Last modified on July 3, 2022, at 04:49

Francis Albert Sinatra

Francis Albert Sinatra
Sinatra.jpg

Born December 12, 1915
Died May 14, 1998

Francis Albert Sinatra, best known as Frank Sinatra, was a famous singer and actor. He became a superstar of the 20th century.

Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. At 20 years of age, his seven-decade career in show business would receive a jump start after a group he was in won the Major Bowes Amateur Hour. After hearing Sinatra sing on the radio, bandleader Harry James added him as a featured vocalist.

One year later, Sinatra moved to the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra where his long string of hit records would commence in the 1940s with:

  • "I'll Be Seeing You"
  • "Imagination"
  • "Fools Rush In"
  • "East of the Sun"
  • "I'll Never Smile Again"
  • "The Song Is You"
  • "There Are Such Things"
  • "Night and Day"
  • "Angel Eyes"
  • "I've Got You Under My Skin"
  • "Fly Me to the Moon"
  • "You'll Never Know"
  • "People Will Say We're In Love"
  • "The Night We Called It a Day"
  • "Day by Day"
  • "Dream"
  • "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night"
  • "Begin the Beguine"
  • "Saturday Night is the Loneliest Night of the Week"
  • "They Say it's Wonderful"
  • "September Song"
  • "I'm a Fool to Want You"
  • "Some Enchanted Evening"

Frank Sinatra continued his ride on the Hit Parade in the 50's with "Nevertheless", "I'm a Fool to Want You", "April in Paris", "I hear a Rhapsody", "The Birth of the Blues", "I've Got the World on a String", "From Here to Eternity", "South of the Border", "Young at Heart", "Learning the Blues", "Love and Marriage", "The Tender Trap", "Hey Jealous Lover", "All The Way" and "Witchcraft"—all million sellers.

In the 1960s, Sinatra's million selling chart toppers, "Strangers In the Night", "That's Life" and "Something Stupid",[1] were joined by hits "Call Me Irresponsible", "Softly, as I Leave You", "Summer Wind", "It was a Very Good Year", "New York, New York" and "My Way", written by Paul Anka, Frank Sinatra's signature song.

Sinatra won ten Grammy Awards during his career, including Album of the Year for "Come Dance With Me" in 1959, "September of My Years" in 1965, "A Man and His Music" in 1966, and Record of the Year that same year for "Strangers In The Night." In addition, Frank Sinatra was "Male Singer of the Year" sixteen times between 1941 and 1966 as voted by the readers of Down Beat magazine. In 2001, the British Broadcasting Corporation named Sinatra, the "Greatest Voice of the Twentieth Century."

Frank Sinatra's other career as a full-fledged dramatic actor in dozens of motion pictures began in 1953 he starred in "From Here to Eternity" and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[1] In 1955 he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in "The Man with the Golden Arm". In later years Sinatra had leading roles in "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962), "Von Ryan's Express", "Robin and the Seven Hoods", and "Ocean's Eleven".

In the 1950s and 60's, Sinatra with his "Rat Pack," Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop would become the most popular attraction on the Las Vegas strip.

In 1985, Sinatra received an honorary doctorate from the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.

Frank Sinatra died of heart failure on May 14, 1998 at the age of 82 at his home in Los Angeles after an extended period of declining health.

In 2007, Frank Sinatra was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

See also

References

  1. Sinatra's top ten movies