Happy 86th Birthday Frank Sinatra!

The Calendar | December 12th, 2001 | StoneColdGOP

[StoneColdGOP]

"The kid's name is Sinatra. He considers himself the greatest vocalist in the business. No one's ever heard of him. He looks like a wet rag. But he says he's the greatest."
- Harry James, c. 1937

Yes Harry, he was and always will be the greatest. His was the music of the 20th Century, and when he died on May 14th, 1998, the century truly ended. Hoboken, New Jersey's most famous son, born December 12th, 1915 will always be a part of America's musical history, and will be in the hearts of those who were touched by his music.

He was 62 when I was born, and I was 21 when he left us. Not a likely candidate to become so rabid a fan, but I am glad it happened. Life is better for it, there's no soundtrack to accompany the ups and downs and events of your life quite like Frank Sinatra.

"I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, fine family - and I don't think I could ask for anything more than that, actually."

Frank with the gal that got away, Ava Gardner
"I'm supposed to have a Ph.D. on the subject of women. But the truth is I've flunked more often than not. I'm very fond of women; I admire them. But, like all men, I don't understand them."

"I'm for anything that gets you through the night, be it prayer, tranquilizers, or a bottle of Jack Daniel's."

"May you live to be 100 and may the last voice you hear be mine."

"We ain't actually figured out ourselves what we do up here, but it's fun, baby", at the Sands in Las Vegas - January 1960

"I'm not one of those complicated, mixed-up cats. I'm not lookin' for the secret to life or the answer to life. I just go on from day to day, takin' what comes."

"Once you're a friend, you're a friend for life" Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop

[NYCVirago]

Good job!

[hoot2]

thank you, very well done.

[skr]

T'anks for da ping-ading-ding

[Artaniss]

Marvelous tribute StoneColdGOP! How's your bird? I'm a huge fan. Favorite all time song is Fly Me To The Moon. By the way if you didn't already know, Frank's favorite song to sing was One For My Baby. Here's a page of links for Sinatra and the Rat Pack. It hasn't been updated since 1999 so some of them may not work.

Sinatra and Rat Pack Links

Happy Birthday Frank!

Heaven will never be the same!

[StoneColdGOP]

how bout your picks for his best albums?

Well, I have to categorize into two camps on this question, if I can remember them all:

Favorite happy, upbeat, "Got the World on a String" albums:

"Come Fly With Me"
"Songs for Swingin' Lovers"
"Ring-a-Ding-Ding!"
"It Might as Well be Swing"
"I've Got a Crush on You"
"Nice 'n' Easy"
"The Summit in Concert" (Frank, Dean, Sammy)

Favorite, depressing, torch song, sullen, "God I need to get drunk tonight" albums: (which everyone should own)

"She Shot Me Down"
"Everything Happens to Me"
"No One Cares"
"Where Are You?"
"In the Wee Small Hours"
"Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely"
And songs in this category that just need mention... In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning, One for My Baby, I'm a Fool to Want You, Drinking Again, Empty Tables, Forget to Remember, No One Ever Tells You, When No One Cares, Here's that Rainy Day, I'll Never Smile Again, This Was My Love, Stormy Weather...

[StoneColdGOP]

Ah, that Summer Wind... my fickle friend, the Summer Wind.

[StoneColdGOP]

Great song!

[StoneColdGOP]

You got it, man.

[StoneColdGOP]

It's technically still his birthday here for another three hours and 15 minutes, and I still got some JD left...

[StoneColdGOP]

Rest easy, he and his crew reserved their punches for sour bartenders, lousy card dealers, and reporters! ;-)

[StoneColdGOP]

I'll drink to that! (with my mere Tennessee whiskey)

[StoneColdGOP]

It sure can.

[StoneColdGOP]

I think the work he did with Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins was absolutely masterful. The best arrangements and recordings. Heartbreaking versions of torch songs from both combos.

[StoneColdGOP]

Thank you!

[StoneColdGOP]

Glad to do it, the Chairman deserves such recognition.

[StoneColdGOP]

;-)

[teletech]

I think the work he did with Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins was absolutely masterful. The best arrangements and recordings. Heartbreaking versions of torch songs from both combos.

Absolutely agree!!

[StoneColdGOP]

We're just fine, Charley!

Settlin' down with another glass of gasoline, lookin' forward to a gasser of a clambake tomorrow!

[harry palmer]

I read this somewhere once:

"Do be or not Do be..." William Shakespeare
"Do be is do be." John Paul Sartre.
"Do be Do be doo." Frank Sinatra.