Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra, nicknamed “Ol’ Blue Eyes” and the “Chairman of the Board,” was an American singer, conductor and actor whose recording career ran from the swing era into the 1990s. Born Francis Albert Sinatra in Hoboken, New Jersey, on December 12, 1915, to Italian immigrants, he began as a vocalist with the Harry James band in 1939. Four years later he signed with Columbia Records, becoming an idol to the teenage “bobby soxers” of the period.

Sinatra released his debut album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra, in 1946. His early work placed an intimate, controlled vocal style against big-band and orchestral arrangements, and he later built a major run at Capitol Records. There he worked closely with arranger Nelson Riddle on albums including In the Wee Small Hours (1955) and Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! (1956). In 1960, he left Capitol to found Reprise Records, his own label.

At Reprise, Sinatra recorded with major jazz bandleaders and arrangers while extending his repertoire across swing, standards and popular song. His collaborations included Sinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical First with Count Basie in 1962, followed by It Might as Well Be Swing in 1964. He recorded September of My Years in 1965 and starred that year in the Emmy-winning television special Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music. Later projects included Sinatra at the Sands (1966), Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, and 1968’s Francis A. & Edward K. with Duke Ellington.

Sinatra retired in 1971 after releasing “My Way,” then returned to recording two years later. He continued making albums and released “New York, New York” in 1980. His worldwide record sales have been estimated at 150 million.

Alongside music, Sinatra sustained a successful screen career. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for From Here to Eternity (1953), and appeared in films including The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), On the Town (1949), Guys and Dolls (1955), High Society (1956) and Pal Joey (1957), for which he won a Golden Globe Award. He also directed the 1965 anti-war drama None but the Brave. Sinatra received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. He died on May 14, 1998.