Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on December

12, 1915, the only child of Italian immigrants Martin and Natalie "Dolly"
Sinatra. His father was a fire-fighter and his mother was an amateur
singer who often sang at social events. His first experience with music
came when his uncle gave him a ukulele, and on hot summer nights he
loved to go outside and sing while playing the instrument.
Early in his life Sinatra knew he wanted to become a singer. He dropped out of high school
and began to sing at small clubs. He got his first big break on the radio talent show in 1935.
In 1939, he began working on radio station in New York City with Harry James for $75 per
week. That same year he married his longtime sweetheart, Nancy Barbato. They would
eventually have three children.
The Swing Era lasted from 1935 through the end of World War II. Sinatra was by far the
Swing Era's best-known vocalist. His musical roots combined Tin Pan Alley (the song
writing center of New York City) and Italian opera. Most important to him throughout his
career would be his insistence on his own style and arrangements for whatever music he
sang, thus producing his own unique phrasing of lyrics and melody lines.
Sinatra's wide-shouldered suits and his bow ties were imitated by many men, but his most
ardent followers were teenaged girls, nicknamed "bobby-soxers" for the ankle-high socks
they wore. His widespread appeal was further fueled by America's explosive mass media
growth in newspapers, magazines, films, record players, and radio stations. Sinatra was the
first singer to attract the kind of near hysteria that would later accompany live appearances
by Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
In 1950s, when Sinatra's bobby-soxer fans became adults, Sinatra had shifted smoothly to the
role of the aging romantic bachelor. This was signified by the image of him leaning alone
against a lamppost with a raincoat slung over one shoulder.
In 1960s Sinatra recorded his best world-known hits "My Way" ,"It Was a Very Good Year"
and "Strangers in the Night" . He reached the top of the singles charts in a duet, "Somethin'
Stupid," with his daughter Nancy in 1967.
After celebrating his eightieth birthday in 1995 at a public tribute, new packages of
recordings were released and became instant best-sellers. But Sinatra's health continued to
deteriorate in the 1990s. On the evening of May 14, 1998, Sinatra died of a heart attack in
Los Angeles, California.
The audiences who grew up with him and his music were complemented by adoration from
younger generations. They have all made "Old Blue Eyes" one of the most outstanding
popular singers of the twentieth century.

Based on materials www.notablebiographies.com