Chairman of the Board

Chairman of the Board. Ole' Blue Eyes. The Voice. The Sultan of Swoon.

Whatever you choose to call him, Frank Sinatra was a one of a kind performer. Born December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey, Frank Sinatra, is considered by many to be the greatest entertainer of the 20th century. His career spanned seven decades and included acting as well as singing. He was a member of the infamous Rat Pack and was swooned over by the first teeny boppers, then known as bobby soxers. There isn't much that Frank Sinatra did not achieve in his long and illustrious career.

Here are some highlights:

1940 -- Joins The Tommy Dorsey Band as principal singer.

1942 -- Started making young girls "swoon" after leaving Tommy Dorsey Band to perform as a soloist, one of the first singers to do break out on his own.

1943-1946 -- Had 17 hit singles on Columbia Records.

1941 -- Made his first film appearance in Las Vegas Nights.

1950 -- Record sales begin to slump, as does his reputation, when his relationship with actress Ava Gardner is revealed.

1953 -- Signs with Capital Records which will start the pinnacle of his recording years. He and conductor Nelson Riddle begin recording full length concept albums.

1954 -- Comeback is official after his Oscar winning appearance in From Here to Eternity.

1960 -- After many successful years at Capital Records Sinatra decides to start his own record company, Reprise Records, the first major artist-owned label. This period also was the start of his Rat Pack days with Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. They performed together on stage and in such films as Ocean's 11 and Robin and the 7 Hoods.

1965-1970 -- Once again Sinatra reimagined himself through the last half of the decade with a successful television special (A Man and His Music) and recording songs with a more diverse sound. This produced such hits as "Strangers in the Night" and his signature song, "My Way".

1970-1980 -- Sinatra announced his retirement from show business in 1971, but of course that wasn't to last. He continued performing and recording with a variety of musicians from around the world. This is also the time when he records "Theme from New York, New York", the defining song of his career.

1990-1998 -- There was one last final comeback when a generation of young people discovered the Rat Pack and once again made them hip. This was followed in 1993 by an album, Duets, which paired him with many of the top performers of the day covering many of Sinatra's own hits. He continued to tour well into his 70s with his last concert in 1995. Frank Sinatra passed away on May 14, 1998.

From the Library collection:

Music: Check out our large selection of Frank Sinatra tunes, covering many decades of songs.

Films: Check out the wide selection of films, videos and television appearances from different times in Sinatra's career.

Books: Check out the many biographies (authorized and unauthorized) of Ole Blue Eyes.

-- Post by Tracy