Guide Note

Frank Sinatra is one of the most beloved entertainment figures of the 20th Century, having had phenomenal success as both a singer and actor.

Fast Facts

1. Full Name: Francis Albert Sinatra
2. December 12, 1915 - May 14, 1998
3. Hometown: Hoboken, New Jersey
4. Nicknames: Ol' Blue Eyes, Chairman of the Board
5. Years Active: 1935 - 1995

Sinatra began his career during the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, becoming the premier idol of the "bobby soxers" in the early to mid-1940s. His music career stalled in the 1950s, but found renewed success in 1954 with an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the dramatic film From Here to Eternity. Sinatra continued to tour internationally and fraternized with the Rat Pack and President John F. Kennedy through the early 1960s. Turning 50 in 1965, Sinatra recorded the retrospective "September of My Years", and the hits "Strangers in the Night" and "My Way," retiring from the entertainment business in 1971.

He came out of retirement in 1973 to record several albums, climbing the charts with "New York, New York" in 1980. Sinatra continued to tour until a few years before his death in 1998.

1. Nancy Barbato: February 4, 1939 - October 29, 1951 (divorced, 3 children)
2. Ava Gardner: November 7, 1951 - July 5, 1957 (divorced)
3. Mia Farrow: July 19, 1966 - August 16, 1968) (divorced)
4. Barbara Marx: July 11, 1976 - May 14, 1998 (his death)