Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert Frank Sinatra s n t r December 12, 1915 May 14, 1998 was an American singer, actor, producer, and director, who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. He is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Italian immigrants, he began his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. He found success as a solo artist after being signed by Columbia Records in 1943, becoming the idol of the bobby soxers. He released his first album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra, in 1946. Sinatras professional career had stalled by the early 1950s, and he turned to Las Vegas, where he became one of its best known performers as part of the Rat Pack. His career was reborn in 1953 with the success of From Here to Eternity and his subsequent Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He signed with Capitol Records and released several critically lauded albums, including In the Wee Small Hours 1955, Songs for Swingin Lovers 1956, Come Fly with Me 1958, Only the Lonely 1958 and Nice n Easy 1960.

Francis Albert Sinatra a was born on December 12, 1915, in an upstairs tenement at 415 Monroe Street in Hoboken, New Jersey. b He was the only child of Italian immigrants Natalina Dolly Garaventa, the daughter of a lithographer from Genoa, and Antonino Martino Marty Sinatra, the son of grape growers from Lercara Friddi, near Palermo, Sicily. c The couple had eloped on Valentines Day 1913, and married in a civil ceremony in Jersey City, New Jersey. Sinatra weighed 13.5 pounds 6.1kg at birth and had to be delivered with the aid of forceps, which caused severe scarring to his left cheek, neck, and ear, and perforated his ear drum, damage that remained for life. Due to his injuries at birth, his baptism at St. Francis Church in Hoboken was delayed until April 2, 1916. A childhood operation on his mastoid bone left major scarring on his neck, and during adolescence he suffered from cystic acne that scarred his face and neck. Sinatra was raised Roman Catholic.When Sinatras mother was a child, her pretty face earned her the nickname Dolly. Energetic and driven, biographers believe that she was the dominant factor in the development of her sons personality traits and extraordinary selfconfidence. Barbara Sinatra claims that Dolly was abusive to him as a child, and knocked him around a lot. Dolly became influential in Hoboken and in local Democratic Party circles. She worked as a midwife, earning 50 for each delivery, and according to Sinatra biographer Kitty Kelley, also ran an illegal abortion service that catered to Italian Catholic girls. d She also had a gift for languages and served as a local interpreter. Sinatras illiterate father was a bantamweight boxer who fought under the name Marty OBrien. He later worked foryears at the Hoboken Fire Department, working his way up to Captain. Sinatra spent much time at his parents tavern in Hoboken, e working on his homework and occasionally sin

Source: Wikipedia