Encores and Other Choices: Frank Sinatra (originally featured 12/09/2009) Francis Albert Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to immigrant parents. His mother, Natalina Della (Garaventa) came from a Northern Italian family; his father, Saverio Antonino Martino Sinatra—of Sicilian descent—was a boxer, fireman, and bar owner. Growing up in Hoboken made Sinatra determined and hardworking in order to get ahead. He started out as a saloon singer, carrying his own PA system to work in little dives. He eventually got work as a band singer—first with the Hoboken Four, followed by Harry James, and then Tommy Dorsey. In 1942, he started a solo career, finding fame among the era’s “bobbysoxers”, and became one of the era’s most popular singers. While gaining popularity as a solo singer, Sinatra also launched a film career. After appearances in a few small films, he landed a lead role in Anchors Aweigh, with Gene Kelly; the film was a 1946 Best Picture nominee. He was recognized by the film academy with a special Oscar for a 1945 short film that spoke out against intolerance. He found film success with Kelly a few years later, appearing in the musical On The Town and Take Me Out to the Ball Game. A publicized affair with screen star Ava Gardner, and the subsequent breakup of his marriage to Nancy (Barbato) hurt both his record and box office sales. After a few years of lesser films, he secured his coveted role as Maggio in From Here to Eternity (1953), earning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Possibly a career-best performance was his role as a heroin addict in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), for which he received a Best Actor nomination. Looking at his singing career, Sinatra signed with Capitol Records in 1953, and released several critically lauded albums during his tenure with the label. In 1961, he left Capitol to start his own record label, Reprise Records. He performed in live shows, toured internationally, and was a founding member of the so-called “Rat Pack” of Las Vegas entertainers. Turning 50 in 1965, Sinatra recorded the retrospective “September of My Years”, starred in the Emmy-awarded television special Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music, and scored hits with “Strangers in the Night” and “My Way”. As popular tastes changed, dwindling sales of his records and appearances in poorly received films let to Sinatra announcing a “retirement” in 1971. Two years later, he came out of retirement, releasing the album Ol’ Blue Eyes is Back. Using Las Vegas as a home base, he continued recording and touring until a short time before his death in 1998. Our original TMMB feature showcased the Irving Berlin-penned “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”, from Sinatra’s CBS television show of the early 1950s. From 1954, here is “Fly Me to the Moon”—originally titled “In Other Words”;
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 11:20:35 +0000
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