A celebration of Sinatra

Francis Albert Sinatra, alias Frank, wasn’t born under the most auspicious of circumstances. On December 12, 1915, Dolly Garavarante gave life in a traumatic labor, the midwife was forced to use forceps, perforating Sinatra’s eardrum and causing injuries and scarring to the face and neck. The one who was nicknamed forever and all eternity as "The Voice," wasn’t baptised until months late, as his survival seemed questionable in the early days. But alive and kicking he was!

The child grew, and despite the lavish attention from his mother, and in true adolescent spirit, “Ol Blue Eyes” didn’t make it easy for his mother, completely losing interest in his studies. Only one thing mattered to him; music. He developed a passion for it after his uncle gave him a ukulele for his 15th birthday. He even emulated his icon Bing Crosby, adopting his famous pipe. After pleading and fighting with him to reconsider his desire to make a future in the music industry, Dolly eventually surrendered and even presented him with sound equipment. It was this sound equipment, with which Sinatra was able to negotiate with clubs like the Hoboken: he loaned his equipment in return for the authorization to sing. This equipment also opened doors for him to become part of the club’s vocal quartet, The Hoboken Four. With eyes increasingly focused on him and his voice, Frank left the quartet to chart his own course. After working for big band Harry James, he joined Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra. It was at this point, and in his mind, that Sinatra’s success multiplied and finally dethroned his former idol, Bing Crosby.

Sinatra eventually separated from his troop and took up manager George Evans, the mastermind behind "Sinatramania." If the excitement and popularity was indeed real for the young singer, it was amplified thanks to his manager who is said to have hired and paid groupies five dollars to scream in ecstasy when Frank took the stage, the perfect photo-op for journalists and photographers to create some buzz.

His sudden notoriety opened the doors in Hollywood and he didn’t hesitate to rush through them. He joined MGM alongside stars like Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper. His rise to fame was meteoric with incessant leading roles on the big screen and record sales reaching 10 million per year.

In the 50s however, his persona was tarnished by leftist political decisions criticized by conservatives and his dubious relationship with the Mafia. He rebounded however by winning an Oscar for his performance in the 1954 film "From here to Eternity". His success was further solidified with classics like: "Come Fly With Me," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "That's Life," "My Way," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Strangers in The Night," "Fly Me To The Moon."

In the early 1970s, he announced his musical retirement before putting his hat back on a few years later. In 1980, he staked his claim as “The Voice” with the recording of Mack the Knife. The next decade was characterized largely by duets with Aretha Franklin, Bono and Willie Nelson (not to forget the famous duet "Something Stupid," with singer and daughter, Nancy). In 1994, Frank gave his last concert in Fukuika, Japan. Four years later, at the age of 82, Frank Sinatra passed, leaving a path that reached new heights.

Published on: November 30, 2015