Frank Sinatra
Biography
Francis Albert Sinatra, one of the most influential and popular entertainers of the 20th century, was born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey. The only child of Italian immigrants, he decided to pursue a singing career in his teens after watching Bing Crosby perform. He joined his high school's glee club and began singing in local nightclubs.
Early Career and Rise to Fame
Sinatra's professional journey began in 1935 when he joined the local singing group the Hoboken Four, who won a talent competition on the popular radio show, Major Bowes' Amateur Hour. In 1939, trumpeter Harry James discovered him singing at The Rustic Cabin in New Jersey and hired him as his band's vocalist. A year later, Sinatra joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, a move that significantly boosted his career and made him a household name. With Dorsey, he recorded hits like "I'll Never Smile Again."
Between 1943 and 1946, Sinatra's solo career took off, and he became a teen idol, earning nicknames like "The Voice" and "The Sultan of Swoon". He released his debut album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra, in 1946, which reached number one on the Billboard chart. However, his popularity declined in the post-war years.
Acting Career and Comeback
Sinatra's career was revived in 1953 with his role as Private Angelo Maggio in the film From Here to Eternity, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This success led to a string of successful films, including The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, Guys and Dolls (1955), High Society (1956), and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He also won a Golden Globe Award for his role in Pal Joey (1957).
Musical Evolution and The Rat Pack
In 1953, Sinatra signed with Capitol Records and began collaborating with arrangers like Nelson Riddle, resulting in critically acclaimed albums such as In the Wee Small Hours (1955) and Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (1956). In 1960, he started his own record label, Reprise Records. During the 1960s, Sinatra was a key member of the "Rat Pack," a group of entertainers that included Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. They performed together in Las Vegas and starred in several films, including the original Ocean's 11 (1960).
Notable Songs:
- My Way
- Strangers in the Night
- Fly Me To The Moon
- New York, New York
- I've Got You Under My Skin
Personal Life
Sinatra's personal life was often as public as his professional one. He was married four times. His first marriage was to his childhood sweetheart, Nancy Barbato, in 1939, with whom he had three children: Nancy, Frank Jr., and Tina. Their marriage ended in 1951. Later that year, he married actress Ava Gardner, a union marked by intense passion and public quarrels, which ended in 1957. His third marriage was to actress Mia Farrow in 1966, which lasted two years. In 1976, he married Barbara Marx, and they remained together until his death.
Later Years and Legacy
Sinatra briefly retired in 1971 but made a comeback two years later. He recorded several more albums and had a hit with "New York, New York" in 1980. Throughout his career, Sinatra received numerous awards, including eleven Grammy Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. Frank Sinatra passed away from a heart attack on May 14, 1998, at the age of 82 in Los Angeles, California. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, with an estimated 150 million records sold worldwide.