Frank Sinatra, Jr. was born in New Jersey, raised in California
and educated in the showrooms of Las Vegas and on bandstands
all over the world.
While studying music at the University of Southern California,
Frank Jr. originally planned a career as a pianist and conductor.
Show promoters, however, had different ideas and he eventually
made his professional show business debut as a singer with the
Elliot Brothers band, an outfit best known for its take-offs
on name bands of the 1940s.
On the evening of September 8, 1963, the Royal Box of Americana
Hotel in Manhattan re-opened for the fall season. Other hotels
featured such established performers as Sheila and Gordon MacRae
(Waldorf), Peter Duschin (St. Regis), and Xavier Cuget and Abbe
Lane (Plaza). The Royal Box presented a newcomer: Frank Sinatra,
Jr. backed by the Tommy Dorsey Band. At 21, Frank Jr. made his
debut into the big time.
Abel Green, editor of “Variety” at the time, heralded Frank
Jr.'s debut with a “thumbs-up” verdict: “Frank Jr. clicked, packing
his 20-minute stint with commendable professionalism.” He eventually
joined the Sam Donahue Orchestra, an experience he described
as being one of the most rewarding in his career. “I learned
the bulk of what I know about singing with a band from Sam Donahue
and the other musicians I met in that band,” Frank Jr. said. “The
best way to learn about something is to be around the experts.
Pilots hang around with other pilots; mechanics hang around other
mechanics. I stayed around musicians. Formal education is important,
of course, but you can't learn a profession by just sitting in
a classroom. You have to go out there and do it.”
Frank Jr. has performed in major clubs and showrooms throughout
the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, and England. He has
appeared on stage with such showbiz greats as George Burns, Phil
Harris, and Flip Wilson as well as guest starring on popular
television shows including “Laugh-in” and “The Golddiggers.” A
favorite of variety and talk show audiences, Frank Jr. frequently
appeared on programs hosted by legends such as Red Skelton, Jack
Benny, Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas,
and Johnny Carson. In 1970, he shifted to the big screen acting
along side Dale Robertson, Dina Merrill and Toshiro Mifune in “The
Walking Major,” a feature move filmed on location in Japan.
In 1971 a record album entitled “Spice” hit
the marketplace. It was produced by the late Sonny Burke and
featured the writing talents of Frank Jr. on three cuts. Those
three songs were “Spice,” “Believe in Me,” and “Black
Night,” as well as the additional album cuts, were
arranged and conducted by the great Nelson Riddle. “Spice” was
followed by two other recording projects: “His Way” and “It's
All Right.” In
1983, Frank Jr. teamed with the Pat Longo All-Star Jazz Band
to record a tribute to arranger-conductor Billy May, contributing
five songs to an album entitled, “Billy May For President.”
Throughout the 1960s and into the mid-1970s,
Frank Jr. appeared regularly in Las Vegas, opening for many stars
in the main rooms and headlining in his own right in the lounges.
For several years a trend prevailed in Las Vegas wherein lounges
were being converted into bingo rooms, buffets and sports bars
making Frank Jr.'s brand of entertainment seemingly obsolete.
However, a major turning point came in 1985 when Frank Jr. opened
in the Four Queens Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. Backed by a 17-piece
orchestra, he re-introduced the lush big-band sound to lounge
patrons sparking renewed interest in live music. Subsequently,
his show was booked regularly at the resort during the next eight
years.
In 1990, Frank Jr. expanded his band to include twenty musicians.
In 1992, he brought his show to the Desert Inn. It was the first
time in twenty years that a big band had appeared in a lounge
on the famed Las Vegas strip. “When I was a boy, my father would
often bring me to Las Vegas. I saw all the stars perform, and
late at night, there would always be a name band playing in a
lounge,” Frank Jr. recalled. “I remember listening to Harry James,
Count Basie and many other famous bands. It was quite an education.
I always try to recapture the spirit of those late night sessions
in my show.”
In 1988, Frank Jr. joined his father's staff as musical director
and concert conductor. He helped to choose the music and rehearsed
and conducted the orchestra whenever Ol' Blue Eyes was on stage.
Sometimes fate (and smart booking agents) brought Frank Jr. and
his father into the same city at the same time. When father and
son appeared in the same city, but in separate clubs, loyal Sinatra
fans called it an “eclipse.” On the rare occasions both appeared
in the same hotel or club in separate shows, the event was dubbed
a “total eclipse.” In October 1993, fans flocked to the Desert
Inn in Las Vegas where Frank Jr. was singing in the lounge and
his father was performing in the showroom. “It was a lot of work
conducting for my father and then singing two of my own shows,
but I can't remember when I've had so much fun,” Frank Jr. said.
In April 1994, Frank Jr. enjoyed another whirlwind week when
he conducted for his father at the famous Radio City Music Hall
in New York City, and then moved on to the more intimate tavern
on the Green on Central Park to perform his own late night show.
Frank Jr.'s big band played to sell-out audiences all week at
the landmark restaurant and nightclub, prompting a return engagement
planned for the spring of 1995, to be followed by a first-ever
date at Atlantic City's Trump Plaza. Not surprisingly, Frank
Jr. dazzled the east-coast casino market, sparking future bookings
in several other Atlantic City showrooms.
In 1996 “As I Remember It” (Angel Records),
a CD recorded as a tribute to his father's talents and the composers
and arrangers “who defined the Sinatra legend,” was released.
Greeted with enthusiasm by Sinatra purists, “As I Remember
It” proceeded to climb the musical charts garnering
significant critical acclaim along the way. A promotional tour
ensued, in which Frank Jr. treated audiences to stirring renditions
of classis such as “Night and Day,” “I've Got the World
on a String,” and “Ol'Man River” to
name a few. Utilizing a superb 44-piece orchestra and the incomparable
arrangements of legends Nelson Riddle, Don Costa and Billy May,
Frank Jr. won the hearts and respect of fans and critics alike,
irrefutably distinguishing himself as a premiere vocalist and
endearing storyteller.
The public's enthusiastic response to “As I Remember
It” prompted Frank Jr. to extend the tour well into
1997. In addition, a new project shined on the immediate horizon.
In celebration of George and Ira Gershwins' Centennial anniversary,
an all-Gershwin program was under development. On July 4, Frank
Jr. launched his 10-city Gershwins' America tour
from Battery Park located near the Statue of Liberty. Multi-talented,
Frank Jr. served as a singer, pianist, and conductor, utilizing
a 52-piece symphony to commemorate timeless favorites such
as “S' Wonderful,” “I've Got a Crush on You,” and “Fascinating
Rhythm.” The whirlwind tour concluded on August 10,
1997 in Los Angeles, California amidst rave reviews. “The talents
of the second generation of Sinatras were a given. The Gershwin
program went the next step in firmly contributing Frank Jr.'s
personal achievement as a gifted musician and star performer,” said
John C. Hall, Trustee of The Recording Industries Music Performance
Trust Fund.
From the fall of 1997 through the summer of 1998, Frank Jr.
and his 20-piece orchestra focused once again on the nostalgic
melodies of the big bang era, appearing in notable theaters and
showrooms nationwide. His performances at Atlantic City's Claridge
Casino Hotel, Harrah's Casino & Hotel and Trump Marina, as
well as Laughlin's Harrah's Casino & Hotel met with tremendous
success.
Audiences honored Frank and his 36-piece orchestra with numerous
standing ovations during all three of his sold-out shows at Sands
Hotel Casino in October of '98. In his first Atlantic City appearance
since his father's death, Frank delighted the house by commemorating “Ol'
Blue Eyes: in a unique setting created by special blue lighting,
an ethereal voice-over and the presence of featured guest Bill
Miller, Frank Sr.'s pianist for close to fifty years, Thereafter
Frank performed several of his father's favorite songs. The stunning
magical segment had fans cheering their appreciation and critics
commending Franks' imagination and class. Due to the tremendous
success of this unforgettable performance, Bill Miller is now
a permanent member of Frank Jr.'s orchestra.
1999 started off with a bang as Frank wowed a sold-out audience
at Miami Beach's famous Fontainebleau on New Year's Eve. From
there he proved that everything old is new again by packing dance
floors with swing dancers of all generations at Disney's Atlantic
Palace/Boardwalk Club as well as Merv Griffin's Coconut Club
in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times, “…in a gala
celebration of the first anniversary of Merv Griffin's Coconut
Club, Sinatra Jr. began to make a case for his acceptance as
one of the best of the post-Sinatra mainstream vocal stylists.”
Wherever and whenever he performs, Frank Sinatra, Jr. always
keeps one thing in mind: “The people come to hear the music,
so I always make sure the music is the real star of the show.
I want the spotlight to shine on the individual musicians as
well as the singer.”
Frank Sinatra, Jr. … a star that shines brighter year after
year