Francis Albert Sinatra. Born December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey - died May 14, 1998 in Los Angeles. American actor, singer (crooner) and showman. He won the Grammy Award nine times. He was famous for his romantic style of singing songs and the “velvet” timbre of his voice.
In the 20th century, Sinatra became a legend not only musical world, but also every aspect American culture. When he died, some journalists wrote: “To hell with the calendar. The day of Frank Sinatra's death - the end of the 20th century." Sinatra's singing career started back in the 1940s, and by the end of his life he was considered the standard of musical style and taste. The songs performed by him became classics of pop and swing style, became the most striking examples of the pop-jazz style of singing “crooning”; several generations of Americans were brought up on them. In his younger years he was nicknamed Frankie and The Voice, in later years - Mr. Ol Blue Eyes, and then - Chairman. Over 50 years of active creative activity He recorded about 100 consistently popular single discs and performed all the most famous songs by major US composers - George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.
In addition to his musical triumph, Sinatra was also a successful film actor, the highest point career ladder which became an Oscar, awarded to him in 1954 for Best Supporting Actor. His “piggy bank” contains many film awards: from the Golden Globes to the Screen Actors Guild Award. Throughout his life, Sinatra starred in more than 60 films, the most famous of which were “Towning the City,” “From Here to Eternity,” “The Man with the Golden Arm,” “High Society,” “Pride and Passion,” “ Ocean's Eleven and The Manchurian Candidate.
For his life achievements, Frank Sinatra was awarded the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People awards, and a year before his death he was awarded the highest US award - the Congressional Gold Medal.
Francis Albert Sinatra was born on the second floor of an apartment building on Monroe Street in Hoboken on December 12, 1915. His mother, nurse Dolly Garavante, spent a terrifying few hours giving birth to the boy. On top of that, he developed frightening lifelong scars from the forceps used by the doctor. The reason for such a difficult birth could be the unusual weight of the baby - almost six kilograms.
Frank's father was Martin Sinatra, a shipyard worker and boilermaker, and his mother Dolly served as the local chairman of the Democratic Party in Hoboken. Both immigrated to the United States from Italy: Martin from Sicily, and Dolly from the north, from Genoa. After the birth of his son, Martin had trouble finding regular work on the docks, so he began competing in boxing matches, where he quickly became a local favorite. As for Dolly, she was the head of the family: a dark, dynamic woman who loved her family, but focused more on social and political work than on family work. Due to various work commitments, she often left Frank with his grandmother for long periods of time.
In the spring of 1917, America entered the war. Martin was too old to be recruited, so he continued his regular work at the docks, the bar, the ring, and later the Hoboken Fire Department. After the end of the war, Dolly became closely involved with Hoboken immigrants, and left the boy with his grandmother and aunt. Unlike his peers, the two-year-old curly-haired boy Frank grew slowly and less progressively.
WITH early years He was interested in music, and from the age of 13 he worked part-time with the help of a ukulele, a small musical instrument, and a megaphone, in bars in his city. In 1931, Sinatra was kicked out of school for “disgraceful behavior.” As a result, he never received any education, including musical education: Sinatra sang by ear, never having learned the notes.
Since 1932, Sinatra had made small appearances on radio; Ever since he saw his idol Bing Crosby at a concert in Jersey City in 1933, he chose the profession of a singer. In addition, he also worked as a sports journalist for a local newspaper during the Great Depression in the 1930s, after leaving college without a degree. Cinema aroused his great interest; his favorite actor was Edward G. Robinson, who then starred primarily in gangster films.
With the group “The Hoboken Four,” Sinatra won the young talent competition of the then popular radio show “Major Bowes Amateur Hour” in 1935 and after some time went with them on his first national tour. He then worked for 18 months from 1937 as a contract showman at a music restaurant in New Jersey, which was also frequented by stars such as Cole Porter, and, along with radio appearances, laid the foundation for his professional career.
In 1938, Sinatra was arrested for having an affair with a married woman (in America in the 1930s, this was considered a criminal offense). Career hung by a thread. He avoids criminal punishment.
The impetus for Sinatra's career took off was his work in the famous swing jazz orchestras of trumpeter Harry James and trombonist Tommy Dorsey in 1939-1942. He signs Dorsey a lifetime contract. Subsequently, it helps to dissolve it to the young singer major mafioso Sam Giancana. This episode will later be described in the novel “The Godfather” - it is believed that one of the characters - singer Johnny Fontaine - was based on Sinatra.
In February 1939, Sinatra married his first love, Nancy Barbato. In this marriage, Nancy Sinatra was born in 1940, later becoming famous singer. She was followed in 1944 by Frank Sinatra Jr. (in 1988-1995, director of Sinatra’s orchestra) and in 1948, Tina Sinatra, who works as a film producer.
In 1942, the singer was invited to perform at a Christmas concert in New York at the Paramount Cinema, where he was seen by agent George Evans, who, within two weeks of performances, made Frank a star, a favorite of American teenage girls.
In 1944, Sinatra was declared unfit to serve. military service due to a damaged eardrum at birth. Many years later, Sinatra beats up a journalist who wrote that Sinatra bought his way out of military service using his connections.
In the late 1940s, Sinatra began to creative crisis genre, which coincided with a whirlwind romance with actress Ava Gardner.
1949 was the most difficult year in Sinatra’s career: he was fired from radio, and six months later plans to hold concerts in New York were grossly disrupted, Nancy filed for divorce, and his affair with Gardner grew into a loud scandal; Columbia Records refused him studio time.
In 1950, his contract with MGM was terminated, and his new agent at MCA Records also turned his back on Sinatra. At the age of 34, Frank became a "man of the past."
In 1951, Sinatra married Ava Gardner, whom he divorced six years later. That same year, Sinatra lost his voice after suffering from a severe cold. The misfortune was so unexpected and severe that the singer was going to commit suicide.
Hollywood producers invite Sinatra to try himself on screen. In 1953, he starred in the film From Here to Eternity, receiving an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
He is making a successful career as a radio host - he hosts a show on NBS Radio, which attracts a large audience of listeners.
He began to be invited to various film projects, the most successful of which were “The Man With the Golden Arm” (1955), “Ocean's Eleven” (1960), “The Manchurian Candidate” ( 1960), “The Detective”, 1968.
Sinatra's 1959 hit "High Hopes" remained on the national charts for 17 weeks, longer than any other song by the singer.
Since the late 1950s, Sinatra has performed in Las Vegas with such stars as Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, Joe Bishop and Peter Lawford. Their company, known as "Rat Pack", worked with John Kennedy during his 1960 presidential campaign. Recordings and performances with the big bands of Count Basie, Quincy Jones, Billy May, studio swing orchestras of Nelson Riddle and others were very successful, earning Sinatra the reputation of one of the masters of swing.
In 1966, Sinatra married actress Mia Farrow. He was 51 and she was 21. They separated the following year.
Ten years later, Sinatra married for the fourth time - to Barbara Marx, with whom he lived until the end of his life.
In 1971, at a charity concert in Hollywood, Sinatra announced the end of his stage career, but since 1974 he continued his concert activities.
In 1979, Sinatra recorded one of his masterpieces, “New York, New York,” becoming the only singer in history who managed to regain popularity and the love of the public after fifty years.
In 1988-1989, the Together Again Tour took place (renamed The Ultimate Event after Dean Martin left).
In 1993, Sinatra recorded his last album, Duets.
Frank Sinatra's last appearance on stage took place on February 25, 1995, when he performed at a golf tournament in Palm Springs.
On May 14, 1998, Frank Sinatra died from heart attack at the age of 82 years. The funeral service was conducted by Cardinal Roger Mahoney. A civil funeral service took place at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills.
Sinatra is buried next to his father and mother at Desert Memorial Park Cemetery in Cathedral City (California). The inscription on the singer’s tombstone reads: “The Best Is Yet to Come.”
The most famous songs of Frank Sinatra:
"My Way"
"Blue Moon"
"Jingle Bells"
"Let It Snow"
"Strangers in the Night"
"New York, New York"
"It Was a Very Good Year"
"Moon River"
"The World We Knew (Over And Over)"
"Fly Me to the Moon"
"Something Stupid"
"I Won't Dance"
"I"ve Got You Under My Skin"
"America the Beautiful"
"You Make Me Feel So Young"
"Moonlight in Vermont"
"My Kind of Town"
"Love and Marriage"
"That's Life"
"I Get a Kick Out of You"
"Summer Wind"
Frank Sinatra albums:
1946 - The Voice Of Frank Sinatra
1948 - Christmas Songs By Sinatra
1949 - Frankly Sentimental
1950 - Songs By Sinatra
1951 - Swing And Dance With Frank Sinatra
1954 - Songs For Young Lovers
1954 - Swing Easy!
1955 - In The Wee Small Hours
1956 - Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
1956 - This Is Sinatra!
1957 - A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra
1957 - A Swingin' Affair!
1957 - Close To You And More
1957 - Where Are You
1958 - Come Fly With Me
1958 - Sings For Only The Lonely (Only The Lonely)
1958 - This Is Sinatra Volume 2
1959 - Come Dance With Me!
1959 - Look To Your Heart
1959 - No One Cares
1960 - Nice "N" Easy
1961 - All The Way
1961 - Come Swing With Me!
1961 - I Remember Tommy
1961 - Ring-A-Ding-Ding!
1961 - Sinatra Swings (Swing Along With Me)
1961 - Sinatra's Swingin" Session!!! And More
1962 - All Alone
1962 - Point Of No Return
1962 - Sinatra And Strings
1962 - Sinatra And Swingin' Brass
1962 - Sinatra Sings Great Songs From Great Britain
1962 - Sinatra Sings Of Love And Things
1962 - Sinatra-Basie An Historic Musical First (feat. Count Basie)
1963 - Sinatra's Sinatra
1963 - The Concert Sinatra
1964 - America I Hear You Singing (feat. Bing Crosby & Fred Waring)
1964 - Days Of Wine And Roses Moon River And Other Academy Award Winners
1964 - It Might As Well Be Swing (feat. Count Basie)
1964 - Softly As I Leave You
1965 - A Man And His Music
1965 - My Kind Of Broadway
1965 - September Of My Years
1965 - Sinatra "65 The Singer Today
1966 - Moonlight Sinatra
1966 - Strangers In The Night
1966 - Sinatra At The Sands (feat. Count Basie)
1966 - That's Life
1967 - Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim)
1967 - The World We Knew
1968 - Cycles
1968 - Francis A & Edward K (feat. Duke Ellington)
1968 - The Sinatra Family Wish You A Merry Christmas
1969 - A Man Alone The Words And Music Of McKuen
1969 - My Way
1970 - Watertown
1971 - Sinatra & Company (feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim)
1973 - Ol" Blue Eyes Is Back
1974 - Some Nice Things I've Missed
1974 - The Main Event Live
1980 - Trilogy Past Present Future
1981 - She Shot Me Down
1984 - LA Is My Lady
1993 - Duets
1994 - Duets II
1994 - Sinatra & Sextet Live In Paris
1994 - The Song Is You
1995 - Sinatra 80th Live In Concert
1997 - With The Red Norvo Quintet Live In Australia 1959
1999 - "57 In Concert
2002 - Classic Duets
2003 - Duets With The Dames
2003 - The Real Complete Columbia Years V-Discs
2005 - Live From Las Vegas
2006 - Sinatra Vegas
2008 - Nothing But the Best
2011 - Sinatra: Best of the Best
Filmography of Frank Sinatra:
1941 - Las Vegas Nights / Las Vegas Nights
1945 - Anchors Aweigh
1946 - While the clouds float / Till Clouds Roll By
1949 - Dismissal to the city / On the town
1951 - Double Dynamite
1953 - From Here to Eternity / From Here to Eternity - Private Angelo Maggio (received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor)
1954 - Unexpected / Suddenly - John Baron
1955 - The Man With the Golden Arm
1956 - High Society / High Society - Mike Connor
1956 - Around the World in 80 Days / Saloon Performer
1957 - Pride and the Passion / The Pride and the Passion - Miguel
1958 - And They Came Running / Some Came Running - Dave Hirsch
1960 - Ocean's Eleven - Danny Ocean
1962 - The Manchurian Candidate - Captain/Major Bennett Marko
1963 - List of Adrian Messenger / List of Adrian Messenger, The - cameo
1963 - Four from Texas / 4 for Texas - Zach Thomas
1964 - Robin and the 7 Gangsters / Robin and the 7 Hoods - gangster Robbie
1965 - Von Ryan's Train / Von Ryan's Express - Colonel Ryan
1980 - The First Deadly Sin - Edward Delaney
A few months later, Sinatra joined the orchestra of trombonist Tommy Dorsey, and his career took off rapidly.
Remaining for two years as a member of the popular Dorsey Orchestra, Sinatra recorded a number of songs that entered the charts, and the song “I"ll Never Smile Again became a number one hit. During the same period, Frank Sinatra made his film debut in the films “Las Vegas Nights” ( Las Vegas Nights, 1941) and "On the Ship" (Ship Ahoy, 1942).
Although Sinatra was not called upon military service Due to a damaged eardrum, he performed benefit concerts for soldiers during World War II.
In January 1942, the singer conducted his first solo studio session and recorded four solo numbers, one of which, Cole Porter's Night and Day, charted. At that time, Sinatra also had his own radio show, Songs By Sinatra. For two years, his songs entered the radio charts with constant success, and the compositions There Are Such Thing and In the Blue of the Evening, created together with Dorsey, topped the charts. Soon, the management of Columbia Records offered Frank Sinatra a solo contract, and the following years became very eventful in his career.
In 1943, the artist became a regular participant in the popular radio cycle Your Hit Parade, performed in productions on Broadway, hosted his own radio show, recorded new songs and continued to act in films. During that period, films with his participation were released: Higher and Higher (1943), Anchors Aweigh, 1945, Till the Clouds Roll By, 1946, It Happened in Brooklyn" (It Happened in Brooklyn, 1947), "Take Me Out to the Ball Game, 1949), etc. As one of the creators of the anti-racist short film "The House I Live In" ( The House I Live In, 1945) Sinatra was awarded a special Oscar. In 1949, he starred in the Stanley Donen musical On the Town (1949). In 1953, Fred Zinnemann's film From Here to Eternity was released, for his role in which Sinatra was awarded an Oscar and a Golden Globe. The artist received his second Golden Globe for his role in George Sidney's film Pal Joey (1957).
Frank Sinatra starred in the films Young At Heart (1954), Guys and Dolls (1955), The Tender Trap (1955), and The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). Man With the Golden Arm, 1955), High Society (1956), The Pride and the Passion (1957), Kings Go Forth (1958), Cancan "(Can-Can, 1960), "Ocean's Eleven" (1960), "The Devil at 4 O" Clock, 1961), "The Manchurian Candidate" (The Manchurian Candidate, 1962), Come Blow Your Horn (1963), Marriage on the Rocks (1965), Assault on a Queen (1966), Dirty Dingas Magee" (Dirty Dingus Magee, 1970), "The First Deadly Sin" (1980), etc.
Frank Sinatra's musical compositions remained in the charts all this time. From 1957 to 1966, 27 of the singer’s albums entered the Top 10 of the national ratings. In the 1960s, the singles “It Was a Very Good Year”, “Strangers in the Night” (1966) and a duet with Nancy’s daughter “Somethin” Stupid (1967) reached the top spots in music ratings.
Compilation of the best tracks Greatest Hits! (1968) went platinum, and the album Cycles, which featured songs modern authors— Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Webb and others, sold 500,000 copies. Another “gold” was awarded to the collection of songs My Way, specially written for Sinatra by Paul Anka.
Having celebrated his 55th anniversary, the singer announced his retirement from the stage, but two years later he returned with a new album and a special TV show of the same name, Ol "Blue Eyes Is Back.
In subsequent years, Sinatra appeared in the studio much less frequently and acted less in films and on television, preferring live performances. In 1980, he released a collection of songs on three discs, Trilogy: Past, Present, Future. The track Theme From New York, New York, the title theme from the popular film "New York, New York" (New York, New York, 1977), later became a standard in the pop music industry.
In 1990, the two companies that owned the rights to the artist's catalogue, Capitol and Reprise, released two box sets for his 75th anniversary. Each of the releases, The Capitol Years and The Reprise Collection, on three and four discs respectively, sold half a million copies.
In 1993, Sinatra signed a contract with Capitol Records and prepared the long-play Duets - old hits recorded with new (and already famous) performers from Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand to Bono. The album became the most popular disc in the singer's career and was certified platinum three times. The collection of selected duets Duets II was the last in Sinatra's musical career.
The songs performed by him became classics of pop and swing style, and became examples of the pop-jazz style of singing "crooning".
Frank Sinatra is the winner of numerous awards and honors, including an Oscar (1946, 1954), a Golden Globe (1954, 1958), and several Grammy awards. In 1971, Frank Sinatra received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Gene Hersholt Award and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Cecil DeMille Award for outstanding achievement in motion pictures.
In 1997, he was awarded the highest civilian honor in the United States, the Congressional Gold Medal.
On May 14, 1998, Frank Sinatra died in Los Angeles of a heart attack.
Sinatra was married four times. His first wife was Nancy Barbato; in this marriage three children were born - two daughters and a son.
The eldest daughter Nancy became a singer and actress. Then they followed with actresses Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow. Frank Sinatra's last wife was writer Barbara Marx.
Frank Sinatra is a great actor and great musician who became a real symbol of America and its main star for many, many years. His singing career began back in the 40s, and by its end it had reached such a height that even during his lifetime the artist was considered a true classic of New World music. He was called the standard of taste and style. His velvety voice sounded on all the radios of the vast country. That is why even after the death of the great master, his songs still remain important milestone in the history of the United States and the entire music industry of the planet.But how much do we know about that person whose songs we have probably heard hundreds of times? How was his life and stage career? Which ones are the most important stages did his fate contain? Do we know all this about Frank Sinatra? Probably not. That is why our article today, dedicated to the great actor and musician, will certainly be very relevant.
Early years, childhood and family of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra was born into a family of Italian immigrants who arrived in the United States back in early age. Together with all their simple belongings, they settled on the east coast of the United States, thus beginning a new chapter in their lives.The father of our today's hero was from Italian city Palermo. During his life in America, he tried a huge variety of professions - he was a loader in shipyards, a bartender, a fireman, and even made a living for some time by entering the ring as a professional boxer. The mother of a future musician is a completely different matter.
All her life she led a quiet and measured life. For a long time she was an ordinary American housewife, however, having put her son on his feet, she suddenly decided to build a career and began working as the chairman of the city branch of the Democratic Party. As for Frank himself, his life in early childhood was very ordinary. There was no poverty or deliberate wealth in her. The only bright spot in his life has always been music.
From the age of thirteen, he made money by singing, performing in bars in his hometown of Hoboken and accompanying himself on a miniature “guitar” - a ukulele. At first, everything went quite normally, but some time later the first performances on the radio followed, which, in fact, allowed the future great singer to decide what he wanted to be in adulthood.
Frank Sinatra - "My Way"
In the mid-thirties, Frank Sinatra, together with his then friends, formed the group “The Hoboken Four,” with which he very soon appeared at the “Big Bowes Amateur Hour” competition for young talents. The performance turned out to be successful, and the next month the whole team went on a national tour of US cities. After this, Frank Sinatra worked for some time in a music cafe, and also, as before, often performed on the radio.
Frank Sinatra's Star Trek: music and filmography
However, real success came to our today's hero in the early forties. During this period he began to perform frequently with jazz orchestras Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. During this period, the talented musician attracted the attention of prominent figures in American show business. In 1946, the American-Italian performer recorded his first album, “The Voice Of Frank Sinatra,” followed by another disc, “Christmas Songs By Sinatra,” two years later. 
Things were going well, but at some point everything began to collapse on its own. Frank's marriage to longtime girlfriend Nancy Barbato ended due to an affair with actress Ava Gardner. The relationship with the Hollywood star also very soon grew into a big scandal. Because of this, some of the artist's concerts in New York were cancelled. Frank fell into a prolonged depression, which some time later became the reason for his dismissal from radio. To top it all off, in 1951, the singer unexpectedly lost his voice due to a lingering cold. Pressed down by the burden of problems, the great musician thought about suicide...
But Frank Sinatra still did not take the last step, and some time later the situation began to slowly improve. Having lost his voice, our today's hero paid close attention to cinema and already in 1953 he played one of the roles in the film “From Here to Eternity.” For this acting work, Frank Sinatra received an Oscar as best actor background.
From that moment on, everything gradually began to return to normal. The voice problems turned out to be temporary and very soon our today’s hero began performing and working in the studio again. The musician's new albums were released one after another. And soon fans of the great musician’s talent had the opportunity to often watch him in the movies. In the period from 1954 to 1965, the actor began acting frequently, appearing in a total of twelve films. The most striking among them were the films “High Society”, “The Manchurian Candidate” and some others.
Last years of life, death of Frank Sinatra
The star journey of the singer and actor continued until the end of the seventies. In 1979, Frank Sinatra recorded the song “New York, New York” and thereby seemed to say goodbye to the American scene. Subsequently, he appeared on the stage several more times, but such performances were the exception rather than the rule. In 1998, the great musician and great actor died of a heart attack at his home in East Hollywood. On this day, national mourning was declared throughout America.Frank Sinatra-New York New York
A year before his death, the singer was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, which is considered the highest award in the United States of America.
Personal life of Frank Sinatra
As noted above, the musician’s first wife was his childhood friend, Nancy Barbato. In marriage with her, Frank Sinatra’s daughter, Nancy, was born, who today is a famous singer. In addition, some time later, Frank Sinatra Jr. and his youngest daughter, Tina, were also born.Despite many happy years of marriage, in the late forties the singer began an affair with actress Ava Gardner, which led to a divorce from his first wife. In 1951, Ava and Frank got married. And six years later, after a series of scandals, they filed for divorce.
In 1966, our today's hero decided to tie the knot for the third time. The musician's new wife is actress Mia Farrow. But the marriage with her lasted only about a year.
Recent years Frank Sinatra spent his life with his fourth wife, Barbara Marx.
The best voice in America and at the same time a man without music education. A favorite of the public and a secret friend of mafia groups. A brawler who caused violent scenes, and a man who donated huge sums to the fight against drugs. Womanizer, changing girlfriends and loving father. This is all Frank Sinatra. A man who became a legend during his lifetime.
Sinatra was a symbol of his eraChildhood years
The future star of the world stage Frank Sinatra was born into a family of immigrants on December 12, 1915. His father had many careers throughout his life, and his mother was a nurse with a keen interest in social work.
Frank was his parents' only son. At birth he almost died because he weighed 6 kg. Doctors had to remove it with forceps, which caused Frank to damage his eardrum.
Sinatra was an only child. The future singer grew up in a disadvantaged area where various criminal groups clashed. To survive on such a street, the weak boy had to learn to deal with life's difficulties.
His family had a good income; from the age of 13, Frank earned his own pocket money by playing the ukulele.
Sinatra as a child Sinatra showed little interest in education, so he was kicked out of school. Young Sinatra dreamed only of a musical career.
Youth
As a teenager, Frankie's mother got Frankie to work as a courier, but he didn't like the job. Instead, he began collaborating with local group The Hoboken Four.
In this group, Sinatra made his first appearance on the radio and went on tour. These performances became absolute hell for Frankie - there were constant disagreements between Sinatra and the band, so immediately after the end of the contract, the young singer left the band.
Young Frank Sinatra From this moment on, Frank begins to work as an entertainer and soloist in various cafes. One of his performances is heard by his wife, who at that time was looking for a vocalist for his orchestra.
A charmed woman arranges an audition for Sinatra, and he ends up on James's team. The singer quickly became bored with working with him, and an enraged Harry broke the contract with him, saying that Frank had missed his only chance.
The young man quickly found a new leader, Tommy Dorsey, with whom he signed a new contract.
Sinatra left Harry James for Tommy Dorsey's orchestra Voice of America Frank Sinatra
Frank understood that if he wanted to achieve anything in Dorsey's orchestra, he needed to improve his vocal abilities. The trombone became his source of inspiration.
Sinatra was amazed at how smoothly one sound transitions into another on this musical instrument. The singer wondered if he was capable of this musical instrument, then can a person do this with his voice?
Sinatra is called the Golden Voice of America The singer developed his own breathing technique, which later became the star’s calling card and made him famous throughout the world.
Frank Sinatra was gaining more and more popularity as a singer, but this contract also began to weigh on him. Half of the proceeds from the performances went into Dorsey's pocket. Naturally, Tommy did not want to lose such a source of income and for a long time refused to break the contract.
Connection with the mafia
Sinatra was never caught red-handed for any illegal activity, but the mafia actively supported his performances for a percentage of the proceeds.
Frank Sinatra had mob backers. Pictured: Tommy "Fatso" Marson, Don Carlo Gambino "The Godfather", and Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno There is a version that it was Frank Sinatra who became the prototype for the image of singer Johnny Fontaine from the novel “The Godfather.” The friendly help of the mafia explains that Dorsey still broke the contract. It was rumored that he did this in fear for his life at gunpoint.
Career success
Sinatra plays the piano, 1954 Fall of an Idol
Frank Sinatra was the idol of his time. World success intoxicated the singer and forced him to give free rein to his difficult character. His scandalous antics and stormy personal life attracted crowds of journalists, whom the singer simply hated.
Often he resorted to direct insults and even started fights. Perhaps the public would have forgiven their idol for outbursts of rage, but other troubles befell Frank.
Sinatra survived a downturn in his career and was able to return to the stage A new era had begun in culture, and at 34, Sinatra suddenly found himself a man of the “old era.” They demanded that he change his repertoire, sing differently, but loyalty to his principles did not allow him to bend to the changing fashion.
The film career began to collapse due to problems at film set. His film The House I Live In, which raises issues of equality, was subjected to a barrage of attacks from the press. Journalists wrote devastating articles about yesterday's idol.
Mister " Blue eyes» To top it all off, health problems led to the singer completely losing his voice. At that moment, he lost everything and began to have thoughts of suicide.
Return to Success
Almost all great people have one thing in common: having fallen, they find the strength to return and start all over again.
A new round in Sinatra’s career began with an audition for the film “From Here to Eternity.” The directors did not want to approve the actor for a long time, remembering his scandals, but still gave him a chance. The failures he experienced greatly disciplined Frank.
Sinatra won an Oscar for his role in From Here to Eternity. Frank Sinatra began to listen to the director more and learn acting. The film brought Sinatra an Oscar and gave him a ticket back to the top.
Personal life
Frank Sinatra was officially married 4 times, not counting numerous stormy romances with beauties of that time.
His first marriage in his youth was to Barbato's childhood friend Nancy. They had three children, whom he adored. Nancy turned a blind eye to his affairs for a long time, until he started an affair with actress Gardner Ava.
Ava became Frank's new wife, but this marriage was not the happiest in his life. The singer passionately wanted to have more children, but the actress was more concerned about her career. After 6 years they divorced.
Sinatra and Ava Gardner Frank's third chosen one was young Farrow Mia. The large age difference and different outlooks on life led to the couple breaking up a year later.
Sinatra spent the last years of his life married to Barbara Marx.
Last years of life
The actor and singer performed for a long time before the general public, but in the late 70s he officially retired. Then he released several more albums, but did not tour as actively, preferring to spend time with his wife.
Sinatra with his children: Nancy and Frank Frank Sinatra died on May 14, 1998 of a heart attack in his home. On the day of his death, the US government declared mourning throughout the country.
Watch, filmed in 2015 for the 100th anniversary of Frank Sinatra.
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Biography, life story of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra – American singer, showman, film and television actor.
Introduction
Frank Sinatra has been at the top of the lists of the very best (songs, artists, voices, etc.) for so long and indestructibly that he looks more like some kind of artistic deity than a living person. His name is truly the first to come to mind when it comes to those symbolic people who, in the mass consciousness, undividedly embody American musical culture. For all the abundance of recordings Sinatra published, for his almost dimensionless catalog, which continues to swell year after year, it is not long to miss the very essence of his talent. Meanwhile, Sinatra is not just a darling of fortune and a successfully promoted showman, but, first of all, a fantastic interpreter, sensitive to the trends of the times and able to preserve the best examples of American pop music for several generations of music lovers of all races and nationalities.
Childhood and youth
Francis Albert Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on December 12, 1915. He was the only child of Dolly and Anthony Martin Sinatra. His father worked as a boilermaker and shipyard worker, his mother was a nurse by training, but after the birth of her son she took the post of chairman of the Democratic Party in Hoboken. The family of the future American superstar had nothing to do with music.
Frank got his life, as they say, by fighting. The child was very large - as much as six kilograms. The birth was long and very difficult. Until the end of his days, Frank was reminded of his hard-won right to life by numerous scars from the forceps with which the doctor helped him leave his mother’s womb.
After the baby was born, the Sinatra family had a hard time. There was a catastrophic lack of money. The head of the family had to take up boxing so that the family would have a constant income. However, Martin felt confident in the ring, and the audience quickly fell in love with him.
CONTINUED BELOW
Frank was raised by his grandmother and aunt. That is, practically no one was watching him. The boy was interested in music, and already at the age of thirteen he learned to play the ukulele on his own. But with education, things were much worse - he was kicked out of school, he did not graduate from college.
Frank began working as a teenager. He dreamed of becoming a journalist, and at first he got a job as a loader in the editorial office of the Jersey Observer newspaper, then retrained as a copyist. But even the duties of a reporter were still not trusted to him. Then Frank entered secretarial school and studied typing and shorthand. And finally his reports on minor sporting events began to appear in print. One day, 19-year-old Frank, who occasionally sang for fun, took part in a popular talent competition on local radio. Along with three other contestants, promoters sent him on a test tour, calling the newly minted vocal quartet the Hoboken Four.
Life path. Career and personal life
After the tour, Sinatra signed his first professional contract. They paid him $25 a week. For this relatively generous remuneration, he not only had to sing at the roadside bar The Rustic Cabin in a provincial town, but also act as a waiter, master of ceremonies and comic actor. With more or less solid ground under his feet, Frank was finally able to marry his childhood love, Nancy Barbato. In the 1940s they had three children: Nancy Sandra, Frankie Wayne and Christina.
In 1939, one of Sinatra's recordings was heard on the radio by trumpeter Harry James, who had recently left Benny Goodman and was assembling his own big band. Sinatra suited him well. In July 1939, 23-year-old Frank Sinatra made his first professional studio recording. Thus began his ascent to the heights of the world song Olympus. He lasted six months in the Harry James ensemble, and in January 1940 he accepted a much more tempting offer from Tommy Dorsey. To the accompaniment of Dorsey's big band, Sinatra recorded a whole bunch of incredibly popular songs, 16 of which were in the top ten hits within two years. The most significant milestone of this period is the composition “I"ll Never Smile Again, then a No. 1 hit, and in the future – a participant in the Grammy Hall of Fame. If you believe the artist’s confession, then his vocal style was born from imitation of Tommy Dorsey’s trombone. One way or another, the singer Sinatra knew how to make an impression. Sinatra became the highlight of numerous radio shows, and at the same time made his debut on the big screen, so far only as a soloist of the ensemble. In 1941, he starred in the film Las Vegas Nights, and a year later he appeared in the film Ship Ahoy.
In January 1942, a new chapter in Sinatra's biography opens: he conducts his first independent studio session and records four solo numbers, one of which, Cole Porter's Night and Day, makes it into the charts. Frank left Dorsey, but for some time he was not allowed to record in the studio. But he got his own show on the radio, Songs By Sinatra, and many offers to perform. On New Year's Eve, he played the first part of the Benny Goodman concert at the Paramount Theater in New York. This was the last straw that overflowed the cup: Frank Sinatra, who so charmingly fused jazz, blues and swing, in the eyes of young people embodied the ideal image of a real pop idol, who would still cause incredible excitement for many decades. The companies that owned the rights to his early recordings are releasing Sinatra records in batches. For two years, his songs attacked the charts one after another, two of them, created together with Dorsey, became number one hits - There Are Such Thing and In the Blue of the Evening.
Finally, the management of Columbia Records offered Frank Sinatra a solo contract and put him to work, recording his voice a cappella or accompanied by a single choir. Despite all the minimalism of his arrangements, Sinatra’s charm is so deadly that in a year he produces five hits that finish in the Top 10.
In 1943, the artist became a regular participant in the popular radio cycle Your Hit Parade, for four months he sang in productions on Broadway, and hosted his own radio program Songs by Sinatra. Then his full-fledged film career began. In the film Reveille With Beverly he sings the song Night and Day, and in the film Higher and Higher he gets a small role - he plays himself. He was able to demonstrate his acting abilities on a full scale in the 1944 film Step Lively.
The taboo on audio recordings that existed during the Second World War somewhat slowed down Sinatra’s singing career, but in November 1944 the ban was lifted, and the singer, already lured by the MGM label, plunged into work with pleasure. Much to the delight of his listeners, his songs continue to delight the ears and enjoy continued popularity. During 1945 alone, eight new singles crossed the border of the American Top 10. These were works by different authors, including themes from musicals: If I Loved You, You'll Never Walk Alone, Dream, Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week) and so on.
The artist has a special affinity for the author's tandem of Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, who, at Sinatra's insistence, are invited to work on his first musical, Anchors Aweigh. During his half-century career, Sinatra would record more songs by Kahn (a poet who worked with various composers) than by any other songwriter. Musical film Anchors Aweigh, released in the summer of 1945, became the top box office hit of the year.
The next year finds the artist engaged in the same intensive activities: his own radio show, constant recordings in the studio, live concerts. He had to act in only one film (Till the Clouds Roll By), but the songs were not successful. Among the compositions that finished at the top of the charts are Irving Berlin's They Say it's Wonderful and The Girl That I Marry, Stein and Kahn's Five Minutes More. The collection of songs The Voice of Frank Sinatra famously conquered the pop chart .
By 1947, Frank Sinatra embodied the greatest American pop star. But, like a true workaholic, he did not slow down the pace of work. Cycles of radio programs, five significant film roles, including in the big-budget musical On the Town, regular targeted assaults on the song charts. Number one hit Mam "selle plus a dozen more Top 10 finalists. Two strong albums Songs by Sinatra (1947) and Christmas Songs by Sinatra (1948).
By the end of the 40s, his popularity began to show the first signs of decline. However, he is still a welcome guest on radio (where he hosts his own show, Meet Frank Sinatra), and with the advent of television, he is also a rising TV star. In 1950, the singer opened a series of entertaining musical television programs, The Frank Sinatra Show, which lasted two years. His filmography is replenished with an interesting role in the drama Meet Danny Wilson (1952), in which three songs were performed by him - That Old Black Magic, I "ve Got a Crush on You by Gershwin and How Deep Is the Ocean? by Berlin.
The singer's relationship with Columbia bosses was never smooth, and in the early 50s a serious conflict brewed with music director Mitch Miller, who recognized one single recipe for success: absolutely new material and clever, catchy arrangements. It is clear that Sinatra was disgusted by this pursuit of fashion. Before finally parting with the label, he managed to release four hit singles, including unusual version folk standard Goodnight, Irene.
Having broken with Columbia 12 years after the start of his solo career and having managed to rise to unimaginable heights of popularity during this time, Frank Sinatra is left with nothing: without a contract with a label or film company, without agreements with radio or television channels. The concerts stopped, his agent left him. Moreover, in 1949, after his affair with actress Ava Gardner received scandalous publicity, he divorced Nancy. In 1951, Gardner became his wife, but after a couple of years they separated, and in 1957 they officially divorced.
It was necessary to start all over again and agree to virtually any conditions. Sinatra agreed to collaborate with Capitol Records, which offered him a very tough contract. After a year and a half break (during which time the singer lost his voice and, according to rumors, even attempted suicide), in the summer of 1953 his name again appeared in the Top 10 with the new single I'm Walking Behind You. The next important milestone was filming in feature film From Here to Eternity, which tells about the events of the Second World War. Sinatra's acting skills were highly appreciated by professionals. So high that in March 54, the artist left the Oscar ceremony with the award for Best Supporting Actor. In addition to the renewed musical entertainment radio show, the artist also participated in the radio play Rocky Fortune, in which he played the role of a detective.
Sinatra's new creative partner is arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle. In tandem with him, the singer recorded a number of his best works and experienced a new rise in popularity. Young-at-Heart's first No. 1 hit since 1947 soon became a pop classic. The 1955 film, in which the artist was entrusted with main role. Produced by Riddle, Songs for Young Lovers, Sinatra's first concept work, featured classics by Cole Porter, Gershwin, and Rodgers and Hart with modern arrangements. Sinatra's heartfelt performance and the intonation richness of his interpretation made the romantic melodies and graceful lyrics sparkle with new colors. This album, like Swing Easy!, released in its wake, rose to the top five hits.
By the mid-50s, Frank Sinatra had successfully revived his fading status as a pop star and established actor. In many ways, he was even more respected and popular than he had been in the mid-40s. His new single, Learnin' the Blues, topped the sales chart in 1955, along with his collection of ballads, In the Wee Small Hours, which was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Film 1956 of the year The Tender Trap gave him not only another interesting role, but also a fresh hit, Love Is The Tender Trap, written by Kahn and his new collaborator, composer James Van Heusen.
In the 50s, the artist recorded with equal energy both slow ballads and love songs, and energetic compositions arranged for the dance floor. One of the pinnacles of this trend remains the predominantly dance album of 1956, Songs for Swingin' Lovers!, which was only one step short of topping the charts. It was the first gold disc in the catalog of the singer, who so brilliantly transformed into a self-confident macho.
In the late 50s, Frank Sinatra, the consummate youth idol, had to face stiff competition from the emerging rock and rollers. The number one opponent was, of course, . It was unrealistic for a 40-year-old musician to compete with much younger and so provocatively talented artists in the fight for the hearts of teenagers. Nevertheless, it was still too early to write him off. If things weren’t perfect for him with definitely killer hits, his name regularly appeared in the album rankings. His compilation of singles, This Is Sinatra!, released for the Capitol label, entered the top ten and was certified gold.
Arrangements atypical for him - string quartet– the musician used during the recording of the long-play Close to You. The album was released at the beginning of an eventful 1957. In the summer, his fans were already buying up the new record A Swingin' Affair!, and in the fall they were hunting for the collection of ballads Where Are You?. By the end of the year, the artist threw out two more releases - the soundtrack to the film Pal Joey, based on the Rodgers and Hart musical, and Christmas Gift A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra. It may seem incredible, but all these five long-plays, one after another, rose to the US Top 5 during 1957, and the collection of Christmas standards eventually sold a million copies.
Frank Sinatra began the next year, 1958, with the same high bar. Two records topped the sales chart: Come Fly with Me, dedicated to travel, and Only the Lonely, a collection of ballads awarded gold. Two more long-plays from 1958 did well on the charts – This Is Sinatra, Volume Two and The Frank Sinatra Story.
At the same time, Sinatra laid the foundation for a collection of the most prestigious music awards. True, he received his first Grammy not for the content, but for the design of the album Only the Lonely. The jury praised the design and graphics of the envelope. But trouble has begun. The next Grammy distribution ceremony was doubly successful for the singer: his new studio attempt Come Dance With Me! was awarded the title of best album of the year, and Sinatra himself was crowned with laurels as the best pop vocalist.
Number two, number eight and again number two - this level in the sales ranking was surpassed by the 1959 albums Come Dance With Me!, Look to Your Heart and No One Cares. Sinatra becomes the personification of creative stability and invariably high quality material, performance and arrangements. The next eight releases from 1960-61 consistently appeared in the US top ten. The accuracy of his hitting the target precisely with the fecundity that only a few could afford is similar to science fiction. Devilish charm, mesmerizing artistry and outstanding interpretive talent were combined with a thoughtful market strategy. Romantic, slow collections of songs alternated with selections of energetic tracks that could lift even pensioners to their feet.
In the second half of the 50s, although Sinatra acted quite actively, he did not sing in his films so often. The opportunity to combine two favorite things presented itself to him in the film version of the Cole Porter musical Can-Can, the soundtrack of which became another successful exhibit in the collection of his hits.
By this time, the singer was no longer satisfied with his relationship with Capitol Records. In December 1960, he created his own recording company, Reprise Records, where he spent at least half of his studio time. Hence the abundance of releases in the early 60s (including a record six discs in 1962). Sinatra's first single, released by the Reprise label, The Second Time Around, was named the best record of the year by the organizers of the Grammy ceremony.
By the mid-60s, Sinatra began to be fairly squeezed not only (in the singles chart), but also victorious (in the album rankings), which no one could compete with. Sinatra, of course, still had his own constant audience, and quite a large one. And his talent was still hypnotic. 1965-66 was the time of another rise in popularity, the third peak in his half-century career. Over these two years, the singer accepted the Grammy Award five times, which crowned two triumphant albums September of My Years and A Man and His Music (review of his creative career), as well as two singles - It Was a Very Good Year and Strangers in the Night - immortal classics of the song genre - for best pop vocals. The album September of My Years, a symbiosis of vocal jazz, traditional and modern pop music, famously topped the sales chart and reached platinum status.
His personal life is no less stormy than his creativity. The 50-year-old artist experiences another passion and at 66 marries actress Mia Farrow. A 30-year age difference is not the best soil for a happy marriage. A year later they divorced.
Until the end of the 60s, Sinatra continued to launch high-quality releases into the musical orbit, none of which were ignored by the public. And although in the second half of the 60s representatives of the young galaxy of rock musicians were already breathing at his back, the 50-year-old performer still had a large margin of safety. Compilation of the best tracks Greatest Hits! (1968) went platinum and new album Cycles, which featured songs by contemporary authors such as Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Webb and others, sold 500,000 copies. Another “gold” was awarded to the collection of songs My Way, specially written for Sinatra by another 60s icon, Paul Anka.
Thus, heroically fighting against time, age and passing fashion, the musician celebrated his 55th anniversary and in 1971 announced his retirement from the stage. But after such a busy work history, indulging in idleness for a long time was beyond his strength. Two years later he returned to the studio and at the same time to television. The new album and the new special TV show were called the same - Ol "Blue Eyes Is Back (Blue Eyes is the generally accepted nickname of the blue-eyed singer, which became his second self). Thus began the last chapter of his career, which ended shortly before his death. During these For more than two decades, he appeared in the studio much less often, acted less in films and on television, but performed much more actively, fortunately, the vast catalog provided almost inexhaustible resources for compiling any concert programs. Las Vegas became his favorite stop on his concert routes, but a big one. chance of seeing and hearing living legend In the 20th century, residents of dozens of other cities and many countries of the world also had it.
His fourth and last wife was Barbara Marx, whom he married in 1976. After the album Some Nice Things I've Missed (1973), for seven years Sinatra preferred live performances to studio work, and only in 1980 he broke his silence with a collection of songs on three discs, Trilogy: Past, Present, Future. The brightest touch on this impressive canvas turned out to be the track Theme From New York, New York, the title theme from the popular 1977 film New York, New York. Sinatra’s performance turned this composition into a famous pop standard. Thus, Frank Sinatra turned out to be the only singer in the history of the twentieth century. whose hit single was separated by half a century.
Unbound by obligations, Sinatra had the luxury of recording as much as he saw fit. In the 80s, he considered it necessary to limit himself to two moderately received releases. In 1990, the two companies that owned the rights to the artist's catalogue, Capitol and Reprise, released two box sets for his 75th anniversary. Each of the releases, The Capitol Years and The Reprise Collection, on three and four discs respectively, sold half a million copies, although they were released simultaneously.
Frank Sinatra broke the long pause only in 1993, signing a contract with Capitol Records and preparing the long-play Duets - old public favorites, recorded with new (and already famous) heroes of the scene - from Tony Bennett and Barbara Streisand ) to Bono. Although this album did not add anything new to the musician’s already existing achievements, it was competently presented to the public, who had waited ten years for new recordings of their idol. Nostalgia turned out to be a hot commodity: Duets became the most popular disc of Sintara's career and was certified platinum three times. A collection of selected duets, Duets II, published a year later, brought the author another Grammy Award for the best performance of traditional pop music. There was no other way to evaluate this titanic work that brought together Streisand and Bono, Julio Iglesias and Aretha Franklin, and a dozen other stars.
Decline of a career. Death
In 1994 - almost 60 years after his first professional tour - 78-year-old Sinatra played his last concert. Having just celebrated his 80th birthday, in 1995 Frank Sinatra finally quite officially and completely retired. He did not have long to enjoy the retirement idyll. In May 1998, the life of the 82-year-old artist was cut short in Los Angeles.
A man has passed away whose contribution to musical history far exceeds the scale of a single individual. The greatness of the entire body of his work is comparable only to the revolutionary whirlwind raised
