Valentine's Day and Sinatra: The Perfect Combination

The music of Frank Sinatra is good all yearlong, but particularly so on Valentine's Day, when nearly 80 Sinatra fans attended biographer Jack Diamond’s presentation at the Morton Grove Public Library.

“Frank Sinatra was the premier male pop singer of the twentieth century," said Diamond. "There were singers who had better voices than Sinatra, but no one was better when it came to breathing, phrasing and diction," he said.

"Sinatra made his listeners think he was singing just for them.”

Born on Dec. 12, 1915, Sinatra was the only child of Italian immigrants. His quick rise to fame was marked with moments of turmoil, according to Diamond.

Fly Me to the Moon: A quick rise to fame

American musician and bandleader Harry James asked Sinatra, who was 24 years old at the time, to become his band’s vocalist. Six months later, Tommy Dorsey offered Sinatra double what Harry James was paying him if he’d sign on with the Tommy Dorsey Band. Harry James released Sinatra from their deal and Sinatra signed a five-year contract with the Tommy Dorsey Band.

In 1941, Sinatra wanted to leave the Tommy Dorsey Band to become a solo performer.

“When Tommy Dorsey refused to let Sinatra out of his contract, several of Frank’s mafia friends went to see Dorsey and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse," said Diamond. "The next day, Dorsey tore up Sinatra’s contract."

Sinatra signed a solo recording contract with Columbia Records and became a hugely successful recording artist.  He also signed a contract with MGM Studios. His first film was Anchors Aweigh with Gene Kelly.

That's Life: Sinatra hits a rough patch

According to his biographers, Sinatra's late 1940s and early 1950s were a time of personal and professional turmoil. In 1948, Sinatra divorced his fist wife, Nancy Barbato, to marry Ava Gardner.  The marriage would last six tempestuous years. Sinatra experienced hemorrhaging of the vocal cords in 1950. He had to give up singing for more than a year after having vocal cord surgery.  Both Columbia and MGM cancelled his contracts.

Sinatra fought to get the role of Private Maggio in From Here to Eternity.  His then wife, Ava Gardner, got him an appointment to see studio head, Harry Cohen.  

Sinatra won the role after Eli Wallach dropped out, but he took a pay cut to do it. Sinatra received $8,000 for his work in From Here to Eternity. This was a big drop from the $130,000 he received for Anchors Aweigh.

From Here to Eternity went on to win eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and a Best Supporting Actor for Sinatra.

My Way: The singer finds his own voice, recording label

In 1953, Sinatra’s voice was back and he signed on with Capital Records. Diamond suggested that Sinatra did some of his best work at Capital where he teamed up with arranger and composer Nelson Riddle.

Sinatra founded his own record label, Reprise Records, in 1961.

In 1971, at age 55, Sinatra announced that he’d retire from singing to direct and produce films.

One for My Baby (And One More for the Road): Sinatra's final chapter

Yet, said Diamond, the public wanted Sinatra to continue singing. In 1973, Sinatra relented and came out of retirement and released the album Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back.

Sinatra continued performing until 1994. Diamond says, “Sinatra should have retired at age 60. After 60, his voice was not what it once was and people came to see the man rather than to hear the voice.”

Sinatra died after having a heart attack on May 14, 1998.

The Morton Grove Public Library will  show From Here to Eternity on Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. in the Baxter Room.