Besides recording nearly 1,500 songs released on scores of records, Sinatra has starred in nearly 60 motion pictures, often with "Rat Pack" friends Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and
Peter Lawford. He also became a media figure thanks to his turbulent personal life and "tough guy" posturing, evolving into the symbol of an America long past.



Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 to an Italian immigrant coupleliving in Hoboken, N.J.   An only child, Sinatra's parents hoped that their son would become an engineer, but Frank had other plans -- coasting through school
in order to concentrate on athletics and getting into scraps with other boys and the local police. Working after school for a local newspaper, Frank quickly rose through the ranks from copy boy to rookie sports reporter, often covering high school games in which he himself participated. (Sinatra was an accomplished all-around athlete, with a special interest in boxing.) Not long after graduation Frank began singing in his spare time.

Though he never took formal lessons, he idolized Bing Crosby and frequently practiced his songs, eventually entering local talent contests. After winning a prominent radio contest, the Major Bowes Amateur Hour, in 1938, Sinatra was hired to be a
headwaiter and MC at a small New Jersey club called The Rustic Cabin; in his spare time he began singing on local radio stations, performing for gas money. Meanwhile, the struggling young vocalist married his long-time girlfriend, Nancy
Barbato, in February of 1939.

One fateful day in June of 1939, former Benny Goodman sideman Harry James came to the Rustic Cabin and heard Sinatra singing; he immediately hired Sinatra for hisnew band, the Harry James Orchestra. After touring with the group for less than six months and performing with them on the minor single "All or Nothing at All," famed big band trombonist Tommy Dorsey hired Sinatra away for his ownTommy Dorsey Orchestra. With Sinatra's smooth vocals charting the group severalTop 10 singles, Dorsey's band became one of the biggest
acts of the early 1940s. While serving in the band, Sinatra began appearing in movies, starting with 1940'sLas Vegas Nights. The following year he was drafted by the Army, but due to an old ear
injury he was given an exemption from service.

By the end of 1942, Sinatra decided to pursue a solo career, agreeing to pay Dorseyone third of his future earnings and another 10 percent to Dorsey's manager, Leonard Vannerson. Inking a deal with Columbia Records, Sinatra became a prolific
artist, recording several times a year and releasing a single nearly every month during the mid-'40s. His concerts became magnets for screaming teenage girls, the forerunners of
modern-day rock groupies, attracting over 25,000 fans for a 1944 New York appearance. As a youth icon Sinatra used his popularity to endorse Franklin D. Roosevelt's final run for president, starting a long tradition of political involvement. By 1946 Sinatra was perhaps America's top performer, selling as many 10 million singles each year and playing packed houses from coast to coast. Known for his clean-cut, bow-tie image and
popularly referred to as "The Voice," in 1947 Sinatra recorded a whopping 72 new songs, a personal high mark; he was making almost a million dollars a year at a time when a new car cost
around one thousand dollars.

Unfortunately that same year he became the subject of serious allegations about his personal allegiances: in February it was reported that he spent time in Cuba with mob boss Lucky Luciano and in April he was accused by a Hollywood gossip
columnist of having ties to the Communist Party (he later punched the man in the face!). Sinatra denied these charges, claiming he was the subject of anti-Italian prejudice, but rumors continued to dog him over the next few years.

In 1949 the Committee on Un-American Activities claimed that Sinatra had ties to both the Mafia and the Communists; that same year he was further disgraced when his affair with actress Ava Gardner was exposed and his wife Nancy separated from him. Sinatra's record label dropped him, his radio show was canceled, his talent agency fired him and his film contract with MGM was terminated. Abandoned by the entertainment industry, Sinatra was ruined and washed up, reduced to borrowing money from Ava Gardner.
In 1950 Sinatra saw the script for From Here To Eternity and became enchantedby the character of the Italian soldier Angelo Maggio, for whose part he immediately auditioned. Accepting less than a tenth of his usual fee, Sinatra put his heart into
the 1953 film, earning an Academy Award for his performance. Sinatra's film career was reinvigorated, and Capitol Records signed him to a new record deal. With key roles in hitmovies like Guys and Dolls and The Man With the Golden Arm, Sinatra became as well-known for his off-the-cuff acting style as his singing, which had not suffered during his short break from performing. His first three albums for Capitol, Young At
Heart, Learnin' The Blues, and The Tender Trap, each went platinum, proving that despite leading a controversial personal life, his golden voice was still loved by millions of fans. 1956's landmark Songs for Swinging Lovers brought Sinatra back to
the top, now an icon for adults rather than teenagers. He threw his support behind then-Senator John F. Kennedy, who became President in 1960; Sinatra and Kennedy are believed to have
shared a girlfriend, Judith Exner, but the two men grew apart when Sinatra's now well-known mob ties became politically embarrassing for the "tough on crime" President.

During the 1960s Sinatra, no longer with Ava Gardner, was romantically linked to actressLauren Bacall and dancer Juliet Prowse, but did not marry either woman, instead tyingthe knot with 21-year-old actress Mia Farrow in 1966, a highly controversial move forthe 51-year-old Sinatra. The aging singer began performing with "The Rat Pack,"composed up of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Sinatraappeared in movies (such as 1960's Ocean's Eleven), toured, and recordedwith the 'Pack in various combinations; the group became known for their uniqueslang and "swinging" image. Sinatra maintained his tough reputation by threateningclub owners and musicians whom he didn't like, engaging in occasional drunken outbursts; he was often seen
with mob figures such as Sam Giancana, a close friend.
"Old Blue Eyes," as he was now known, began to fade from the limelight duringthe late '60s as he grew older and less relevant to contemporary music. Followinghis last No. 1 hit, 1966's
"Strangers in the Night," Sinatra began experimentingwith jazz and other forms of music, but became stale. On March 23, 1971 heannounced his retirement from music, eager to spend more
time with his family, includingthe three children he had with Nancy. The following year he switched from a bona fide liberal to a right-wing conservative after he was brought before the House Crime Committee as part of their investigation of the mafia -- Sinatra felt he was beingvictimized by false accusations. By 1973 he had come out of retirement, releasingthe No. 15 album, "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back," later that year. Though he
releasedseveral more albums of mixed-quality material, Sinatra's output trickled off during the '70s. In 1976 he married yet again, this time to Barbara Marx, the widow of ZeppoMarx of the Marx Brothers.

Though 1980's Trilogy was critically praised, he did not record much during the decade, concentrating on live appearances (including several telethon appearances).In 1993 Sinatra
brought new attention to his career by recording a chart-toppingduet album with singers such as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin and Bono from U2;though critically panned (the duets were recorded in separate studios at separate times!),the album was his best-selling release to date. The following
year he released his finalalbum, Duets II, more of
the same stuff found on his first Duets album. 

After an 80th birthday performance in 1995,
"The Chairman of the Board" retired from music.



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