Sinatra, Francis Albert

▪ 1999

      American singer and actor (b. Dec. 12, 1915, Hoboken, N.J.—d. May 14, 1998, Los Angeles, Calif.), became the idol of squealing teenagers in the late 1930s and went on to serve as an object of fascination for several generations over a period of more than six decades. Known variously as "the Voice," "Ol' Blue Eyes," and "Chairman of the Board," he was celebrated nearly as much for his offstage activities—not only his brawling, womanizing (and four wives: Nancy Barbato, Ava Gardner, Mia Farrow, and Barbara Marx), and hobnobbing with both mobsters and prominent politicians but also his acts of extreme generosity—as for his performances on over 200 albums, in some 60 films, and in countless nightclub and concert appearances. A number of songs, among them "One for My Baby," "My Way," "Come Fly with Me," "New York, New York," and "My Kind of Town," were considered his signatures. Sinatra's start in show business began in the mid-1930s with a win for the Hoboken Four (Sinatra and three friends) on the "Major Bowes Amateur Hour" radio program. A period of touring followed, and in 1939 he became a vocalist with Harry James's band. A move to Tommy Dorsey's band came a few months later, and in 1942, having become the idol of bobby-soxers, Sinatra went solo. Concert and radio performances and appearances in such films as Anchors Aweigh (1945), Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949), and On the Town (1949) enhanced his popularity. In the early 1950s, however, Sinatra's public image suffered because of his love affair with Gardner while he was still married to his first wife. Health problems followed, and his career seemed to be over. Nonetheless, he persevered and was given the role of Maggio in From Here to Eternity (1953), and his performance won him an Academy Award for best supporting actor. He followed that with strong performances in such films as Suddenly (1954); Guys and Dolls (1955); The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for best actor; Some Came Running (1959); and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Lighter in tone were the motion pictures he made with his group of friends known as the Rat Pack (Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop). Sinatra's recording career also was reborn, especially when he began to take advantage of the long-playing record; such albums as In the Wee Small Hours (1955), Only the Lonely (1958), and Come Dance with Me (1959) were each built around a single theme or mood and earned him credit for the invention of the concept album. His most successful single came in 1966 with "Strangers in the Night." Sinatra announced his retirement in 1971, but in 1973 that retirement ended with the television special "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back." He continued to record and tour until 1995. Among the most prestigious of his numerous awards were the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (1971), a Grammy legend award (1994), and the Congressional Gold Medal (1997).

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