FRANK SINATRA AT NINETY
Photo: FRANK
SINATRA being interviewed on
Midday Live with BILL BOGGS.
Photo:
Friars John Marshall, Paulette Attie,
Frank
Santopadre, and Jim Murtaugh rehearse their Séance sketch on
the Players .Club stage
The
man, whose voice was the soundtrack for many of our lives, was
affectionately remembered on what would have been his ninetieth
birthday. Bill Boggs, talk show host and showman extraordinaire, put
together an SRO afternoon at the Friars Club celebrating this
Sinatra milestone. Boggs showed some of his TV interviews with
Sinatra, from Midday Live with Bill Boggs. In one segment,
Sinatra described a trick he’d learned from Tommy Dorsey about how
to sustain a long musical line. Sinatra also did a lot of underwater
swimming, to expand his lung capacity; fascinating for all, and
especially educational for musicians. Friars Club Dean Freddie
Roman opened the event by saying, “The Friars is an amazing Club.
Photo: The
cast of Paulette Attie's play: : Music Director David Andrews
Rogers, Barry Dougherty, Patrick Tull, Dean Freddie Roman,
Sandy Marshall, Friar Susan Lucci, Michael Allinson, Friar
Paulette Attie, Sydney Zion, Friar Jim Murtaugh, Friar Stewie
Stone, Friar Frank Santopadre, Friar John Marshall, Friar Len
Cariou, Friar Tom Cotter, Friar Dick Capri, Friar Sal Viviano.
Look
at the turnout we have. You knew Sinatra wasn’t going to show up,
but you came anyway.” Participating in the event was LeRoy Neiman, Frank Sinatra’s official painter.
Neiman created over a dozen paintings of Sinatra and another hundred
or more sketches. Later, he shared with me what it was like to
capture the essence of Sinatra: “It was hared to pin him down and
convey the Sinatra power, which made him a tough subject.” On one
occasion, after Sinatra was gone, Neiman was commissioned to do the
cover of an album. Everyone seemed happy with it, but then, Neiman
received a call from Nancy, one of Sinatra’s daughters who politely
said, “You missed the expression in my father’s eyes when he’s
listening.” They agreed that she would send him a photo. Neiman had
never worked from a photograph before, but he did that time. He
created a new painting, and that painting became a Sinatra family
favorite.
 Photo:
Frank Sinatra and Leroy Neiman on the set,
during the filming of "Tony Rome.
Mark
Simone, an encyclopedia of information about the great American
songbook in general and Sinatra in particular related how Sinatra
was put aside at birth and thought to be dead. He had an Aunt who
looked at him and thought otherwise. She smacked him many
times and brought him to life.
Boggs
claimed that he had seen at least one hundred twenty live
performances of Frank Sinatra. When we spoke later, he said, “It was
more like one hundred fifty times.” That’s what you call a dedicated
fan. It started with Boggs crashing a sold out performance at the
Five Hundred Club in Atlantic City, disguised as a waiter. His
audience presence at Sinatra performances spanned more than forty
years. Boggs reminisced about how Sinatra’s interpretation of “You
Make Me Feel So Young,” took on a whole different meaning when he
sang it in his later years. In his early recording, it was a
swinging, finger snapping rendition. When he was in his seventies,
Sinatra sang it to the audience as if their presence made him feel
young. Then we got to see, on video, Sinatra’s mature rendition of
“You Make Me Feel So Young.” It was an up close, personal,
multi-layered interpretation. Boggs pointed out that Sinatra was a
singer who appealed both to men and women. He was the first singer
who combined a tough guy persona, and also revealed a vulnerable
side. He respected both the words and the music. In the 1941
Billboard survey, Sinatra went from being number 22 to the number
one most popular male vocalist. He didn’t like being bested by
anyone or anything and once said, “I cannot bear to let anything
lick me. If it’s hard, if I dread it, I can’t rest until I’ve made
myself go through with it.” For good reason he was called “The
Chairman of the Board.” His film roles were also standouts, earning
him an Oscar for the part of Maggio in From Here to Eternity.
As Neiman said, “He was the top man at whatever he did.”
 Photo:
Painting of Frank Sinatra by Leroy Neiman.
Eric
Comstock, Producer and performer of Our Sinatra, treated
all present to a medley of Sinatra songs.
Ervin Drake, writer of numerous hit songs, was
introduced to great applause. He segued to the piano and sang one of
his all time greats, “It Was a Very Good Year,” which later became
one of Sinatra’s signature songs. Drake accompanied himself
splendidly on the piano. I asked Ervin Drake if he would write me a
female version to his song. He kindly did so, coming up with a
delicious set of lyrics. I premiered it in my off-Broadway one woman
show, About Time, happily receiving excellent reviews for it.
I was pleased to sing it again for the Friars Club.
Sinatra’s over one thousand recordings set a high mark of excellence
to inspire generations to come.
 Photo:
Frank D'Amore, one of Sinatra's favorites.
Sinatra
the philanthropist was also an important part of the man. Some of
his generosity was well known, as in establishing the Barbara
Sinatra Children’s Center. Some were less noticed, like giving the
New York University Dental School a piano for their auditorium, and
some were known by maybe only one or two. Frank D’Amore, mentioned in my “Making Matters Better” column,
Filling Bob Hope’s Sizeable Shoes, shared a story with me
about a little known example of Sinatra’s generosity. D’Amore was
the opening act comic for Sinatra’s shows at the Fountainbleau Hotel
in Florida, a tour in the U.S., in Australia, and what was supposed
to be a series of concert dates in New Zealand. Sinatra cancelled
the New Zealand dates for personal reasons, namely because he wanted
to be with Ava Gardner. When D’Amore was called to pick up his check
for the New Zealand dates, he said, “I can’t do that. We didn’t do
the job.” A few minutes later, he got a call from Sinatra saying
something to the effect that, “You’d better pick up that check, or
I’ll break your arm.” Sinatra made sure that those he cared about
benefited from knowing him, whether they agreed with him or not.
Sidney
Zion, feisty and highly respected columnist currently writing for
the New York Daily News, told me how much he appreciated Sinatra’s
contribution to his charity which provides scholarships for
students: The Zion Fund for the Performing Arts. In 1985, Zion did
an hour and ten minute interview with Sinatra at Yale University.
Zion also produced a Celebration on Sinatra’s birthday that was held
at the Players Club in New York. Knowing Zion’s passion for the
great American songbook, and also for the man whom he calls “the
best,” it had to be outstanding. Zion said that the centerpiece of
the event was showing twenty minutes of his Sinatra interview.
Zion’s show ended with film clips of Sinatra singing with Ella
Fitzgerald. For music lovers, it doesn’t get any better than that. I
hope many places around the world celebrated the birthday of the man
whom many believe was the greatest entertainer of all time.
For the Friars Club, their event had special significance. Sinatra
was Abbott of the Friars Club from 1975 to 1996. The Club’s main
eating room was officially named the Frank Sinatra Dining Room at
their Sinatra Birthday Celebration. When the big ball fell on Times
Square in New York, ushering in 2006, the song that was played was
“New York, New York,” sung by Frank Sinatra. The sound track
continues.
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