The other night, I watched a television special honoring the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra. It had several people who should never sing a Sinatra song doing exactly what they should never do. There were also some people who did the music justice.
Anyway, the show made me think about Frank Sinatra and how I wished I had seen him in concert. My parents saw him perform in Las Vegas. They have not attended many concerts, but they saw Sinatra and Elvis Presley. When you have seen two of the biggest stars of all time, I guess there is no point is seeing anyone else.
Despite not seeing Frank Sinatra in person, he is one of my favorite performers. However, I like some of his stuff better than others.
“It Was a Very Good Year” is my favorite Sinatra song. For as long as I remember, the lyrics have struck me on a deep level.
When I was seventeen, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights
We’d hide from the lights
On the village green
When I was seventeen
When I was twenty-one, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for city girls
Who lived up the stairs
With all that perfumed hair
That came undone
When I was twenty-one
When I was thirty-five, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls
Of independent means
We’d ride in limousines
Their chauffeurs would drive
When I was thirty-five
But now the days are short, I’m in the autumn of my years
And I think of my life as vintage wine
From fine old kegs
From the brim to the dregs
It poured sweet and clear
It was a very good year
Tony Rome is my favorite Frank Sinatra movie. It is even included in my Sinatra version of Movie Wisdom. He plays a Miami private detective who lives on a boat and has issues with gambling. Basically, it is Sinatra having a good time. Nancy Sinatra sings the theme song, and Rocky Graziano makes a cameo appearance.
Dean Martin is my favorite Frank Sinatra pal.
As a famed member of the Rat Pack, he was, in my opinion, one of the few performers who could go toe-to-toe with Sinatra. He was a singer and an actor. He could handle Westerns, Drama and Comedy.
Ava Gardner is my favorite Frank Sinatra wife.
I mean, how can you not like Ava Gardner? She was one of the great Hollywood starlets. I just never could figure out why she married Mickey Rooney.
Anyway, that is my ode to the Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra. Otherwise known as Ol’ Blue Eyes.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 
We also watched the show. Sinatra is Garry’s favorite. I love his songbook, but I’m just enough younger that I have other favorites. That being said. his songbook is rich and deep. His influence on singers can’t be overstated, similar to that of Billie Holiday. It’s the music with which I grew up. Garry’s favorite is “One for my baby, and one for the road.” My first husband’s favorite was the same as yours. I like the memories the songs bring up and I thought most of the singers did pretty well … some of them surprisingly well. I wish Tony Bennett had been given more than one song.
My real issue was with Zac Brown and his stovepipe hat. Sinatra is one of my favorites but not my absolute favorite. He is one of those people who changed the music industry.
Yes, he is one of the building blocks of pop. A big one. He’s not my favorite because along came the Beatles and I never recovered from them. I didn’t even want to recover.
Great post, they do not get any better than this. Different era, I miss those days and those people. 🙂
They were legendary. I’m not sure how many of today’s stars will be described that way.
Do you know, it’s my favourite Sinatra song too! I love those lyrics. They are completely weird but they conjure the scene each time. In my book I give the song – and Sinatra of course – a good review. Favourite album is ” Frank Sinatra Sings Only for the Lonely”. “One for my Baby” rivals “Very Good Year” as my favourite song.
You are right about the lyrics. When I heard the words, pictures develop in my mind.
I have a lot of Frank’s music. “Learning the Blues” is a favorite.
I surely liked Dino too, but pound for pound don’t forget Sammy!
Sammy did some great work.
Now I’ll have New York, New York in my brain for the rest of the day. I look for his albums at thrift shops. Not for the record but for the album cover to frame.
He has some awesome covers. I should have included that in my post.