra Show which was not the success that it was expected to be. He was dropped in 1952 by Columbia and MCA.
1953 witnessed a rebirth of Sinatra’s career with the drama “From Here to Eternity”, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred in the NBC radio program Rocky Fortune and earned fame as the character Rocky Fortunato. The same year he signed with Capitol Records and worked with Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins and Billy May; some of the finest musical arrangers of the era.
He reinvented himself and incorporated a swinging and hip character during 1954 to 1957. He was named “Top Male Vocalist” by Billboard, Metronome and Down Beat. His Young at Heart was song of the year and Swing Easy! was Album of the Year. “Songs For Swinging Lovers”, his third song with Nelson Riddle became a major success both as a critical and financial success.
“Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely”, the album was a huge success commercially peaking at #1 with 120 weeks on Billboard.
Sinatra formed Reprise Records, his own label in 1960 and his first album Ring-A-Ding-Ding turned out to be a major success. In March 1960, his show “It’s Nice To Go Travelling” garnered massive viewing and became as famous as Welcome Home Elvis. Though he despised Elvis, Sinatra recorded Elvis’ hit to maintain his commercial viability.
Sinatra’s sympathy for African Americans led him to speak repeatedly on desegregation all his life. He recorded his last songs for Capitol on September 11 and 12.
In 1962, he starred in “The Manchurian Candidate” and collaborated in Sinatra-Basie with Count Basie, following it up with “It Might as Well Be Swing”. The Concert Sinatra, an ambitious album, was recorded on 35mm tape with a 73-piece symphony orchestra. In 1966, he recorded his first live album “Sinatra at the Sands”.
Sinatra played live with Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin to benefit Dismas House in Saint Louis. “Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music”, the TV special won both an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. That same year, “That’s Life” became a Top Ten hit and Strangers in the Night topped Billboard and UK pop singles charts. It won Record of the Year at Grammy’s.
1967 saw important recording sessions with Antonio Carlos Jobim, daughter Nancy and Duke Ellington. In 1970, Sinatra’s most acclaimed concept album, Watertown was a failure. The song “My Way” was written by Paul Anka which became closely identified with him.
After retiring in 1971 after 36 years in show business, he came out with the hugely successful “O! Blue Eyes is Back”, in 1973. Sinatra performed at Caesars Palace in 1974 though he vowed never to perform there, due to the Sanford Waterman shooting.
He abused journalists while in Australia that year and caused a huge uproar and both sides demanded apologies. Eventually all parties reached a settlement and his final show in Australia was telecast nationally.
He appeared at Madison Square Garden, New York City in October 1974, in a concert that was televised and received positive reviews. The album “The Main Event – Live” was a moderate success. Sinatra became friends with John Denver during 1975 and held back to back concerts with him. He performed for Anwar Sadat with the Egyptian Pyramids as the backdrop. Grammy Trustees Award was conferred on him on his completing 40 years in show business.
Sinatra released “Trilogy: Past, Present, Future” in 1980 which garnered six Grammy nominations and won in the best liner notes, peaking at #17 on Billboard. It resulted in his signature tune “Theme from New York, New York”. In 1981, Sinatra came out with “She Shot Me Down” which was acclaimed by critics.
Sinatra broke the cultural boycott against apartheid by performing in Sun City, South Africa. In 1983 he won the Kennedy Center Honors, winning praise from Ronald Reagan. In 1984, his album, “L.A. Is My Lady”, was critically acclaimed in which he worked with Quincy Jones.
As a celebration of Sinatra turning 75, he performed for the final time on his national tour with Ella Fitzgerald where he was awarded the second Ella Award, in 1990. He was also praised by Patrick Pasculli the Mayor of Hoboken as a consummate artist in December 1990.
He made a return to Capitol in 1993 and recorded Duets and Duets II in 1994. He was a big draw in concerts in first half of 1990, but in March 1994 a fall onstage in Richmond, Virginia signaled problems with his health.
His final appearance was in Fukuoka Dome, Japan in December 1994 and he was reported to be in control by Esquire. In the 1994 Grammy’s he was awarded the Legend Award. In 1995, the Empire State Building glowed blue to mark his 80th Birthday. He sang the final notes of “New York, New York” in his last televised appearance. In 1997, he was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.
On May 14, 1998 he died of heart attack at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. At 82 years, his final words were “I’m losing” in reply to his wife’s appeal to fight. The lights at the Las Vegas Strip were dimmed in his honor on the night of May 15, 1998 and American President Bill Clinton led the world’s tribute to Sinatra.
