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.
My Kind Of Town
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And only happen in a town like this
So may I say to each of you most gratefully
As I throw each one of you a kiss
This is my kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of people too
And each time I roam, Chicago is
Calling me home, Chicago is
Why I just grin like a clown
It's my kind of town
My kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of razzmatazz
And it has, all that jazz
And each time I leave, Chicago is
Tuggin' my sleeve, Chicago is
The Wrigley building, Chicago is
The union stockyard, Chicago is
One town that won't let you down
It's my kind of town
The lyrics of Frank Sinatra's song My Kind Of Town are an ode to Chicago, a city that holds a special place for the singer. Sinatra sings about how unique Chicago is, and how it could only happen to someone like him in a city like this. He shows his gratitude towards the people of Chicago for welcoming him with open arms and throwing him kisses. For Sinatra, Chicago is his kind of town. He loves the people, the razzmatazz, and all that jazz. Every time he leaves this city, Chicago tugs at his sleeve and calls him home, making him grin like a clown. Chicago has the Wrigley building, the union stockyards, and is one town that won't let you down.
Frank Sinatra's love for Chicago was evident in many of his performances, and My Kind Of Town remains one of his most iconic tributes to this city. The song has been used extensively in popular culture, including a reference in the hit TV series The Sopranos. The song was co-written by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen, who worked closely with Sinatra on many of his songs. My Kind Of Town was originally written for the 1964 movie Robin and the 7 Hoods, which starred Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bing Crosby. In the movie, Sinatra's character Robbo is a gangster who runs a popular nightclub in Chicago.
The song has gone on to become a timeless classic, and it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. The melody, lyrics, and Sinatra's smooth voice make My Kind Of Town a joy to listen to, transporting the listener to the bustling streets of Chicago. The song has become synonymous with the city, and it remains a beloved tribute to one of America's most iconic cities.
Line by Line Meaning
Now this could only happen to a guy like me
I feel extremely lucky to experience something like this.
And only happen in a town like this
This is such a unique and special town.
So may I say to each of you most gratefully
I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone here.
As I throw each one of you a kiss
I want to thank all of you by throwing a kiss to each and every one of you.
This is my kind of town, Chicago is
Chicago is the perfect place for me and everything I'm about.
My kind of people too
I love the people here in Chicago.
People who smile at you
The people in Chicago are friendly and approachable.
And each time I roam, Chicago is
No matter where I go, I can't help but think of Chicago.
Calling me home, Chicago is
Chicago feels like home to me, no matter where I am.
Why I just grin like a clown
I can't stop smiling when I think of Chicago.
It's my kind of town
Chicago is the perfect place for me, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
My kind of razzmatazz
I love the energy and excitement of Chicago.
And it has, all that jazz
Chicago has everything I love, including the famous jazz music scene.
And each time I leave, Chicago is
I can't stop thinking about Chicago, even when I'm away.
Tuggin' my sleeve, Chicago is
Chicago has a hold on my heart and won't let me go.
The Wrigley building, Chicago is
The iconic Wrigley building is just one of the many things that makes Chicago so special.
The union stockyard, Chicago is
Even the stockyard in Chicago has a unique charm that I love.
One town that won't let you down
Chicago is a reliable and wonderful place that I can always count on.
It's my kind of town
No matter where I go, Chicago will always be my favorite place.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY VAN HEUSEN, SAMMY CAHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chi Cris
No better place on earth than Chicago! Sweet home Chicago
Debbie Kinney
Thanks again for your appreciation for a great city and history. My John Kinney PhD no matter what his brothers James, Chuck and Denise Laferty Kinney 23
Evergreen Trail, Medford, NJ 08056
Jason Wagner
Im dwn twn now
MsShirleyD
I'm from Chicago and I'll always have a love for this city.
Debbie Kinney
I was born and raised in Chicago!!! The founding city of major motion pictures and and one Eric Clapton's favorite blues cities!! My father introduced me to Louis Armstrong (Satchmo) at one of his last shows!!! Love my City!!
Patrick Ross
Agree! Greatest city in the world!
Jason Wagner
U betcha in my opinion its and im flying there tomorrow for a week
Literatuurfan
Yes David, this is a wonderful city en Frank Sinatra the greatest singer
ever👍🗽Thanks for this video!
Gloria Hall
Chicago is where I was born and raised. I have my whole family in which I miss them dearly. I have many friends and miss them. My mom took me all over we went shopping at all the stores downtown, river oaks, South Chicago she was the greatest. Sears Tower, Wrigley Building, Marshall Fields, Lake Shore Drive, The EL, Chicago Skyline. I will never forget Chicago. Gloria Louise
kilinkis
I love Chicago so much that when I hear this song I almost start crying. The first time I listened to it was on the United Center before a Bulls game, I cried like hell that time.