A Musical Chairman of the Board: Short Biography of Frank Sinatra | Daily Music Roll

A Musical Chairman of the Board: Short Biography of Frank Sinatra

Author : Hughes Nelson

Born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S., Francis Albert Sinatra is famous for his musical contributions to this world and her flawless acting capabilities.

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The long career of this marvelous human being has been an inspiration for many youngsters for a long time, and the name Frank Sinatra is the reason many have fallen in love with the blues genre. Inspired after hearing the recordings of Bing Crosby, he embarked on his musical journey. And soon he became a part of a local singing group, Hoboken Four. And after they collectively won a competition in 1935 on a popular radio program called, Major Bowes’ Amateur Hour. The group was doing well but Sinatra had to travel a long way to become one of the most remembered music artists of that time.

The Band Days

frank sinatra band
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After Hoboken Four, in 1939, his professional band days started with 6 months of tenure with James band which resulted in some 10 commercial recordings featuring the singer. With songs like ‘From the Bottom of My Heart’, ‘My Buddy’, and ‘Ciribiribin’ he became a prominent face in the industry. But later on, he tied his alliance with Tommy Dorsey in December 1939. The playing attributes of Dorsey have moved him and Sinatra was yet to become the fastening epitome of ballads and up-tempo releases. In 1942 Dorsey’s enigma and popularity were set in the West Sinatra focused on his solo career.

Columbia Days

During this time the effects of World War II were engulfing the world and his career with Colombia Records started in November 1944. During this time he has offer tracks like ‘If You Are But a Dream’, ‘There’s No You’, ‘I Fall in Love Too Easily’, ‘Nancy’, and his evergreen number ‘Put Your Dreams Away’. And in this span of 1943 to 1952 he offered his audience some incredibly profound releases and this is why this time is known as the “Columbia era”.

The Acting Days

Apart from his singing abilities he was also an incredibly fine actor and has done some memorable motion pictures of that time. His acting ventures included names like “Anchors Aweigh” (1945), “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (1949), and “On the Town” (1949). Some of these films are considered incredible cult classics from the musical films genre. Later in 1953, he acted in “From Here to Eternity”. His work in this movie has earned him an Oscar for the best supporting actor male segment.

His Capitol Days

In the year 1953 his musical journey to a dynamic turn and he signed with Capitol Records. And for the next 9 years, he offered tracks that were highly engaging and compelled every music lover from around the world to fall his charming musical styles. Some of his transforming releases during this time were Come Fly with Me (1958) and Come Dance with Me! (1959), Where Are You? (1957), and No One Cares (1959). During his time with Capitol, he gave some memorable releases with Nelson Riddle. The Riddle-Sinatra duo has offered tracks like ‘In the Wee Small Hours’ (1955), ‘Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!’ (1956), and ‘Only the Lonely’ (1958) are still considered masterpieces.

The Rat Pack and the Mob

The Rat Pack and the Mob
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From late 1950 to the late 60s Sinatra kept appearing on stage and in films. And this is the time when offered films like “The Clan”, “The Summit”, and his most popular work, “The Rat Pack.” He shared the screen with highly talented artists and peripheral members like Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop, and Shirley MacLaine and honorary member John F. Kennedy. This was the time every came to know about the powerful connection he had with politics. And throughout these years Sinatra continued to associate with mob figures.

Reprise Years

In 1960 he launched his first Reprise record, whilst he continued his contract with Capitol as well. In 1962 his time with Capitol ended and Sinatra started in a full-fletched way to introduce as many tracks as possible through his new contracts. Between 1961 to 1963 he continued to work with Riddle, May, and Jenkins. He also worked with some emerging names like Johnny Mandel, Neal Hefti, and Don Costa during this time, and this offered his career a fresh kick which was widely celebrated amongst his audience. Some of his greatest albums of this age are “Strangers in the Night” (1966), “That’s Life” (1967), and “My Way” (1969).

By the initial days of 1969 the “Woodstock generation” engulfed the music industry. And this is the time Sinatra was heard saying, “Nobody’s writing songs for me anymore.” In 1971 he announced his retirement and by 1973 he resumed recording once again. His last two decades were the most poignant. He released one of the most ambitious three-disc Trilogy (1980), the ballad collection She Shot Me Down (1981), and L.A. Is My Lady (1984). This release featured a highly respected all-star orchestra. In 1993 he released ‘Duets’ and in 1994 he released ‘Duets II’ with his last signed recording company Capitol Records. And after 4 years on May 14th, 1998, in Los Angeles, California this huge musical being died and left a huge line of musical legacy behind for other music artists to follow his path.

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