[Column] Frank Sinatra's life, music, movies, business, and cultural influence
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Frank Sinatra - The man who sang about America
Text: mmr｜Theme: Frank Sinatra, a symbol of American popular music. Tracing his eventful life and the huge footprints he left in entertainment history
“Before Sinatra” and “After Sinatra”
When we look back at the history of music in the 20th century, some figures are not just stars, but are talked about as part of an era in itself.
Frank Sinatra was a perfect example of this.
Was he a jazz singer?
Was he a pop singer?
Or maybe he was a movie actor?
All of those answers are correct.
What”s more, it”s not enough.
Sinatra was the embodiment of American culture.
In the 1940s, she appeared as an idol that excited young people, but in the 1950s she hit rock bottom. He made a spectacular comeback, becoming the king of Las Vegas in the 1960s, and in his later years became a national figure as a symbol of American music.
His life is not a story of success.
It was a series of setbacks, restarts, challenges, and changes.
That is why his life still attracts so many people.
Sinatra”s story was not just one singer”s success story, but a microcosm of 20th century American culture itself.
Early life and a boy in an immigrant society
Born in Hoboken, New Jersey
Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey.
His parents were Italian immigrants.
His father, Antonino Sinatra, is of Sicilian descent.
His mother, Natalie Garaventa, was from the Liguria region of northern Italy.
In early 20th century America, Italian immigrants were still often subject to discrimination.
Hoboken was a labor town where immigrants gathered.
Not a wealthy family.
But it was lively.
The young Sinatra was more interested in music than studying.
The event that changed his life occurred in the 1930s.
It was Bing Crosby’s voice on the radio.
Crosby’s smooth, natural singing was very different from his previous operatic vocalizations.
Sinatra is shocked.
“I want to be a singer too.”
That’s what I decided.
Dropped out of school and jumped into the world of music.
The age of microphones has arrived
During the 1920s and 1930s, electrical recording and microphone technology developed rapidly.
Previously, singers had to sing loudly.
However, with the advent of the microphone, expressions that sound like a whisper are now possible.
Sinatra took full advantage of this new technology.
In later years, many singers would imitate him.
However, at the time, his singing style was revolutionary.
Beyond being a great singer, Sinatra was one of the first artists to understand the microphone era.
The birth of a star in the big band era
To the Harry James Orchestra
1939.
Sinatra joins trumpeter Harry James’ orchestra.
This was a major turning point.
This was his first real recording experience, and his name became known on a national scale.
But the real breakthrough came the following year.
Joining the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
1940.
Sinatra transfers to Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra.
Dorsey was one of the best bandleaders in America at the time.
Here Sinatra becomes a national star.
The enthusiasm of female fans in particular has become a social phenomenon.
At the Paramount Theater in New York in 1942, young women screamed and even fainted.
Sinatra was already pioneering a phenomenon that would later be seen in the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
Secret of breath control
Dorsey was known as a trombonist.
Sinatra studied his playing.
A breathing technique that keeps long phrases uninterrupted.
smooth legato.
I applied these to singing.
The result is a flowing style that is uniquely his own.
Sinatra’s singing skills were not just natural, but were developed through thorough observation and research.
Solo transition and the first golden age
Explosion of idol popularity
Became independent in 1942.
Started his career as a solo singer.
It was the era of World War II.
As many young people headed off to war, Sinatra’s romantic voice supported the hearts of people.
“I’ll Never Smile Again”
“Night and Day”
“Saturday Night”
Hits like this continue.
By the mid-1940s, he was one of the biggest stars in America.
Entering the film industry
It’s not just music.
Hollywood also took notice of him.
He has appeared mainly in musical movies.
In America at the time, it was not uncommon for music and movie stars to overlap.
But Sinatra was more than just a singing actor.
He continued to hone his acting skills.
Against racism
Sinatra was active in civil rights issues in the 1940s.
Unusually for the time, he made his stance clear against racial discrimination.
He also participated in campaigns for racial equality.
This was much earlier than the later civil rights movement.
Young Sinatra was both an entertainer and a social commentator.
Fall of the early 1950s
Decline in popularity
Stardom isn’t forever.
In the 1950s, the situation changed.
Music trends have changed.
Young stars are also appearing one after another.
Furthermore, scandals in his private life were also reported.
Popularity plummets.
Crisis of vocal cord hemorrhage
Around 1950.
He also suffers from vocal cord hemorrhage.
It was a fatal event for the singer.
Work is decreasing.
He also lost his contract with the movie company.
Sinatra faces the greatest crisis of his life.
Almost forgotten
In just a few years, the man who was the biggest star of the 1940s was considered a bygone.
But he didn’t give up.
This is where the historic revival begins.
True legends are born not through success, but through recovery from failure.
“From earth to eternity” and the miraculous resurrection
Obsession with movies
Sinatra strongly requested to appear in the film From Here to Eternity.
The role is small.
The pay is not high either.
Still, he wanted to perform.
As a result, this decision will change your life.
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1953.
The movie becomes a huge success.
Sinatra himself received critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
attracting attention again.
He is also starting to make a comeback as a singer.
The Capitol era has arrived
Mid-1950s.
Produced many masterpieces at Capitol Records.
This is said to be the peak of his career as an artist.
Sinatra has been reborn from a past idol to a mature artist.
Concept album revolution
The expression album
Popular music in the 1950s was centered around singles.
But Sinatra constructed the entire album as a single work.
This had a great influence on later rock and pop music.
Masterpieces
“In the Wee Small Hours”
“Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!”
“Only the Lonely”
“Come Fly with Me”
etc. were produced.
Broken heart.
Loneliness.
city night.
A yearning for travel.
Each album has a unified theme.
The Art of Phrasing
Sinatra’s appeal is not his voice.
He had the ability to sing as if speaking the lyrics.
Understand the meaning of each word and deliver it as a story.
This technique had a great influence on later generations of vocalists.
Sinatra didn’t just list hit songs, he gave each album a story.
Rat Pack and the 1960s
King of Las Vegas
1960s.
Sinatra became a symbol of Las Vegas.
He enlivened the stage with his friends.
At the center of this was the Rat Pack.
Gorgeous members
They worked across film, television, and show business.
They are a group that symbolizes the golden age of entertainment.
Reprise Records established
1960.
Establishes his own record company.
The aim was to create an environment where artists could work independently.
This also influenced the music industry later on.
Sinatra was not only a singer, but also a force in show business as a whole.
“My Way” and the symbol of immortality
Birth of a global anthem
1969.
“My Way” is announced.
Lyrics about looking back on life.
Majestic singing.
This song became synonymous with Sinatra.
Personal rating
Interestingly, Sinatra himself was said to have had mixed feelings about the song in later years.
But the audience was different.
It has become a song sung at life milestones all over the world.
Heir to the standard
Sinatra also played a role in passing on the American songbook to the next generation.
Cole Porter.
George Gershwin.
Irving Berlin.
They delivered the works of these composers to a new generation.
"”My Way”’ was not just a hit song, it was seen as a symbol of Sinatra”s own philosophy of life.
Late life and reaching national status
World Legend
He has continued to be active since the 1970s.
He once announced his retirement, but returned to the stage again.
From the 1980s to the 1990s, he came to be treated as a living legend.
Success of duet project
In the 1990s, his collaborations with younger generations also became a hot topic.
It will be supported by generations.
Died in 1998
May 14, 1998.
Died at the age of 82.
All of America mourned.
His death was not seen as the death of a single singer, but as the end of an era.
In his later years, Sinatra went beyond being a star and became a symbol of American culture.
Frank Sinatra’s legacy
Influence on singing method
Many modern vocalists are influenced by Sinatra.
Breathing method.
phrasing.
Lyric interpretation.
emotional expression.
Many of them are still passed down to this day.
Establishment of album art
The concept album idea also led to later pop and rock music.
It contributed to the development of a culture in which albums are listened to as one piece of work.
Ideal image of entertainment
sing.
play.
manage
speak out to society.
Sinatra greatly expanded the possibilities for entertainers.
Frank Sinatra’s legacy goes beyond his work and is etched into the very foundation of modern entertainment.
Chronology
| Year | Events |
|---|---|
| 1915 | Born in Hoboken, New Jersey |
| 1939 | Joined Harry James Orchestra |
| 1940 | Joined Tommy Dorsey Orchestra |
| 1942 | Start of solo career |
| Mid-1940s | Gained national popularity |
| 1953 | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for From Here to Eternity |
| 1954 | Capitol era begins |
| 1960 | Reprise Records established |
| 1960s | Rat Pack at its peak |
| 1966 | “Strangers in the Night” a big hit |
| 1969 | “My Way” announced |
| 1998 | Passed away |
At the end
Frank Sinatra was more than just a popular singer.
He perfected the art of singing in the microphone era, elevated albums to art form, achieved success in the film industry, and influenced the music business.
Above all, he sang about life itself.
The radiance of youth.
Loneliness.
love.
Failure.
Resurrection.
pride.
All of this is engraved in his songs.
This is the reason why his singing voice still sounds fresh even though he was born over 100 years ago.
What is art that remains timeless?
One answer to that question is Frank Sinatra.
Frank Sinatra was not only one of the ““greatest singers of the 20th century,’’ but also a historical figure who continued to sing the story of America.
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