WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.759 You know that voice, don't you? It's instantly 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:06.099 recognizable, timeless, synonymous with cool, 00:00:06.219 --> 00:00:09.960 with class, with a certain defiant elegance. 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:12.580 Absolutely. You hear it and maybe My Way or New 00:00:12.580 --> 00:00:14.679 York, New York just pops into your head immediately. 00:00:14.820 --> 00:00:17.140 Right. But behind that legendary sound, behind 00:00:17.140 --> 00:00:20.719 all the headlines and the Rat Pack stories, there's, 00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:23.929 well, there's a story that's Far richer, more 00:00:23.929 --> 00:00:26.890 complex, and often pretty surprising than most 00:00:26.890 --> 00:00:29.850 people realize. Way more complex. Welcome, deep 00:00:29.850 --> 00:00:32.549 divers. Today, we're taking a truly exhaustive 00:00:32.549 --> 00:00:36.130 deep dive into a colossal titan of the 20th century, 00:00:36.789 --> 00:00:38.950 Frank Sinatra. And we've really gathered an incredible 00:00:38.950 --> 00:00:40.850 stack of material for you. I mean, everything 00:00:40.850 --> 00:00:43.659 from official birth records. detailed career 00:00:43.659 --> 00:00:47.079 analyses to intensely personal anecdotes, even 00:00:47.079 --> 00:00:49.659 declassified FBI files. It's quite a collection. 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:51.960 It really is. Our mission for you, our curious 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:54.299 listener, is to move beyond the Polish legend, 00:00:54.299 --> 00:00:56.539 you know, the tabloid stuff. Yeah. Get past the 00:00:56.539 --> 00:00:58.979 easy image. We're going to uncover the pivotal, 00:00:59.259 --> 00:01:01.259 sometimes traumatic moments, the surprising, 00:01:01.539 --> 00:01:04.599 sometimes contradictory influences and just the 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:08.180 sheer unyielding grit that forged all blue eyes 00:01:08.180 --> 00:01:11.260 into this unparalleled cultural force. He really 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:14.060 did seem to embody that self -made American dream, 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:18.620 didn't he? But in all its complicated, dazzling, 00:01:19.019 --> 00:01:22.140 and sometimes, well, dark glory. Exactly. You 00:01:22.140 --> 00:01:24.340 might know mostly for the timeless songs, the 00:01:24.340 --> 00:01:27.180 charisma on stage, maybe the powerful movie roles. 00:01:27.299 --> 00:01:29.700 Sure, the obvious stuff. But what becomes so 00:01:29.700 --> 00:01:32.400 clear digging through these sources is how his 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:35.780 challenging, sometimes brutal beginnings profoundly 00:01:35.780 --> 00:01:39.359 shaped his, well... insatiable ambition, that 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:41.420 relentless drive. We're going to meticulously 00:01:41.420 --> 00:01:44.239 unpack the dramatic, sometimes almost catastrophic 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:47.120 turns in his career. We'll delve into his deep, 00:01:47.579 --> 00:01:49.620 often kind of unacknowledged commitment to civil 00:01:49.620 --> 00:01:51.500 rights. Which is fascinating in itself, and we 00:01:51.500 --> 00:01:53.760 have to squarely face the persistent controversies 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:55.420 too, the ones that seem to follow him like a 00:01:55.420 --> 00:01:58.000 shadow, right? Oh yeah, for decades. What's truly 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:00.500 remarkable, if you connect the dots, is how his 00:02:00.500 --> 00:02:02.459 biggest personal struggles and his most amazing 00:02:02.459 --> 00:02:05.060 triumphs. They weren't just happening alongside 00:02:05.060 --> 00:02:07.500 his art. No, they were the fuel. They became 00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:11.300 the raw material. They directly fueled his artistic 00:02:11.300 --> 00:02:14.039 output, giving his music that emotional depth, 00:02:14.259 --> 00:02:16.520 that authenticity, that vulnerability that just 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:20.280 resonates so deeply with millions for generations. 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:22.639 Well, buckle up. We're about to explore the real 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:25.099 man behind the voice. It's a journey that's going 00:02:25.099 --> 00:02:27.699 to reveal intense contradictions, that vulnerability 00:02:27.699 --> 00:02:31.490 mixed with incredible toughness. And that unwavering, 00:02:31.590 --> 00:02:34.150 almost obsessive drive that kept him right at 00:02:34.150 --> 00:02:37.069 the absolute top of his game for decades. We're 00:02:37.069 --> 00:02:39.509 peeling back the layers on Francis Albert Sinatra. 00:02:39.650 --> 00:02:41.930 OK, let's unpack this right from the very beginning, 00:02:42.250 --> 00:02:44.530 because Frank Sinatra's entry into the world. 00:02:44.939 --> 00:02:47.919 It was anything but gentle. No kidding. Right. 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:50.360 Francis Albert Sinatra, born December 12, 1915, 00:02:50.740 --> 00:02:53.500 a tenement building, 415 Monroe Street in Hoboken, 00:02:53.580 --> 00:02:55.039 New Jersey. There's a plaque there now, isn't 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:57.460 there? Yep. But yeah, not a gentle start at all. 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:00.860 He weighed a remarkable 13 .5 pounds. 13 and 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:03.780 a half? Wow. Huge. And the delivery required 00:03:03.780 --> 00:03:07.229 forceps. And that procedure, it left lifelong 00:03:07.229 --> 00:03:09.530 scarring, right? On his face, neck. Left cheek, 00:03:09.729 --> 00:03:12.129 neck, left ear. And not just that, the trauma 00:03:12.129 --> 00:03:14.830 perforated his eardrum. A condition he had his 00:03:14.830 --> 00:03:18.590 whole life. His entire life. And it had big implications 00:03:18.590 --> 00:03:20.590 later on, especially with the military service 00:03:20.590 --> 00:03:22.370 thing. Right. And can you imagine the start? 00:03:22.409 --> 00:03:24.770 He was apparently resuscitated by his grandmother. 00:03:24.990 --> 00:03:27.689 Yeah. Under cold running water, he was seemingly 00:03:27.689 --> 00:03:30.469 stillborn, gasping for his first breath. That's 00:03:30.469 --> 00:03:33.189 just incredible. So traumatic that his baptism 00:03:33.189 --> 00:03:37.770 was delayed for a month. April 2, 1916. It was 00:03:37.770 --> 00:03:40.330 a remarkably difficult, almost violent entry 00:03:40.330 --> 00:03:43.210 into the world, especially for someone who became 00:03:43.210 --> 00:03:46.629 one of the most visible charismatic figures ever. 00:03:46.750 --> 00:03:48.689 It really puts things in perspective from the 00:03:48.689 --> 00:03:52.250 start. That early trauma and then later childhood 00:03:52.250 --> 00:03:56.039 operations on his mastoid bone. more scars, severe 00:03:56.039 --> 00:03:59.539 cystic acne as a teenager. It's not just biographical 00:03:59.539 --> 00:04:02.419 detail. No, it's a lens, isn't it, to see his 00:04:02.419 --> 00:04:05.180 later drive? Absolutely. If you think psychologically, 00:04:05.259 --> 00:04:07.819 maybe that early battle against physical vulnerability 00:04:07.819 --> 00:04:10.719 just instilled this relentless need to control 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:13.240 things, his environment, his image, his destiny. 00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:16.000 Like he had to dominate stages, board rooms, 00:04:16.180 --> 00:04:19.500 everything. It seems like it. Almost like unconsciously 00:04:19.500 --> 00:04:21.800 overcompensating for that initial helplessness 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:25.160 his whole life. Projecting invulnerability, that 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:29.079 tough persona. Masking the scars, physical and 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:31.180 maybe emotional too. It really makes you wonder, 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:33.720 doesn't it? How much did those hidden physical 00:04:33.720 --> 00:04:35.939 struggles, the scars he tried to hide, the hearing 00:04:35.939 --> 00:04:39.560 issue he managed, how much did that fuel his 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:43.220 insatiable ambition? His perfectionism. It definitely 00:04:43.220 --> 00:04:45.500 points to someone who felt he had something profound 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:47.560 to prove, maybe mostly to himself. Yeah, I think 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:49.699 so. So with such a dramatic start, maybe it's 00:04:49.699 --> 00:04:51.600 no surprise his parents were larger than life, 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:54.180 too. Dolly and Marty. Quite the characters, weren't 00:04:54.180 --> 00:04:57.740 they? Oh, yeah. His mother, Natalina Dolly Garaventa, 00:04:57.980 --> 00:05:00.300 an Italian immigrant, described as energetic, 00:05:00.660 --> 00:05:03.120 incredibly driven, a total force of nature. Big 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:05.839 in local democratic politics, midwife interpreter. 00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:08.420 Ward leader. But not always on the right side 00:05:08.420 --> 00:05:10.500 of the law. She ran an illegal abortion service. 00:05:10.779 --> 00:05:13.160 got arrested multiple times, convicted twice. 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:15.519 Hatpin Dolly, they called her. That's the infamous 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:18.740 nickname. Then his father, Antonino Martino, 00:05:19.019 --> 00:05:22.160 Marty Sinatra. Illiterate, a former bantamweight 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:25.180 boxer. But became a captain in the Hoboken Fire 00:05:25.180 --> 00:05:28.079 Department. That's grit. Yeah, and despite being 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:30.720 illiterate himself, he really pushed Frank towards 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:33.139 education. Wanted him to be a civil engineer. 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:36.079 go to Stevens Institute. Quite the dynamic duo. 00:05:36.579 --> 00:05:39.879 Ambition, pragmatism, a little bit of the underworld, 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:42.680 maybe. Definitely set the stage for Frank's own 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:45.139 complex personality. Right. And Nancy Sinatra, 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:47.800 Frank's daughter, she points to Dolly's steel 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:50.839 will as absolutely crucial to his character. 00:05:51.300 --> 00:05:53.459 She thought it helped him counter Dolly's sometimes 00:05:53.459 --> 00:05:56.600 belittling attitude about his music career. And 00:05:56.600 --> 00:05:59.160 maybe strangely, kept him competitive at the 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:01.410 top of his game. Barbara Sinatra, his fourth 00:06:01.410 --> 00:06:03.689 wife, even said Dolly knocked him around a lot 00:06:03.689 --> 00:06:06.750 as a kid. Intense upbringing. Physically and 00:06:06.750 --> 00:06:09.230 emotionally intense, it sounds like. That combative 00:06:09.230 --> 00:06:11.629 relationship with his strong willed mother, plus 00:06:11.629 --> 00:06:14.170 his dad pushing education and hard work. And 00:06:14.170 --> 00:06:16.370 the environment of their tavern during Prohibition, 00:06:16.569 --> 00:06:18.850 right? Right. Where Frank sang for change. Exactly. 00:06:19.069 --> 00:06:21.870 All that shaped him. It created this really complex 00:06:21.870 --> 00:06:24.610 person. Vulnerable to criticism, but incredibly 00:06:24.610 --> 00:06:26.990 tough. Able to take hits and keep coming back. 00:06:27.129 --> 00:06:29.209 You can see how Dolly's influence, especially, 00:06:29.389 --> 00:06:31.750 might have impacted his grit, his determination, 00:06:32.689 --> 00:06:35.269 maybe even his later dealings with powerful people. 00:06:35.370 --> 00:06:37.709 Yeah, he learned how to navigate power and influence 00:06:37.709 --> 00:06:41.129 really young. So with these strong parents, it 00:06:41.129 --> 00:06:43.310 makes sense why, despite his dad wanting him 00:06:43.310 --> 00:06:45.709 to be an engineer, Frank was drawn to something 00:06:45.709 --> 00:06:48.470 else entirely. Music. Rhythm and melody, yeah. 00:06:48.769 --> 00:06:51.649 He got a ukulele for his 15th birthday, and that 00:06:51.649 --> 00:06:54.699 was it. Performs bugged, bit him hard. Started 00:06:54.699 --> 00:06:57.660 arranging bands for school dances. Idolized the 00:06:57.660 --> 00:07:00.420 crooners of the day, Bing Crosby, obviously. 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:03.339 Bing, Gene Austin, Rudy Valet, Russ Colombo, 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:07.620 Bob Eberle. He soaked it all up. But formal education, 00:07:08.019 --> 00:07:10.300 definitely not his path. Expelled from high school 00:07:10.300 --> 00:07:14.000 after 47 days for general rowdiness. Total Frank 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:17.360 move, even then. Rebellious streak. Tried Drake 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:20.230 Business School, left after 11 months. just couldn't 00:07:20.230 --> 00:07:22.389 fit the conventional mold. The classroom wasn't 00:07:22.389 --> 00:07:24.910 his stage. His education came from, well, hard 00:07:24.910 --> 00:07:27.490 knocks and smoky clubs. This period really shows 00:07:27.490 --> 00:07:30.209 his raw, natural talent and that independent 00:07:30.209 --> 00:07:32.290 streak. It's amazing he never learned to read 00:07:32.290 --> 00:07:34.889 music, but learned by ear. Especially back then, 00:07:35.170 --> 00:07:37.790 with so many formerly trained musicians. Right. 00:07:38.189 --> 00:07:40.149 And his early jobs delivery boy for the Jersey 00:07:40.149 --> 00:07:43.370 Observer, Riveter at the Shipyard, show that 00:07:43.370 --> 00:07:46.029 working class background. Grounded. But he kept 00:07:46.029 --> 00:07:48.610 chasing the music, didn't he? Singing for free 00:07:48.610 --> 00:07:51.750 on local radio? W at? Wherever you can find an 00:07:51.750 --> 00:07:54.870 audience. Just honing his craft. And what's really 00:07:54.870 --> 00:07:57.129 revealing is that dollar -an -hour elocution 00:07:57.129 --> 00:08:00.009 lesson. With John Quinlan. Supposed to improve 00:08:00.009 --> 00:08:03.389 his speech. But instead, Quinlan spots his impressive 00:08:03.389 --> 00:08:06.089 vocal range, his potential, one of the first 00:08:06.089 --> 00:08:08.250 professionals to really hear it. The precursor 00:08:08.250 --> 00:08:12.129 to the voice. Exactly. It shows that even raw 00:08:12.129 --> 00:08:15.209 talent needs that bit of recognition, that refinement. 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.300 to really take off. Quinlan's insight was pivotal. 00:08:18.459 --> 00:08:21.300 And his mother, Dolly, she was key again for 00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:24.279 his first big break, wasn't she, in 1935? Absolutely 00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:26.560 instrumental. She somehow talked this local group, 00:08:26.860 --> 00:08:29.439 The Three Flashes, into letting Frank join. And 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:31.279 the reason they agree, it's almost comical. He 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:35.019 owned a car, a Chrysler. Huge asset back in the 00:08:35.019 --> 00:08:36.659 Depression for a group that needed to travel. 00:08:36.779 --> 00:08:39.639 So they became the Hoboken Four, one major Bose 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:42.600 amateur hour national radio show. Yeah, earned 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:46.340 $12 .50 each, got a six -month contract for stage 00:08:46.340 --> 00:08:49.580 and radio work. A taste of success. But it came 00:08:49.580 --> 00:08:52.080 with a downside. Jealousy from the other guys. 00:08:52.340 --> 00:08:54.519 Intense jealousy. They were physically bigger, 00:08:54.740 --> 00:08:56.980 and Frank was getting all the attention. Sources 00:08:56.980 --> 00:08:59.879 even mentioned brawls, them beating him up backstage. 00:09:00.139 --> 00:09:03.279 Wow. Harsh introduction to show business. Brutal. 00:09:03.419 --> 00:09:05.980 But it clearly shows his early magnetic charisma. 00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:09.100 He stood out, even when outmatched physically. 00:09:09.740 --> 00:09:12.029 Became a lead singer fast. Got the girl's attention. 00:09:12.129 --> 00:09:14.429 Which just fueled the jealousy more, I bet. Totally. 00:09:14.789 --> 00:09:17.129 His next step was singing Waiter, MC, at the 00:09:17.129 --> 00:09:19.950 Rustic Cabin in Inglewood Cliffs. 15 bucks a 00:09:19.950 --> 00:09:22.409 week. Peanuts, really. But he thought that was 00:09:22.409 --> 00:09:24.370 his break. He really did. Told friends he was 00:09:24.370 --> 00:09:26.070 going to become so big that no one could ever 00:09:26.070 --> 00:09:27.730 touch him. You got to admire the confidence. 00:09:27.889 --> 00:09:29.870 It makes you think, how did being singled out 00:09:29.870 --> 00:09:32.629 like that, positively by fans, negatively by 00:09:32.629 --> 00:09:36.070 peers, shape his view of fame? the competition. 00:09:36.129 --> 00:09:37.830 Probably reinforced that independent streak, 00:09:38.190 --> 00:09:39.649 made him feel like he had to fight for every 00:09:39.649 --> 00:09:41.690 single win. It was around then he made his first 00:09:41.690 --> 00:09:44.309 solo recording, Our Love. Arranged by Frank Maine, 00:09:44.809 --> 00:09:47.649 a rare disc now. Yeah, Maine kept it for decades, 00:09:47.889 --> 00:09:50.370 an early piece of history. So from these small 00:09:50.370 --> 00:09:53.070 gigs, his ambition was already laser focused 00:09:53.070 --> 00:09:56.149 on bigger stages, which led him to two legends. 00:09:56.570 --> 00:10:00.009 Harry James first, June 1939, signed him for 00:10:00.009 --> 00:10:03.330 $75 a week, a step up. But the records didn't 00:10:03.330 --> 00:10:05.779 sell well. From the bottom of my heart, all or 00:10:05.779 --> 00:10:08.639 nothing at all. Weak sales. Sinatra got frustrated 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:11.820 fast. He wanted solo stardom, like yesterday. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:14.100 So he made the move. James let him go. And he 00:10:14.100 --> 00:10:17.460 joined Tommy Dorsey's band in November 39, $125 00:10:17.460 --> 00:10:20.679 a week. A whole new league. Dorsey's band was 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:23.500 huge. And Dorsey himself, his trombone playing. 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:25.860 Huge influence, right? Breath control, phrasing. 00:10:26.019 --> 00:10:28.799 Major influence, even a father figure. Sinatra 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:31.360 copied his mannerisms, his perfectionism, and 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:33.350 especially those breathing techniques. watched 00:10:33.350 --> 00:10:35.769 Dorsey's lungs when he played. Incredible dedication. 00:10:35.950 --> 00:10:38.950 But that relationship was also fraught. Deeply 00:10:38.950 --> 00:10:41.730 profound, but also super tense, full of control. 00:10:42.409 --> 00:10:44.330 Sinatra later said, the only two people I've 00:10:44.330 --> 00:10:46.730 ever been afraid of are my mother and Tommy Dorsey. 00:10:46.830 --> 00:10:48.970 That says a lot. And he was driven to beat Bing 00:10:48.970 --> 00:10:51.950 Crosby, the reigning king. Relentlessly. But 00:10:51.950 --> 00:10:55.169 that Dorsey contract was brutal. 43 % of his 00:10:55.169 --> 00:10:58.190 lifetime earnings. 43%. That's insane. No wonder 00:10:58.190 --> 00:11:00.070 he wanted out when his star started rising. It 00:11:00.070 --> 00:11:03.149 became unbearable. The legal battle to get out 00:11:03.149 --> 00:11:06.690 was messy. Settled in August 42, but the rumors... 00:11:06.690 --> 00:11:09.309 The mob connection, Willie Moretti supposedly 00:11:09.309 --> 00:11:11.509 threatening Dorsey at gunpoint. Those rumors 00:11:11.509 --> 00:11:15.070 persisted. The FBI looked into a specific $40 00:11:15.070 --> 00:11:18.070 ,000 payment story and dismissed it, but the 00:11:18.070 --> 00:11:21.429 official settlement was still costly. MCA paid 00:11:21.429 --> 00:11:25.889 Dorsey $35 ,000. Sinatra paid $25 ,000 he had 00:11:25.889 --> 00:11:28.169 to borrow. Shows his fierce determination, though. 00:11:28.309 --> 00:11:30.590 Control his own destiny, no matter the cost. 00:11:30.860 --> 00:11:33.200 and those early ties would follow him. Absolutely. 00:11:33.539 --> 00:11:35.539 Dorsey himself saw the potential early though. 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:38.080 Notice the excitement coming up out of the crowds 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:40.220 for this skinny kid with big ears. And the hits 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:42.700 started coming with Dorsey. Polka Dots and Moonbeams. 00:11:42.779 --> 00:11:45.279 I'll Never Smile Again. That one was number one 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:47.659 for 12 weeks. Set the stage for what came next. 00:11:47.740 --> 00:11:50.960 Which is Pandemonium. December 1942. The Paramount 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:53.779 Theater in New York. His solo opening. Ignited 00:11:53.779 --> 00:11:56.519 Sinatra Mania. Something totally new. Teenage 00:11:56.519 --> 00:11:59.460 Girls. The Bobby Soxers. Went absolutely wild. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.720 thousand fan clubs writing song titles on their 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:05.659 clothes, stealing bow ties. It was madness. Jack 00:12:05.659 --> 00:12:07.360 Benny was there, said he thought the goddamn 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:10.019 building was going to cave in for a guy he'd 00:12:10.019 --> 00:12:12.980 never heard of. Unprecedented phenomenon, Sunatra, 00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:16.679 The Voice, Sunatratics, the Columbus Day riot 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:19.679 in 44. It revealed this powerful new audience, 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:22.620 mostly young women, whose influence was totally 00:12:22.620 --> 00:12:24.899 underestimated before then. And his publicist, 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.500 George Evans, crafted that image perfectly, didn't 00:12:27.500 --> 00:12:31.409 he? Masterfully. The vulnerable, shy, Italian 00:12:31.409 --> 00:12:33.450 -American with a rough childhood who made good. 00:12:33.610 --> 00:12:36.690 Carefully managed image versus the driven, sometimes 00:12:36.690 --> 00:12:39.669 volatile reality. Fascinating. It really is. 00:12:39.889 --> 00:12:41.889 Especially juxtaposed with the wartime pressures. 00:12:42.509 --> 00:12:45.529 But controversy was brewing, too. The 4F classification, 00:12:46.009 --> 00:12:48.389 medically unfit for service. Right. Perforated 00:12:48.389 --> 00:12:51.090 eardrum from birth, plus a psychiatric viewpoint, 00:12:51.450 --> 00:12:53.750 citing emotional instability. Which led to those 00:12:53.750 --> 00:12:56.610 damaging rumors about paying $40 ,000 to dodge 00:12:56.610 --> 00:12:59.090 the draft. Rumors the FBI eventually dismissed 00:12:59.090 --> 00:13:01.509 after investigation, but the shadow lingered. 00:13:01.769 --> 00:13:04.490 He still did USO tours, entertained troops, met 00:13:04.490 --> 00:13:08.649 the pope even. A complex mix. Nascent fame, image 00:13:08.649 --> 00:13:11.610 control, wartime scrutiny. And he signed with 00:13:11.610 --> 00:13:13.669 Columbia during this time. Yeah, during the musician 00:13:13.669 --> 00:13:16.429 strike. topped the Billboard and downbeat polls 00:13:16.429 --> 00:13:18.789 for male singers. He was on top of the world. 00:13:19.190 --> 00:13:21.769 Initially, he soared at Columbia, signed solo 00:13:21.769 --> 00:13:24.549 during that musician's strike in 43. Which ironically 00:13:24.549 --> 00:13:26.610 cleared the path for vocalists like him. His 00:13:26.610 --> 00:13:29.289 first album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra, hit 00:13:29.289 --> 00:13:33.190 number one in 46, selling 10 million records 00:13:33.190 --> 00:13:35.529 a year at his peak. Staggering numbers for the 00:13:35.529 --> 00:13:38.049 time. He was even conducting albums like Frank 00:13:38.049 --> 00:13:41.059 Sinatra conducts the music of Alec Wilder. really 00:13:41.059 --> 00:13:43.559 exploring his passions. Seemed unstoppable. The 00:13:43.559 --> 00:13:47.159 peak of his early solo career. But then the late 00:13:47.159 --> 00:13:50.080 40s hit. Things started to unravel. Pretty dramatically, 00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:51.820 yeah. Professionally and personally, it's often 00:13:51.820 --> 00:13:54.779 called the Great Fall. By 1948, he slipped to 00:13:54.779 --> 00:13:57.600 fourth in the downbeat polls. A big drop. Huge. 00:13:58.039 --> 00:14:01.100 His 49 album, Frankly Sentimental, got panned. 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:03.320 Critics said it seldom comes to life like the 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:05.639 spark was gone. And losing his publicist, George 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:08.620 Evans, in 1950 must have been a blow. Evans was 00:14:08.620 --> 00:14:11.570 key to that Bobby Soxer thing. An enormous shock, 00:14:12.070 --> 00:14:14.590 according to Jimmy Van Huysen. And what's fascinating 00:14:14.590 --> 00:14:18.590 is how his personal life started mirroring, maybe 00:14:18.590 --> 00:14:21.610 even worsening, the professional slump. The affair 00:14:21.610 --> 00:14:24.509 with Ava Gardner, the breakup with Nancy Barbado, 00:14:25.110 --> 00:14:27.490 all very public. Yeah, it really hurt his image. 00:14:27.990 --> 00:14:30.409 No longer the wholesome boy next door. Now he's 00:14:30.409 --> 00:14:32.710 this scandalous figure. Then the throw hemorrhage 00:14:32.710 --> 00:14:36.409 in 1950, caused by emotional tension. That's 00:14:36.409 --> 00:14:38.429 what his publicist said. forced him to cancel 00:14:38.429 --> 00:14:40.710 shows. People worried he might lose his voice 00:14:40.710 --> 00:14:43.269 entirely. Bus financial trouble, borrowing $200 00:14:43.269 --> 00:14:46.889 ,000 for back taxes. Serious trouble. By 52, 00:14:47.149 --> 00:14:49.110 Hollywood rejected him. Columbia dropped him. 00:14:49.230 --> 00:14:51.850 MCA dropped him. He played the Kauai County Fair 00:14:51.850 --> 00:14:54.230 in April. From the Paramount to the Kauai County 00:14:54.230 --> 00:14:57.029 Fair, that's a stunning fall. Humiliating, almost. 00:14:57.389 --> 00:14:59.149 Mitch Miller at Columbia even tried getting him 00:14:59.149 --> 00:15:02.009 to sing gimmicky songs like Mama Will Bark. Just 00:15:02.009 --> 00:15:04.789 pushed his fans further away. Wow, rock bottom, 00:15:05.029 --> 00:15:08.240 but then... The legendary comeback. Almost miraculous. 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:12.600 August 1953. From here to eternity. The film 00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:14.419 that changed everything. He was desperate for 00:15:14.419 --> 00:15:17.080 that role, Maggio, wasn't he? Lobbied hard, took 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:21.059 a huge pay cut. Vigorously. And it paid off. 00:15:21.460 --> 00:15:23.860 Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. 00:15:24.460 --> 00:15:27.019 Critics called his performance simply superb. 00:15:27.419 --> 00:15:29.940 That Oscar didn't just revive his acting career, 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:32.620 it revitalized his whole image, showed his talent, 00:15:32.860 --> 00:15:35.379 his resilience. Totally. Yeah. Though he later 00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:37.539 said he saw he won for the wrong role, believed 00:15:37.539 --> 00:15:39.139 his performance in The Man with the Golden Arm 00:15:39.139 --> 00:15:42.700 was better. Interesting. But eternity was the 00:15:42.700 --> 00:15:45.159 turning point, a real phoenix moment. Absolutely 00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:47.500 seismic. It helped him reclaim his spot as the 00:15:47.500 --> 00:15:49.960 world's top recording artist, proved everyone 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:52.940 wrong. And almost at the same time, he signed 00:15:52.940 --> 00:15:56.000 with Capitol Records. Yeah, March 13th, 1953. 00:15:56.269 --> 00:15:59.610 a crucial seven -year deal. And his very first 00:15:59.610 --> 00:16:02.809 session there, Pivotal, with the ranger Nelson 00:16:02.809 --> 00:16:05.009 Riddle. Riddle was Nat King Cole's guy, right? 00:16:05.029 --> 00:16:06.929 Yeah. Their first track together was, I've Got 00:16:06.929 --> 00:16:09.110 the World on a String. Sinatra heard the playback 00:16:09.110 --> 00:16:11.710 and just yelled, I'm back, baby, I'm back. Goosebumps 00:16:11.710 --> 00:16:14.269 moment. Marked a new and brilliant phase, as 00:16:14.269 --> 00:16:16.389 biographers put it. It really shows, doesn't 00:16:16.389 --> 00:16:19.669 it, how hitting rock bottom can fuel an incredible, 00:16:20.049 --> 00:16:22.690 defiant comeback. Absolutely. And the hits started 00:16:22.690 --> 00:16:25.480 flowing again at Capitol. Songs for Young Lovers, 00:16:25.659 --> 00:16:27.960 Young at Heart. Young at Heart, hit number two, 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:30.779 Song of the Year. He was well and truly back. 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:33.039 Good capital years, especially with Nelson Riddle. 00:16:33.539 --> 00:16:35.899 That's the golden era, right? Unmatched musical 00:16:35.899 --> 00:16:38.720 innovation, artistic growth. Totally. Albums 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:41.759 like In the Wee Small Hours, from 55. That was 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:44.399 his first 12 -inch LP, maybe his first real concept 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:47.879 album. Pruding, melancholy, whole mood. Exactly. 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:51.909 And then songs for Swing It Lovers, in 56. Just 00:16:51.909 --> 00:16:54.789 pure sophisticated swing set a new standard He 00:16:54.789 --> 00:16:57.190 became a real perfectionist in the studio then 00:16:57.190 --> 00:16:59.830 giving specific directions on arrangements notoriously 00:16:59.830 --> 00:17:02.029 demanding knew exactly the sound the feeling 00:17:02.029 --> 00:17:04.829 he wanted push everyone even inaugurated the 00:17:04.829 --> 00:17:07.309 new Capitol Records building studios with a huge 00:17:07.309 --> 00:17:11.309 56 piece orchestra And Riddle himself called 00:17:11.309 --> 00:17:14.390 Sinatra the greatest arranger in the world praised 00:17:14.390 --> 00:17:17.690 his impeccable taste his ability to put that 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:20.299 Overall inflection of sex into his voice made 00:17:20.299 --> 00:17:23.019 every song feel intimate and he was pioneering 00:17:23.019 --> 00:17:26.680 the concept album Turning LPs into these novelistic 00:17:26.680 --> 00:17:30.059 works with unified themes and moods much more 00:17:30.059 --> 00:17:31.880 than just a collection of songs. An immersive 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:34.779 experience. Totally. And what's really fascinating 00:17:34.779 --> 00:17:37.619 is how his personal life, especially the split 00:17:37.619 --> 00:17:40.619 with Ava Gardner, fed directly into the music. 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:43.240 That brooding melancholy you mentioned. Exactly. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:46.619 You hear it all over in the wee small hours or 00:17:46.619 --> 00:17:49.079 Frank Sinatra sings for only the lonely from 00:17:49.079 --> 00:17:52.119 58. That album spent 120 weeks on the Billboard 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:54.980 chart. Wow. It wasn't just singing. It was storytelling, 00:17:55.259 --> 00:17:57.799 making his vulnerability real for listeners. 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:00.380 Deeply relatable. And his recordings of classics 00:18:00.380 --> 00:18:04.059 like Night Day, The Lady is a Tramp with that 00:18:04.059 --> 00:18:06.279 salaciousness. Or I've Got You Under My Skin 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:09.319 took 22 takes. Yeah. Perfectionism showed his 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:11.480 incredible range. Come Fly With Me in 58 was 00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:13.819 like a musical world tour. Got Grammy nominated, 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:17.299 too. This era also cemented his status as Mr. 00:18:17.420 --> 00:18:20.210 Las Vegas, didn't it? Oh, yeah. pioneer, debuted 00:18:20.210 --> 00:18:22.589 at the Sands in 53, eventually bought a share 00:18:22.589 --> 00:18:24.690 in the place, showed his business side emerging. 00:18:24.750 --> 00:18:27.009 And the Rat Pack. That really took off then. 00:18:27.230 --> 00:18:30.210 Emerged in full force. Dean Martin, Sammy Davis 00:18:30.210 --> 00:18:33.730 Jr., Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop. But it was always 00:18:33.730 --> 00:18:35.809 Snodger's vehicle, right? He held unassailable 00:18:35.809 --> 00:18:38.490 command, dictated the whole show. Biographer 00:18:38.490 --> 00:18:41.450 Rojek called it the high watermark of his hedonism 00:18:41.450 --> 00:18:44.450 and self -absorption, lavish excess, constant 00:18:44.450 --> 00:18:46.759 partying. But it was also an outlet for him, 00:18:46.940 --> 00:18:49.519 that gregarious side. Absolutely. The camaraderie, 00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:52.500 the spotlight, and the relationship was symbiotic. 00:18:52.839 --> 00:18:55.720 Vegas gave him a stage for his huge personality. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:58.920 And he defined Vegas glamour, drew in the crowds. 00:18:59.180 --> 00:19:01.660 Exactly. Showed he could command any audience, 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.660 concert hall or casino floor. Made every show 00:19:04.660 --> 00:19:07.539 feel huge but intimate. He brought that celebrity 00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:10.380 cool to Vegas and changed it forever. Okay, so 00:19:10.380 --> 00:19:12.960 he's riding high at Capitol, but he gets discontented 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:15.559 and then does something really bold. Incredibly 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:18.339 bold for 1960. Forms his own record label, Reprise 00:19:18.339 --> 00:19:20.599 Records. Revolutionary, wasn't it? Promising 00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:22.680 artists' creative control, even ownership of 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:24.359 their work eventually. And was unheard of back 00:19:24.359 --> 00:19:26.440 then. Complete ownership, including publishing 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:29.319 rights. He wanted a new artistic direction, too. 00:19:29.700 --> 00:19:32.240 Temporarily split with Riddle, May, Jenkins. 00:19:32.599 --> 00:19:36.220 Brought in Neil Hefty. Don Costa, Quincy Jones? 00:19:36.579 --> 00:19:38.380 Right, it wasn't just leaving capital, it was 00:19:38.380 --> 00:19:40.400 a declaration of independence. More than just 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:43.279 business, it was a statement about artistic freedom 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:47.099 and foresight. Absolutely. Recognizing artists 00:19:47.099 --> 00:19:50.980 deserved more control. Under him, reprise became 00:19:50.980 --> 00:19:54.000 a powerhouse, not just for his stuff, but for 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:56.539 others too. And he eventually sold it for a fortune, 00:19:56.980 --> 00:19:59.220 right? Around $80 million. Yeah, he showed his 00:19:59.220 --> 00:20:01.579 incredible business sense. His first reprise 00:20:01.579 --> 00:20:04.599 album, Ring -a -ding -ding in 61, with Quincy 00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:07.279 Jones arranging. Huge success. Hit number four. 00:20:07.500 --> 00:20:09.500 It shows he wasn't just the talent. He wanted 00:20:09.500 --> 00:20:12.220 to control the whole thing. Creative, business, 00:20:12.460 --> 00:20:14.839 everything. Shaping his legacy on his own terms 00:20:14.839 --> 00:20:16.740 really earned that chairman of the board title. 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:19.279 He set a precedent for artists wanting autonomy. 00:20:19.779 --> 00:20:22.720 Sinatra and Strings in 62, with Costa was also 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.240 acclaimed, showed his evolution. The 60s at Reprise 00:20:25.240 --> 00:20:27.700 brought some legendary collaborations, too. Iconic 00:20:27.700 --> 00:20:30.299 stuff. teaming up with Count Basie for Sinatra 00:20:30.299 --> 00:20:33.460 Basie and it might as well be Swing, just electric 00:20:33.460 --> 00:20:36.099 big band swing. Then he explored bossa nova with 00:20:36.099 --> 00:20:39.480 Antonio Carlos Jobim. Yeah, Francis Albert Sinatra 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:42.759 and Antonio Carlos Jobim album in 67, critically 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:45.259 acclaimed, Grammy nominated, even worked with 00:20:45.259 --> 00:20:47.759 Duke Ellington on Francis A. and Edward K. in 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:51.039 68, always pushing boundaries. But maybe the 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:54.339 song everyone remembers most from that era, My 00:20:54.339 --> 00:20:57.990 Way. Ah, My Way. Recorded one take after Christmas 00:20:57.990 --> 00:21:00.650 68, became this global phenomenon. Stayed in 00:21:00.650 --> 00:21:05.049 the UK charts for a record 122 weeks. Insane. 00:21:05.250 --> 00:21:07.529 Astonishing. But the irony, as you touched on, 00:21:07.789 --> 00:21:10.289 is that Sinatra himself apparently grew to hate 00:21:10.289 --> 00:21:13.190 singing it. Really? Why? He told songwriter Irvin 00:21:13.190 --> 00:21:16.150 Drake he detested it. Felt audiences saw it as 00:21:16.150 --> 00:21:19.049 this self -aggrandizing tribute to himself. Huh. 00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:21.539 But it became this anthem of resilience, right? 00:21:21.700 --> 00:21:23.900 Especially requested at funerals. Exactly. It 00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:26.319 transcended his personal feelings, speaks volumes 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:28.819 about the song's impact, and his ability to sell 00:21:28.819 --> 00:21:31.880 a lyric, even one he disliked, with such power. 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:34.380 An amazing testament to his artistry. And he 00:21:34.380 --> 00:21:36.740 had other big hits then, too. The Concert Sinatra, 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:38.900 September of My Years. September 1, album of 00:21:38.900 --> 00:21:40.680 the year Grammy. It was a very good year. One 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:42.880 best vocal performance. Strangers in the Night, 00:21:42.900 --> 00:21:45.740 top charts. One record of the year. And the duet 00:21:45.740 --> 00:21:49.400 with Nancy, something stupid. Massive hit. Yeah, 00:21:49.500 --> 00:21:52.140 a really prolific, successful period musically. 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:54.500 And his film career kept going strong, too. He 00:21:54.500 --> 00:21:57.160 thought The Manchurian Candidate in 62 was his 00:21:57.160 --> 00:22:00.559 best work. His high point, yeah. Critics agreed, 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:03.779 praised his nuance, his dramatic range. He even 00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:07.259 directed a film, None But the Brave. in 65. Taking 00:22:07.259 --> 00:22:09.859 control again. Yeah. And he did those detective 00:22:09.859 --> 00:22:12.319 movies. Tony Rome, the detective. Cemented that 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:14.920 gritty image. Turned down Dirty Harry later because 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:17.339 of a hand issue. And we can't forget Ocean's 00:22:17.339 --> 00:22:20.700 Eleven in 60. Quintessential Rat Pack. A cultural 00:22:20.700 --> 00:22:23.559 event. Von Ryan's Express was a big action hit 00:22:23.559 --> 00:22:26.220 too. Manchurian Candidate really showed his depth 00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:28.460 though. A chilling performance. Maybe overlooked 00:22:28.460 --> 00:22:31.160 because he was Sinatra the singer. But by 1971, 00:22:31.400 --> 00:22:34.509 after the Watertown album. Which critics liked, 00:22:34.549 --> 00:22:36.390 but didn't sell. He announced his retirement, 00:22:36.670 --> 00:22:39.250 self -imposed. Why then? Said he was tired of 00:22:39.250 --> 00:22:40.509 entertaining people, especially when they just 00:22:40.509 --> 00:22:41.910 wanted the same old songs he was bored with. 00:22:42.009 --> 00:22:43.950 Shows the immense pressure, right? The grind. 00:22:44.329 --> 00:22:47.450 Totally. A conscious choice to step away. His 00:22:47.450 --> 00:22:51.150 last words on stage were from Angel Eyes. Excuse 00:22:51.150 --> 00:22:53.809 me while I disappear. Traumatic exit. Though 00:22:53.809 --> 00:22:55.890 we know it wasn't permanent, he'd also had that 00:22:55.890 --> 00:22:58.410 run -in at Caesar's Palace in 70, where an executive 00:22:58.410 --> 00:23:00.250 pulled a gun on him. Yeah, said he'd walk away 00:23:00.250 --> 00:23:03.390 from anything if pushed too far. Let's dive deeper 00:23:03.390 --> 00:23:06.450 into the musical genius, the voice itself, because 00:23:06.450 --> 00:23:09.250 that's the core, isn't it? Ultimately, yeah. 00:23:09.569 --> 00:23:11.029 Fascinating. He never really learned to read 00:23:11.029 --> 00:23:13.970 music well. Despite arranging bands early on, 00:23:14.170 --> 00:23:17.509 amazing year. Incredible. A sixth sanks, for 00:23:17.509 --> 00:23:20.509 wrong notes, shifts in tempo. And he insisted 00:23:20.509 --> 00:23:23.069 on recording live with the band. Found a special 00:23:23.069 --> 00:23:26.549 feeling there, that energy. A spontaneity, a 00:23:26.549 --> 00:23:28.890 collaboration he felt you couldn't get with overdubs. 00:23:29.450 --> 00:23:31.880 He had a routine too. vocalizing for an hour 00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:34.359 before, brief rehearsal with the orchestra. Getting 00:23:34.359 --> 00:23:37.119 the balance, the emotion just right. Nelson Ruehl 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:39.359 described his voice as fairly rangy with that 00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:42.279 whole spectrum. Strident on top, smooth lyrical 00:23:42.279 --> 00:23:46.099 middle, very tender low. Exactly. And he used 00:23:46.099 --> 00:23:48.359 it like an instrument, playing with tempo, rhythm, 00:23:48.579 --> 00:23:50.799 phrasing, made every song a little drama. Tommy 00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:53.519 Dorsey's trombone playing was key for that breath 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:56.460 control, right? Foundational influence. Taught 00:23:56.460 --> 00:24:00.450 him how to sustain notes, shape melodies. Sinatra 00:24:00.450 --> 00:24:02.950 even swam daily, holding his breath underwater, 00:24:03.349 --> 00:24:05.630 rehearsing lyrics mentally. Disciplined practice 00:24:05.630 --> 00:24:07.769 for lung power. Barbara Sinatra mentioned his 00:24:07.769 --> 00:24:10.049 incredible ear, too. Said he'd know instantly 00:24:10.049 --> 00:24:12.430 if one guy in a 100 -piece orchestra played a 00:24:12.430 --> 00:24:16.089 bum note. Wow. That intrinsic musical understanding. 00:24:16.569 --> 00:24:18.569 It's why Chrisigow called him the greatest singer 00:24:18.569 --> 00:24:21.589 of the 20th century. It's hard to argue. And 00:24:21.589 --> 00:24:24.309 his diction, despite the New Jersey accent in 00:24:24.309 --> 00:24:27.069 speech, became so precise when singing, every 00:24:27.069 --> 00:24:30.809 word clear. He admired classical guys too. Puccini, 00:24:30.950 --> 00:24:33.569 Vaughan Williams. Yeah, broad taste. Yeah. And 00:24:33.569 --> 00:24:36.230 he was specific about microphones. The warm RCA 00:24:36.230 --> 00:24:39.529 Type 44 at Columbia, then the Newman U -47 at 00:24:39.529 --> 00:24:41.430 Capitol for a different sound. Always chasing 00:24:41.430 --> 00:24:44.089 that perfect sound. Which leads to the perfectionism. 00:24:44.329 --> 00:24:47.049 Legendary, almost obsessive. Spent weeks choosing 00:24:47.049 --> 00:24:49.750 songs, pouring over lyrics. Always knew which 00:24:49.750 --> 00:24:51.609 arranger he wanted for each specific number. 00:24:51.789 --> 00:24:54.630 But that drive had a downside. The volatile temperament. 00:24:54.759 --> 00:24:57.420 Yeah, unpredictable. Could snap at anyone for 00:24:57.420 --> 00:24:59.740 the slightest misdemeanor, as one source put 00:24:59.740 --> 00:25:02.559 it. Barbara Sinatra said he was quick to anger, 00:25:02.940 --> 00:25:05.460 capable of outbursts. Collaborators approached 00:25:05.460 --> 00:25:08.359 him with uneasiness, never knew which frank they'd 00:25:08.359 --> 00:25:12.180 get. Exactly. Granada suggested maybe sometimes 00:25:12.180 --> 00:25:14.220 it wasn't just about the music, but also about 00:25:14.220 --> 00:25:17.759 showing off his power over others, asserting 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:19.779 dominance. But there was the other side too, 00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:22.490 wasn't there? Oh yeah, the duality. If his voice 00:25:22.490 --> 00:25:24.569 wasn't right, or an arrangement wasn't working, 00:25:24.970 --> 00:25:26.930 he'd postpone the session but pay the musicians 00:25:26.930 --> 00:25:29.269 in full. A real sign of respect for their time 00:25:29.269 --> 00:25:31.710 and talent? Shows the generous artist alongside 00:25:31.710 --> 00:25:34.609 the demanding boss. Nancy said he was fiercely 00:25:34.609 --> 00:25:37.430 loyal to songwriters too. Always credited them. 00:25:37.750 --> 00:25:40.650 Showed childlike delight. in a great ballad. 00:25:40.910 --> 00:25:43.549 That mix of artistic integrity and human flaws 00:25:43.549 --> 00:25:46.250 makes him so compelling. Recorded over a thousand 00:25:46.250 --> 00:25:48.990 songs, worked with the greats like Kahn, Stein, 00:25:49.210 --> 00:25:51.470 Van Huyzen. Sessions were usually three hours 00:25:51.470 --> 00:25:54.329 after his warm up and rehearsal. Very professional 00:25:54.329 --> 00:25:56.329 when it counted. His personal life was just as 00:25:56.329 --> 00:25:59.289 public, just as dramatic. Four marriages. Nancy 00:25:59.289 --> 00:26:02.369 Barbato, his childhood sweetheart. Then the incredibly 00:26:02.369 --> 00:26:05.549 turbulent marriage to Ava Gardner, Mia Farrow, 00:26:06.029 --> 00:26:09.009 and finally Barbara Marks. until his death. The 00:26:09.009 --> 00:26:10.950 Gardner marriage was particularly explosive, 00:26:11.190 --> 00:26:13.549 right? Well -publicized fights and altercations, 00:26:14.069 --> 00:26:16.509 tabloid gold? Totally. He had three kids with 00:26:16.509 --> 00:26:19.750 Nancy Barbeta, Nancy Frank Jr., Tina, broke engagements 00:26:19.750 --> 00:26:22.750 to Laura McCall, Julia Prowse. Restless. Barbara 00:26:22.750 --> 00:26:25.450 Sinatra called him a great lover and true gentleman, 00:26:26.130 --> 00:26:28.809 but the sources show lots of affairs too. A complex 00:26:28.809 --> 00:26:31.349 picture. He clearly pursued passion with the 00:26:31.349 --> 00:26:33.750 same intensity as his career, and his feelings 00:26:33.750 --> 00:26:36.130 for Ava Gardner, even after the divorce. That 00:26:36.130 --> 00:26:38.490 fueled the music, the brooding ballads in the 00:26:38.490 --> 00:26:40.390 capital years. Nelson Riddle certainly thought 00:26:40.390 --> 00:26:43.309 so, suggests that deep emotional core beneath 00:26:43.309 --> 00:26:46.150 a public image, which was often chaotic privately. 00:26:46.430 --> 00:26:49.049 And the fascination continues. That Ronan Farrow 00:26:49.049 --> 00:26:51.049 paternity question, even though Nancy dismissed 00:26:51.049 --> 00:26:53.559 it? People still talk about his personal life. 00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:56.619 Enduring fascination. But beyond the romance, 00:26:57.019 --> 00:26:59.400 he had deep friendships, Gilles Rizzo, Van Ozen, 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:02.619 and diverse hobbies. Classical music, painting, 00:27:02.740 --> 00:27:05.140 reading, model trains. A whole other side to 00:27:05.140 --> 00:27:07.519 him. He remained Catholic, too, right? Though 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:09.559 sometimes critical. Died of practicing Catholic. 00:27:09.640 --> 00:27:12.359 OK, let's shift to some of the shadows. Sinatra 00:27:12.359 --> 00:27:16.400 embraced that tough, working class, Italian -American 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:18.920 image, didn't he? Oh, yeah. And he even admitted, 00:27:19.140 --> 00:27:21.579 pretty candidly, that... Without music, he probably 00:27:21.579 --> 00:27:24.319 would have ended up in crime. A racketeer, maybe? 00:27:24.619 --> 00:27:26.980 And the alleged mafia ties were always there. 00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:29.839 Willie Moretti, his godfather, who supposedly 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:33.000 helped with the Dorsey contract. Sam Giancana. 00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:36.460 Persistent shadow. So ingrained, it got fictionalized 00:27:36.460 --> 00:27:39.990 in The Godfather. added to that mystique, that 00:27:39.990 --> 00:27:43.049 sense of danger. The FBI certainly took it seriously. 00:27:43.210 --> 00:27:46.430 Over 2 ,400 pages in his file. Surveillance for 00:27:46.430 --> 00:27:49.410 decades. Almost five decades. Documenting threats, 00:27:49.690 --> 00:27:52.190 extortion schemes, connections. But the key thing 00:27:52.190 --> 00:27:54.369 isn't just the connections, it's the impact they 00:27:54.369 --> 00:27:57.410 had. Like losing his damling license in 63, because 00:27:57.410 --> 00:27:59.670 Giancana showed up at Calaniva Lodge where Frank 00:27:59.670 --> 00:28:02.049 had a share. Exactly. That pressure from the 00:28:02.049 --> 00:28:04.289 FBI and the gaming commission forced him to give 00:28:04.289 --> 00:28:06.910 up his shares in Calaniva and the Sands, despite 00:28:06.910 --> 00:28:10.200 his power. raises that question again. Did the 00:28:10.200 --> 00:28:12.460 connections help him early on or ultimately hinder 00:28:12.460 --> 00:28:15.559 him, create lifelong scrutiny, cost him opportunities, 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:18.380 even damage the JFK relationship? It's a complex 00:28:18.380 --> 00:28:21.079 calculation. The Havana conference in 46 with 00:28:21.079 --> 00:28:24.720 Lucky Luciano led to those shame Sinatra headlines. 00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:27.380 He had a huge falling out with Giancana after 00:28:27.380 --> 00:28:29.640 Kalneva. His license was restored eventually, 00:28:29.799 --> 00:28:32.619 wasn't it, with Reagan support? 1981. But yeah, 00:28:32.839 --> 00:28:34.859 that shadow never fully disappeared. His politics 00:28:34.859 --> 00:28:36.759 shifted dramatically, too, over his lifetime. 00:28:37.079 --> 00:28:40.119 Full spectrum. Started as an ardent liberal, 00:28:40.380 --> 00:28:43.980 staunch Democrat, campaigned for FDR Truman Adlai 00:28:43.980 --> 00:28:48.180 Stevenson. organized JFK's inaugural gala. Big 00:28:48.180 --> 00:28:50.740 supporter. But then, shifted later, became a 00:28:50.740 --> 00:28:53.759 major Reagan backer. Big time. Donated $4 million 00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:56.900 to Reagan's 1980 campaign, reportedly. Reagan 00:28:56.900 --> 00:28:58.720 gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:01.200 85. What's fascinating, though, and maybe overlooked, 00:29:01.380 --> 00:29:04.279 is his lifelong commitment to civil rights, regardless 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:06.559 of party. Absolutely unwavering. From a young 00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:09.140 age, spoke out against racism, especially towards 00:29:09.140 --> 00:29:11.880 black people and Italians, understood discrimination. 00:29:12.109 --> 00:29:15.109 played a big role in desegregating Vegas hotels 00:29:15.109 --> 00:29:18.569 and casinos, refused to play segregated venues. 00:29:18.970 --> 00:29:22.630 Major role, often behind the scenes, held a benefit 00:29:22.630 --> 00:29:26.089 for Martin Luther Kinggore. Junior King supposedly 00:29:26.089 --> 00:29:29.450 wept when Sinatra sang Old Man River, led the 00:29:29.450 --> 00:29:31.750 Rat Pack in boycotting discriminatory places, 00:29:32.329 --> 00:29:34.710 used his star power. And his support for Jewish 00:29:34.710 --> 00:29:37.700 causes, too. Lifelong sympathizer. performed 00:29:37.700 --> 00:29:40.519 in Israel, donated his fee from Cast a Giant 00:29:40.519 --> 00:29:43.420 Shadow to a youth center there, raised millions 00:29:43.420 --> 00:29:46.019 in bond pledges for Israel later. So the later 00:29:46.019 --> 00:29:48.740 shift to the Republicans may be more pragmatic 00:29:48.740 --> 00:29:51.759 about influence. Seems likely. Heilig's a complex 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:54.039 guy who valued personal connections, loyalty, 00:29:54.500 --> 00:29:56.920 maybe more than strict ideology. He used his 00:29:56.920 --> 00:29:58.980 platform for causes he believed in. Interesting 00:29:58.980 --> 00:30:01.900 about the JFK snub in 62, though, Kennedy stayed 00:30:01.900 --> 00:30:04.980 with Bing Crosby instead because of FBI concerns 00:30:04.980 --> 00:30:07.420 about Sinatra's mob ties. Reportedly devastated 00:30:07.420 --> 00:30:10.299 Sinatra. Sobbed for three days after JFK was 00:30:10.299 --> 00:30:12.500 assassinated shows the depth of those connections 00:30:12.500 --> 00:30:14.660 and their consequences. His final decades weren't 00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:16.740 exactly quiet either. Another comeback after 00:30:16.740 --> 00:30:19.619 that brief retirement. Oh, yeah. Old Blue Eyes 00:30:19.619 --> 00:30:24.299 is back in 73. Album, TV special, massive comeback 00:30:24.299 --> 00:30:26.920 tour. Reestablished his dominance. Though he 00:30:26.920 --> 00:30:29.380 caused that uproar in Australia, didn't he? Calling 00:30:29.380 --> 00:30:31.799 journalists, well, some colorful names. Bums, 00:30:32.119 --> 00:30:34.279 parasites, fags, broads, and buck -and -a -half 00:30:34.279 --> 00:30:37.319 hookers. Yeah, that fiery temper never fully 00:30:37.319 --> 00:30:40.180 left him. He kept recording, too. Trilogy. Past, 00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:42.690 present, future in 80. which gave us another 00:30:42.690 --> 00:30:45.490 anthem, theme from New York, New York. And those 00:30:45.490 --> 00:30:49.410 hugely successful duets albums in the 90s, remaking 00:30:49.410 --> 00:30:52.250 classics with contemporary stars. Liza, Barbara, 00:30:52.369 --> 00:30:54.970 Bono, bridging generations, bringing his music 00:30:54.970 --> 00:30:57.529 to New Year's. His last live public performance 00:30:57.529 --> 00:31:00.609 was in 95. Fittingly singing New York, New York 00:31:00.609 --> 00:31:03.630 at his 80th birthday tribute, a poignant farewell. 00:31:03.849 --> 00:31:05.910 By then, yeah, his voice in coarsened a bit. 00:31:06.109 --> 00:31:08.309 Lost some power, flexibility compared to his 00:31:08.309 --> 00:31:10.849 prime, but as Kitty Kelly said, that immutable 00:31:10.849 --> 00:31:13.190 magic, that sheer charisma. Still captivated 00:31:13.190 --> 00:31:15.410 everyone. Worldwide. He got all the honors. Kennedy 00:31:15.410 --> 00:31:16.970 Center, Medal of Freedom, Congressional Gold 00:31:16.970 --> 00:31:19.329 Medal, 11 Grammys over his career. And when he 00:31:19.329 --> 00:31:22.470 died in 98, age 82, after a heart attack, the 00:31:22.470 --> 00:31:25.210 tributes were huge. Empire State Building turned 00:31:25.210 --> 00:31:28.690 blue. Vegas casinos dimmed their lights, stopped 00:31:28.690 --> 00:31:31.410 spinning for a minute. A grand gesture for the 00:31:31.410 --> 00:31:33.690 man who helped build the town. His grave marker 00:31:33.690 --> 00:31:36.990 changed, too. From the best is yet to come to 00:31:36.990 --> 00:31:39.569 sleep warm, Papa. More intimate, yeah. His legacy 00:31:39.569 --> 00:31:42.549 isn't just the music, the films. It's that audacious 00:31:42.549 --> 00:31:45.410 spirit, that resilience, that reinvention. Santa 00:31:45.410 --> 00:31:49.470 Pietro argued he exemplified the common man who 00:31:49.470 --> 00:31:51.789 reached the top of the heap, yet never forgot 00:31:51.789 --> 00:31:54.910 his roots. Frank Jr. spoke at his funeral. There's 00:31:54.910 --> 00:31:57.490 the plaque in Hoboken, the park, the statue. 00:31:58.069 --> 00:32:00.339 School's named after him. Frank Sinatra School 00:32:00.339 --> 00:32:02.539 of the Arts, the center at Hebrew University. 00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:06.299 His legacy extends far beyond the stage. So from 00:32:06.299 --> 00:32:08.660 those humble, scarred beginnings in Hoboken, 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:11.079 literally brought back from the brink. To the 00:32:11.079 --> 00:32:13.039 chairman of the board commanding global stages, 00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:15.759 owning his own label. Frank Sinatra's life was 00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:18.359 just an astonishing testament to raw ambition, 00:32:18.740 --> 00:32:21.539 incredible resilience, and that undeniable singular 00:32:21.539 --> 00:32:24.160 talent. We've really seen how his challenging 00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:27.160 personal life, the relationships, the reputation 00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:29.440 struggles, the private battles, and his huge 00:32:29.440 --> 00:32:32.400 triumphs were totally woven into the fabric of 00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:35.200 his art, created an entertainer like no other. 00:32:35.319 --> 00:32:38.460 He truly embodied that complex American dream, 00:32:39.099 --> 00:32:41.660 dazzling, sometimes dark, always compelling, 00:32:42.279 --> 00:32:44.799 a force of nature who shaped a whole century 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:48.140 of culture. Santa Pietro's point about him exemplifying 00:32:48.140 --> 00:32:50.180 the common man reaching the top but remembering 00:32:50.180 --> 00:32:52.599 his roots? That really hits home, doesn't it? 00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:55.740 Explains his enduring appeal. Definitely. Master 00:32:55.740 --> 00:32:59.779 of recording. vocal genius, cultural icon. His 00:32:59.779 --> 00:33:03.359 power went way beyond the stage, shaped cool, 00:33:03.539 --> 00:33:06.079 shaped charisma for generations. And the influence 00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:08.480 lives on. Tributes, portrayals, his music is 00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:10.119 still everywhere. One of the most significant 00:33:10.119 --> 00:33:12.440 figures of the 20th century, no question. His 00:33:12.440 --> 00:33:15.079 rare gift was that connection, making every listener 00:33:15.079 --> 00:33:17.440 feel like he was singing just to them, sharing 00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:20.220 a secret, a heartache. That magic still resonates 00:33:20.220 --> 00:33:23.150 today. decades after his final bow. So here's 00:33:23.150 --> 00:33:25.069 something to mull over, deep divers, as we wrap 00:33:25.069 --> 00:33:27.549 this up. Sinatra himself said, quite frankly, 00:33:27.690 --> 00:33:29.890 that without music, he might have ended up in 00:33:29.890 --> 00:33:31.809 crime. Yeah, he was very open about that possibility. 00:33:32.289 --> 00:33:34.690 Considering that intense drive, the volatile 00:33:34.690 --> 00:33:37.869 temper, the fierce loyalty, the sheer audacity, 00:33:38.690 --> 00:33:40.309 what do you think would have been his alternate 00:33:40.309 --> 00:33:44.029 destiny if he hadn't found his voice? It's a 00:33:44.029 --> 00:33:46.869 fascinating what if. That energy had to go somewhere. 00:33:47.049 --> 00:33:49.089 Makes you wonder how crucial finding the right 00:33:49.089 --> 00:33:51.630 channel is, you know? To turn that immense talent, 00:33:51.910 --> 00:33:54.470 that huge personality into something legendary 00:33:54.470 --> 00:33:56.829 instead of something else entirely. Something 00:33:56.829 --> 00:33:59.609 destructive maybe, yeah. Definitely food for 00:33:59.609 --> 00:34:01.549 thought. Keep that in mind, deep divers. Until 00:34:01.549 --> 00:34:02.009 next time.