Biographic - Sunday December 13, 2015 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of hte birth of the man considered by many to be the greatest entertainer of the 20th century-singer and actor Frank Sinatra. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on December 12, 1915, Francis Albert Sinatra rose to Prominence as a "Swing Era" vocalist, initially with the Harry James Orchestra. By the time of his acrimonious departure from Dorsey's ranks to embark on a solo career, Frank was a major star and a heartthrob to an army of teenage girls. By the mid-1940s, he was selling 10 million records a year and starring in major motion pictures. But by the end of the decade, his career was in decline. Amid the divorce scandal, money troubles and terrible press, he was dropped by his record label in 1952. The 1953 movie "From Here to Eternity" earned him an Oscar and launched one of the most sensational comebacks in entertainment history. He went on to star in a string of hit movies, gaining further awards acclaim. He dominated TV and radio, wowed audiences with his live performances and released some of the most popular music of all time, including such tracks as "You Make Me Feel So Young" "I've Got You Under My Skin" "Come Fly With Me" "It Was A Very Good Year" and "Fly Me To The Moon." In the 1960s, Frank and his "Rat Pack" a group of fellow stars that included Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.- Partied together, performed together and co-starred in such movies as "Oceans II" and "Robin And The 7 Hoods." Frank launched his own record label, reprise and released such classics as "My Way" and "Strangers In The Night." He retired in 1970, only to return three years later with the tv special and the album "Ol, Blue Eyes Is Back." He continued to record and perform over the next two decades. Recipient of the presidential medal of freedom and the congressional gold medal, the legendary Sinatra died in 1998, aged 82.

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