December 8, 1995. Copyright, 1995, Graphic News. All rights reserved

SINATRA Ð A LEGEND REACHES EIGHTY
By Nicholas Booth.

LONDON, December 8, Graphic News Ð Since the moment he stepped on to the stage of the Paramount Theater in New York in December 1942, Francis Albert Sinatra has been a tour de force in showbusiness. Years before girls screamed for The Beatles, they mobbed the singer born in Hoboken, New Jersey, elevating him to unprecedented heights of popularity. His subsequent career has had many ups and downs Ð and has not been without its share of controversies. But now, to celebrate his 80th birthday on December 12, a host of material celebrating his life is available to the buying public. 

A month-by-month photo diary of his life Ð Frank Sinatra: An American Legend Ð has been compiled by his daughter, Nancy. Published by H.B. Fenn in the U.S. and Little Brown in the UK, it contains a veritable cornucopia of photographs chronicling his life and surrounded by comments from what one reviewer calls Ôthe greats, the near-greats and even the ingratesÕ who have known him. Nancy deals with the persistent rumours of mafia links as well as the 1963 kidnapping of his son, Frank Jr., and the book also includes a CD of rare material. 

It is, of course, SinatraÕs recording legacy which will interest the public most. Four record companies, including Reprise records which he founded in 1960, own between them 2,000 recordings he has made since 1939. Reprise is marketing 20 discs spanning the 28 years he recorded on the label Ð 463 tracks in all Ð many of which have never been released before. Only 20,000 copies are being produced, encased in individually numbered brass and leather packaging. At a cost of $699, it is probably beyond the purse of many of his fans. 

Perhaps the most accessible celebration of his birthday comes from Capitol Records, which is releasing a recent live concert and ÔAll The BestÕ, 40 of his songs from 1953 to 1960, widely regarded as when he was at his peak. A surprise addition to the collection is a duet with Nat King Cole on ÔThe Christmas SongÕ, using the same technological wizardry which has allowed the Beatles to release new material.

And finally, ABC Television has recorded a tribute concert which will doubtless be seen around the world. A host of celebrities paid homage to OlÕ Blue Eyes Ð including Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Patti LaBelle and Natalie Cole, all of whom sang songs originally made popular by Sinatra. He joined the celebrities on stage for his trademark ÔNew York, New YorkÕ to close the show. Paying tribute to his friend, Tony Bennett provides a suitable summary of SinatraÕs influence on twentieth century culture: ÔWhat Toscanini was to classical music, Frank Sinatra was to popular song.Õ

Sources: AP, The Financial Post