Frank Sinatra Biography

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Frank Sinatra
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As the 20th century fades into oblivion, it leaves a number of people in different fields who will likely be remembered as most influential or "best" in this or that field, from medicine and space travel to politics, philosophy, sociology and show business. Depending on one's particular interest, there have been several entertainment figures who have made huge waves this century: actors, dancers, composers, playwrights, singers. If there was any question that Frank Sinatra would be included in compilations of the best, it disappeared on his death in May 1998 at age 82. He has been revered in the months since like no one else in memory, with television specials, biographies, remembrances and interviews. He left no doubt that he will be remembered as one of the truly great figures of the 20th century. Popular singers who got superstar treatment in the early part of the century included Russ Columbo and Rudy Vallee, then Bing Crosby and Sinatra, followed by Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Michael Jackson as the '50s melded into the '60s and '70s. As nostalgia for various decades kicks in occasionally, these people continue as legends, dead or alive. (The century-ending return to the "Swing Era" fashion and music is a case in point.) Francis Albert Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on December 12, 1915 and by age eighteen was convinced he would be a singer after attending a Bing Crosby performance in 1933 that helped cement that aspiration. He began singing wherever he could in local clubs and in 1935 entered a popular radio talent show, the Major Bowes Amateur Hour. A male trio was also there and soon the trio and Sinatra were teamed up as the Hoboken Four, winning first prize on the Bowes program and then joining its traveling show. Although the foursome was short-lived, Sinatra's reputation was slowly moving forward as he spent the next couple of years singing wherever and whenever he could. In 1939, he married Nancy Barbato and then, after being heard by trumpeter Harry James, was hired to sing with the James Band. Recordings made at this time went nowhere, but many years later would be reissued, including his earliest, "All Or Nothing At All," shunted by the public at first but reissued in the early '40s to become a hit after Frank had become a solo act. The Big Band Era that had reigned through the '30s began to waver in the early '40s. Some critics say that listeners wanted to hear singers instead of bands and that songs with lyrics were important to those now stationed overseas as the United States entered World War II. Another hypothesis is wartime's virtual elimination of big-band touring across the country, coupled with entry into the armed services of many musicians. However, a ban on musicians recording begun in late 1942 also did major damage, since the American Federation of Musicians would not allow its members to record. This was a boon to singers, although they had to work with other singers in the studio. The strike lasted into 1944 and in 1947 another one ensued, although record companies prepared for that one by amassing large numbers of recordings before it began. Sinatra's "All Or Nothing At All" is a case in point; it was reissued in 1942 to immense public support. Sinatra stayed with James six months, until Tommy Dorsey "raided" the band for Frank and James apparently let him go easily. It would not be that easy for Frank to leave Dorsey after his two years and hundreds of recordings with the trombone-playing leader whose legato "bel canto" style he studied. (His ballad treatment of "I'll Be Seeing You" became a Dorsey/Sinatra hit in WWII for lonely servicemen around the world.) Frank had a five-year contract with Dorsey, but when he attempted to cut it short (a la James) in favor of a solo career because of his increasing acceptance by teenage fans, Dorsey fumed. He won legal recourse but it is said that he and Frank never spoke again. Massive crowds of teenage girls in bobbysox began turning up at his appearances, creating disturbances in New York City theaters where he sang between movies. A riot or two developed around these appearances but Sinatra took it in stride and benefited from it by massive record sales and increasing mentions in the press of the day. He also was a frequent singer on the popular radio show, "Your Lucky Strike Hit Parade," and even began, if somewhat inauspiciously, his movie career. As the '50s began, Sinatra's career seemed to be leveling out. He had been in a few movies but nothing serious and his record sales had peaked. He apparently tried hard to get the role of Maggio in the non-musical film "From Here To Eternity" and, though stories conflict as to how he got the role, he did and subsequently won the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He began to appear in a variety of films, displaying acting talent that had gone unnoticed before because of mediocre material. He starred in "Man With the Golden Arm," "Von Ryan's Express" and "Manchurian Candidate" and also did musicals like "Guys and Dolls," "High Society" and "Pal Joey." "Eternity" also helped put his singing career back in focus as he regained his popularity. He recorded albums with top arrangers like Axel Stordahl and Nelson Riddle, the latter's work hand-in-glove with Frank's voice. His classic albums became SONGS FOR YOUNG LOVERS, A SWINGIN' AFFAIR, COME FLY WITH ME and the beautiful IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS, just a handful of the dozens of albums he made through the years. Sinatra and Riddle had a penchant for selecting lyrically and melodically beautiful songs from the best composers. And Frank's ability to "swing" made these work and helped make him a darling of the jazz community of listeners and musicians. By the '60s, Sinatra was leader of the Rat Pack, a group of singers and actors such as Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Dean Martin and Joey Bishop, who played together at each others' gigs and made movies together, such as "Robin and the 7 Hoods," and "Oceans 11." His popularity now exceeded his bobbysox years. As the subject of press intrusion, he had a most unfriendly relationship with the media, all the while continuing to sell records and dabbling in national politics first as a Democrat and then as a Republican. In the '70s, he began a series of "farewell" concerts that drew capacity crowds even as his voice, which had gradually dropped into the baritone range, began to frazzle at the edges. His reception at these events proved that Sinatra was, in fact, a superstar for the ages. Off the stage, he became rich with holdings in real estate, industry, film and television production and owned a successful record company, Reprise. He married Barbara Marx. He slowed down in the '80s yet surfaced occasionally in the years leading up to his death in 1998. A television drama on his life, produced by daughter Tina, was aired in 1992, and in 1993 re-released the DUETS album that hooked him up with several top "names" such as Natalie Cole, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Kenny G, U2's Bono and Aretha Franklin. Volume two came out in 1994 with Stevie Wonder, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Willie Nelson, Lena Horne and others. Sinatra won eight Grammys and had many hits over his sixty year career. In the Billboard Top 40 book compiled by Joel Whitburn, the charts begin with 1955, even though they go back several years prior to that. Between 1955 and 1980, Sinatra is listed with twenty-five Top 40 hits, including the first one, a No. 1 "Learnin' the Blues" and the 1966 No. 1 "Strangers In The Night." The irony of the chart successes is that while all were popular songs that sold well, virtually none are those beautifully crafted tunes he did with Riddle and others from the pens of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rodgers & Hart, Matt Dennis and other giants, songs he is most famous for in the long run. His work is the great American songbook of the 20th century.

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