The Legend: Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra, a renowned American singer, actor and producer was born on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey’s (Biography.com Editors, np). From a very tender age Frank was aware of his musical talents but little did he know that he would be among the musicians that would decorate the 20th century. Frank was inspired to follow in the footsteps of Bing Crosby. His musical journey began while in high school he went an extra mile to book local club performances in addition to joining the school’s glee club that promoted young musicians. He collaborated with Harry James to release many records including “All or Nothing at All.” 1943 marked the beginning of his success in the music industry when he signed with Columbia Records as a solo artist (Biography.com Editors, np). Columbia Records released the “All or Nothing at All” album that sold worldwide and was rated second best on the Billboard. Frank has been nominated and won various awards to include an Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The years that followed after 1943 saw him rise to fame, in 1951 he performed in Las Vegas marking his first of many public performances. He subsequently composed and released his. first album “The Voice of Frank Sinatra” which was a huge success with millions of copies being bought online. It is at the Paramount Theatre in New York where he made his first movie debut on December 30, 1942 where he appeared in “Sinatramania” ((Biography.com Editors, np). In 1944, Frank returned to Paramount Theatre, his return was subsequently followed by a raucous that occurred after 35,000 fans were denied entrance into the theatre (All Movie, np). The chaos that followed that uneventful day saw the day renamed to Columbus Day Riot. Frank was restricted from serving in World War ll. Sinatra was not fit to serve in the war as a result of a punctured ear drum. The years that followed after the war started were of great loneliness for him.
Frank was perhaps among the first vocalists of the late 20th century to develop the unique ability to communicate with listeners via the use of music and lyrics that were presented simultaneously. Frank can be considered as one of the most significant icons in the music industry in the 20th century. Sinatra was in a band for two consecutive years before deciding to go solo (Biography.com Editors, np). It is between the period of 1943 and 1946 that his career blossomed, his huge success in music earned him the nickname “the voice and the Sultan of Swoon.” (Biography.com Editors, np). In 1945 he won an award for featuring in “The House I live in” which was a short film that was used to campaign against racial and religious discrimination. His fame might have been short lived especially in the years that followed after the war after. Despite this in 1953, he reentered the music industry and subsequently won an Oscar after successfully playing the role of Maggio in the movie “From Here to Eternity” (Biography.com Editors, np). The late 1950s saw Sinatra introduce a Jazzier musical sense in his voice.
In the years to come Frank rose to fame again and continuously enjoyed success in both industries. In 1955, he was nominated for his outstanding performance in “The Man with the Golden Arm”. During the lowest time in his music and movie career Frank had left Capitol and established his own record label by the name Reprise (Biography.com Editors, np). To further and advance his acting career he founded and established a film production company, Artanis in close collaboration with the Warner Bros production studios. Sinatra enjoyed a successful musical and movie career in the 1960s. in 1973 he returned back to the musical scenes following a brief retirement and released the album “Ol’ Blue Eye Is Back” (Biography.com Editors, np). The 1970s saw him become more engaged in the political scenes. Previously he had campaigned for the reelection of Roosevelt in 1944 and in 1960 for election of John Kennedy and after winning he supervised the president’s inaugural gala. Sinatra’s friendship with the president went sour after Sinatra decided to switch sided from a Democrat to a republican.
Frank tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Nancy Bartato in 1939 and sired three children together, they later divorced in the 1940s. In the early 1950s Sinatra married his second wife Ava Gardner but the marriage did not last long (Biography.com Editors, np). Shortly after the divorce Sinatra married his third wife, Mia Furrow, this marriage too was short lived and Sinatra married his fourth and last wife, Barbara Blakely Marx whom he stayed with until the time of his death. He weathered may turbulent storms in his career, at one point he was accused of utilizing mob ties to further and advance his career but such claims had no hold and never affected his popularity. In 1955 Sinatra performed in Palm Desert Marriott Ballroom in California and this marked his last musical performance marking the end of a career that had span for over 50 years.
On May 14, 1998 at 82 years Frank died from a heart attack. Artists to include Michael Jackson and the Beatles succeeded him and continued in his musical footsteps. In his lifetime the renowned artists suffered from many health complications and among them High blood pressure and cancer of the bladder. The universe was one icon less but his music was going to live forever in the hearts of his fans. On may 20th a send of funeral was held in California to commemorate the life of the singer, fans and mourners from around the world gathered to pay their last respects to the fallen icon.
In conclusion, Frank Sinatra was an iconic and legendary musician and movie star. He rose to fame during the pre-world war II period. He was not drafted to serve in the war since he was physically unfit. He collaborated with Harry James to release the All or Nothing at All record that marked the beginning of a successful musical career. In 1942 he made his debut in the movie industry. In the years that followed he rose to fame both in the music and movie industry. He received many nomination and awards during his lifetime. In 1998 Sinatra passed away living behind a legacy that would live forever.
Works Cited
A&E Networks Television. “Frank Sinatra Biography”.2017. Retrieved from; https://www.biography.com/musician/frank-sinatra
All Movie “Frank Sinatra: Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos.” N.d Retrieved from; www.allmovie.com/artist/p111632.
Biography.com Editors. “Frank Sinatra Biography.” 2014. Retrieved from;
https://www.biography.com/musician/frank-sinatra
