Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Italian immigrants, Sinatra began his musical career in the swing era with bandleaders Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. Sinatra found success as a solo artist after he signed with Columbia Records in 1943, becoming the idol of the "bobby soxers". He released his debut album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra, in 1946. Sinatra's professional career had stalled by the early 1950s, and he turned to Las Vegas, where he became one of its best known residency performers as part of The Rat Pack. His career was reborn in 1953 with the success of From Here to Eternity, with his performance subsequently winning an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Sinatra 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).
Sinatra left Capitol in 1960 to start his own record label, Reprise Records, and released a string of successful albums. In 1965, he recorded the retrospective September of My Years, starred in the Emmy-winning television special Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music, and released the tracks "Strangers in the Night" and "My Way". After releasing Sinatra at the Sands, recorded at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Vegas with frequent collaborator Count Basie in early 1966, the following year he recorded one of his most famous collaborations with Tom Jobim, the album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim. It was followed by 1968's collaboration with Duke Ellington. Sinatra retired for the first time in 1971, but came out of retirement two years later and recorded several albums and resumed performing at Caesars Palace, and reached success in 1980 with "New York, New York". Using his Las Vegas shows as a home base, he toured both within the United States and internationally until a short time before his death in 1998.
Sinatra forged a highly successful career as a film actor. After winning an Academy Award for From Here to Eternity, he starred in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), and received critical acclaim for his performance in The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He appeared in various musicals such as On the Town (1949), Guys and Dolls (1955), High Society (1956), and Pal Joey (1957), winning another Golden Globe for the latter. Toward the end of his career, he became associated with playing detectives, including the title character in Tony Rome (1967). Sinatra would later receive the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1971. On television, The Frank Sinatra Show began on ABC in 1950, and he continued to make appearances on television throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Sinatra was also heavily involved with politics from the mid-1940s, and actively campaigned for presidents such as Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, though before Kennedy's death Sinatra's alleged Mafia connections led to his being snubbed.
While Sinatra never formally learned how to read music, he had an impressive understanding of it, and he worked very hard from a young age to improve his abilities in all aspects of music. A perfectionist, renowned for his dress sense and performing presence, he always insisted on recording live with his band. His bright blue eyes earned him the popular nickname "Ol' Blue Eyes". Sinatra led a colorful personal life, and was often involved in turbulent affairs with women, such as with his second wife Ava Gardner. He went on to marry Mia Farrow in 1966 and Barbara Marx in 1976. Sinatra had several violent confrontations, usually with journalists he felt had crossed him, or work bosses with whom he had disagreements. He was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. Sinatra was also the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. After his death, American music critic Robert Christgau called him "the greatest singer of the 20th century", and he continues to be seen as an iconic figure.
Sinatra died with his wife at his side at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on May 14, 1998, aged 82, after a heart attack. Sinatra had ill health during the last few years of his life, and was frequently hospitalized for heart and breathing problems, high blood pressure, pneumonia and bladder cancer. He was further diagnosed as having dementia. He had made no public appearances following a heart attack in February 1997. Sinatra's wife encouraged him to "fight" while attempts were made to stabilize him, and his final words were, "I'm losing." Sinatra's daughter, Tina, later wrote that she and her sister, Nancy, had not been notified of their father's final hospitalization, and it was her belief that "the omission was deliberate. Barbara would be the grieving widow alone at her husband's side." The night after Sinatra's death, the lights on the Empire State Building in New York City were turned blue, the lights at the Las Vegas Strip were dimmed in his honor, and the casinos stopped spinning for a minute.
Sinatra's funeral was held at the Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills, California, on May 20, 1998, with 400 mourners in attendance and thousands of fans outside. Gregory Peck, Tony Bennett, and Sinatra's son, Frank Jr., addressed the mourners, who included many notable people from film and entertainment. Sinatra was buried in a blue business suit with mementos from family members—cherry-flavored Life Savers, Tootsie Rolls, a bottle of Jack Daniel's, a pack of Camel cigarettes, a Zippo lighter, stuffed toys, a dog biscuit, and a roll of dimes that he always carried—next to his parents in section B-8 of Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.
His close friends Jilly Rizzo and Jimmy Van Heusen are buried nearby. The words "The Best Is Yet to Come", plus "Beloved Husband & Father" are imprinted on Sinatra's grave marker. Significant increases in recording sales worldwide were reported by Billboard in the month of his death.
Black
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That old black magic that you weave so well
Those icy fingers up and down my spine
The same old witch craft when your eyes meet mine
The same old tingle that I feel inside
And then the elevator starts it's ride
And down and down I go
Like a leaf that's caught in a tide
I should stay away but what can I do
I hear your name and I'm a flame
A flame with such a burning desire
That only your kiss can put out the fire
'Cause you are the lover I have waited for
The mate that fate had me created for
And every time your lips meet mine
Darling, down and down I go
'Round and 'round I go
In a spin, loving the spin I'm in
Under that old black magic of love
In the lyrics of Frank Sinatra's song "That Old Black Magic," he describes how he is under the spell of his lover's enchanting power. The first line of the song portrays the effect of this "old black magic," which has him trapped in its spell. He sings about how well his lover, through her witchcraft, weaves this spell that has him enamored. The icy fingers up and down his spine indicate the tantalizing feeling that he gets when he is around her. He is caught in the same old tingle that he feels inside, and every time their eyes meet, the elevator of emotions starts its ride.
The chorus in the song is where he explains the intensity of his feelings for his lover. He cannot resist the force of the magic that surrounds her, and he is under her complete control. The lyrics "And down and down I go, 'Round and 'round I go, Like a leaf that's caught in a tide, I should stay away but what can I do" represent the powerlessness that Frank feels in front of his lover's enchantment. He can feel the euphoria building inside him as he hears her name and is engulfed in a flame with a burning desire. He is helpless, and only her kiss can extinguish his love's fire. He cannot escape the magic of their connection, and they are the perfect pair created by fate.
Line by Line Meaning
That old black magic has me in its spell
The powerful emotion of love and attraction has fully taken control of me.
That old black magic that you weave so well
You have a charm and allure that is irresistible and capable of casting a love spell on me.
Those icy fingers up and down my spine
My intense feelings of infatuation and desire have caused a physical reaction within me.
The same old witch craft when your eyes meet mine
Whenever I gaze into your eyes, I feel the same magical and irresistible feeling that I've always felt for you.
The same old tingle that I feel inside
Whenever I am near you or think about you, I experience the same thrilling sensation of excitement and anticipation.
And then the elevator starts it's ride
My heart starts to race and my feelings intensify as we begin our intimate encounter.
And down and down I go
My emotions continue to intensify and consume me with each passing moment.
'Round and 'round I go
My mind is constantly consumed with thoughts of you and our love, causing me to feel dizzy and unable to focus on anything else.
Like a leaf that's caught in a tide
I have no control over my emotions and am helplessly swept up by the overwhelming power of my love and desire for you.
I should stay away but what can I do
I know that I should keep my distance, but I am unable to resist the strong pull of my feelings for you.
I hear your name and I'm a flame
The mere mention of your name or the thought of you causes my passion and desire to ignite once again.
A flame with such a burning desire
My feelings of love and desire for you are intense, passionate, and all-consuming.
That only your kiss can put out the fire
Only your touch and your love can satisfy my overwhelming desire for you and quell the intensity of my emotions.
'Cause you are the lover I have waited for
You are the only one who can fulfill my deepest desires and make me feel complete.
The mate that fate had me created for
Our love was destined by fate and we are meant to be together.
And every time your lips meet mine
Whenever we kiss or touch, my emotions and desires become even stronger and more powerful.
Darling, down and down I go
My love and desire for you continue to deepen and grow with each passing moment.
'Round and 'round I go
My thoughts and emotions are consumed with love for you and I am unable to think of anything else.
In a spin, loving the spin I'm in
Despite the overwhelming nature of my emotions, I am enamored with the feeling of being in love and am unable to resist its power.
Under that old black magic of love
I am helpless to resist the power and allure of my love for you, which feels like a magical force that has taken control of me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ironman3098456
@Edward Richtofen
DEMOCRATS:
"Conveyed false info through News and media sources to get people to turn on each other. (And much more that I do not want to display.)"
- What are you talking about? And do you have an substantive proof to back this up?
"Goes against what the definition they prevail and up hold. "
- How?
"Controlling the masses through false Info having to do with the Election of 2021. "
- Once again, there's no substantive proof to back this up.
"Has probably the worst president-elect, and vice-elect as of recent. (I've never met them in person, so I can not hold statements against their behavior.) "
- What makes Biden and Harris bad candidates? Is it anything more than just "Biden stutters a lot when speaking?"
"They don't like Republican's. "
- I don't see how this is a CON.
"Much more"
- Whenever someone vaucously makes this statement, it usually means there isn't anything else you can think of but you still wanna make it seem like they're worse than they are.
- Your "PRO's" for Democrats was exclusively centred around war. I see you're making no effort to conceal what you think is most important in a government (literally just war, war, and more war, I guess). The same can be said for your assessment of the "PRO's" of Republicans.
REPUBLICANS:
"Some of the unwitty supporter's of this Side, like to spout idiotic statements that are stupid to comprehend, only the stupid people however. "
- Most of them are stupid people.
"They are quick to emotions, not in the fact they don't check facts, but that they are not well with a plan. "
- They DON'T check facts, though...
"They are misleading sometimes, they give Info that's correct, but tell it in a way that's incorrect. "
- Actually, most of the time they just give info that's straight-up incorrect or completely unsubstantiated.
"Had a great speaker as president, one that could talk properly, and could joke about himself. "
- If, by "joke about himself," you mean explode into fits of babyrage any time he's exposed to the slightest amount of criticism on social media, then sure, he can ABSOLUTELY joke about himself.
"They help businesses drastically, the money makers of Countries. "
- If, by helping businesses, you mean giving opportunities for the largest companies in the country and leaving small businesses to their own devices, with no assistance, then sure.
"They greatly increase the Economy by distributing money increasingly. "
- Not really, though... Most of the economic growth seen under Trump was a direct result of the policies made by Obama. On top of that, if you wanna talk about equitable distribution, I don't quite see how giving more money to the people at the top really helps distribute to the people at the bottom. Unless, of course, you're one of those pseudo-intellectual trickle-down economists.
"With this being said, they are both Important to the Country, one cannot live without the other, for that would the Country Into even more chaos than one side can distribute. "
- I mean, sure, it's important to have opposing views to Democrats to foster discourse. However, considering the actions Republicans have taken in the last four years, I think it's about time we placed them in time-out for a little bit and let the Dems come in and fix this shitshow.
Irwin Miller
Sinatra said in the same interview that after Sammy Davis was involved in a catastrophic car accident that removed his eye, he couldn't get admitted to a local Vegas Hospital for emergency treatment because he was black. Sinatra got into his car, drove to Vegas and transferred Davis into a better hospital; then he brought Davis to his home for rehabilitation. When Sinatra was informed that Count Basie and his band members couldn't stay at the same hotel as Sinatra, he told the Casino owners that if they didn't want Basie and his musicians, they didn't want him either. He told them that if the discrimination didn't immediately stop, he would no longer perform in Vegas.
Really Mysterious
@ELIAKIM Joseph Sophia Are you kidding ? It is the Republicans who have the support of all the White Supremacist groups
Norm DePlume
@ELIAKIM Joseph Sophia They weren't denied cancer treatment because of a lockdown. They were denied it because hospitals were overwhelmed with Covid patients. The reason for the lockdowns is to stop the health care system from collapsing. How difficult is that to understand almost a year into this?
Jahya Mack
@ELIAKIM Joseph Sophia That’s quite the dream.
Ansem
This comment section is a shit show. Anyway, racism bad. Good on Sinatra for saying the obvious when there was no benefit for him to do so. He was a man of dignity and worthy of respect.
He didn't let anyone push him or his friends around!
ironman3098456
@Edward Richtofen
DEMOCRATS:
"Conveyed false info through News and media sources to get people to turn on each other. (And much more that I do not want to display.)"
- What are you talking about? And do you have an substantive proof to back this up?
"Goes against what the definition they prevail and up hold. "
- How?
"Controlling the masses through false Info having to do with the Election of 2021. "
- Once again, there's no substantive proof to back this up.
"Has probably the worst president-elect, and vice-elect as of recent. (I've never met them in person, so I can not hold statements against their behavior.) "
- What makes Biden and Harris bad candidates? Is it anything more than just "Biden stutters a lot when speaking?"
"They don't like Republican's. "
- I don't see how this is a CON.
"Much more"
- Whenever someone vaucously makes this statement, it usually means there isn't anything else you can think of but you still wanna make it seem like they're worse than they are.
- Your "PRO's" for Democrats was exclusively centred around war. I see you're making no effort to conceal what you think is most important in a government (literally just war, war, and more war, I guess). The same can be said for your assessment of the "PRO's" of Republicans.
REPUBLICANS:
"Some of the unwitty supporter's of this Side, like to spout idiotic statements that are stupid to comprehend, only the stupid people however. "
- Most of them are stupid people.
"They are quick to emotions, not in the fact they don't check facts, but that they are not well with a plan. "
- They DON'T check facts, though...
"They are misleading sometimes, they give Info that's correct, but tell it in a way that's incorrect. "
- Actually, most of the time they just give info that's straight-up incorrect or completely unsubstantiated.
"Had a great speaker as president, one that could talk properly, and could joke about himself. "
- If, by "joke about himself," you mean explode into fits of babyrage any time he's exposed to the slightest amount of criticism on social media, then sure, he can ABSOLUTELY joke about himself.
"They help businesses drastically, the money makers of Countries. "
- If, by helping businesses, you mean giving opportunities for the largest companies in the country and leaving small businesses to their own devices, with no assistance, then sure.
"They greatly increase the Economy by distributing money increasingly. "
- Not really, though... Most of the economic growth seen under Trump was a direct result of the policies made by Obama. On top of that, if you wanna talk about equitable distribution, I don't quite see how giving more money to the people at the top really helps distribute to the people at the bottom. Unless, of course, you're one of those pseudo-intellectual trickle-down economists.
"With this being said, they are both Important to the Country, one cannot live without the other, for that would the Country Into even more chaos than one side can distribute. "
- I mean, sure, it's important to have opposing views to Democrats to foster discourse. However, considering the actions Republicans have taken in the last four years, I think it's about time we placed them in time-out for a little bit and let the Dems come in and fix this shitshow.
Victoria
People can say a lot of bad things about Sinatra but one thing we can never say...He was never a racist.
Steve M
@Jimmy Olsen Are you speaking to me?
Steve M
@Bluh Crih Huh dumbo? Sinatra was racist??? Are you missing some chromosomes?
Jimmy Olsen
@TrixR4Kids because of morons like you Steve