A To Z Challenge, Music Blog

That’s Entertainment – Letter S

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Welcome back to “That’s Entertainment!” –
The A To Z Challenge.
I hope you enjoy my musical selections.
Let’s see what’s up today!

© NAR
Artwork by Ernest Federspiel

FRANK SINATRA – December 12, 1915 and Francis Albert Sinatra almost died the day he was born. The doctor had trouble getting the huge 13½-pound baby out of his tiny mother, a woman less than five feet tall. Using forceps, the doctor tugged away, ripping and scarring the baby’s ear, cheek and neck, and puncturing his eardrum. But the baby wasn’t breathing, so his grandmother Rose, an experienced midwife, grabbed him from the doctor and held him under cold running water until he gasped his first breath and cried out. Frank Sinatra entered the world fighting for his life – and he won. Growing up, Sinatra spent much time at his parents’ tavern in Hoboken, NJ,  working on his homework and occasionally singing for spare change. In New York, Sinatra found jobs singing for his supper or for cigarettes. His first big break came when he and a local trio who called themselves the Three Flashes auditioned separately for an appearance on Major Bowes and His Original Amateur Hour.  The programmers put them all together and called them the Hoboken Four. Sinatra sang with local bands, remote radio broadcasts, and in clubs, often while also working other jobs like waiting tables. His singing talent was noticed by bandleader Harry James and he began to dedicate himself more seriously to his singing career. He joined Tommy Dorsey’s band in 1940, which further propelled his career. The 1940s saw Sinatra rise to immense popularity, becoming a teen idol. In the late 50s, Sinatra established his own record label, Reprise. He transitioned into acting, receiving an Academy Award for his role in “From Here to Eternity” and earning praise for “The Manchurian Candidate“.  In 1968 while vacationing in France, singer/songwriter Paul Anka heard the French song “Comme d’habitude,” written by Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibaut, and Claude Francois; he knew in his gut if he could write English lyrics for the song, it would be a hit for Frank Sinatra. On December 30, 1968, Frank Sinatra recorded his version of the song in one take; it was called “My Way“. Released in early 1969 on the My Way album and as a single, it reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Easy Listening chart in the US. In the UK, the single achieved a still unmatched record, becoming the recording with the most weeks inside the Top 40, spending 75 weeks from April 1969 to September 1971. It spent a further 47 weeks in the Top 75 but never bettered the #5 slot achieved upon its first chart run. In 2000, the original 1969 release of “My Way” by Frank Sinatra on Reprise Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

This is “My Way” by Frank Sinatra

Please join me again tomorrow for more of “That’s Entertainment” and the A To Z Challenge!

I’m Nancy and I’ll see you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2025

All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy’s Notes 🖊️🎶, The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, The Rhythm Section, et al., and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

34 thoughts on “That’s Entertainment – Letter S”

  1. Wow, what a wonderful story, from nearly not entering the world to a young life that was difficult to fame and stardom. I do love Frank Sinatra, but I would imagine there aren’t many people who don’t or who have not heard of him. He’s a legend! Thank you for sharing, Nancy!

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    1. Yes, she absolutely did! Dolly Sinatra was tiny but mighty. She was a tavern owner, a midwife and also performed abortions when necessary. She loved to gamble and hated losing; it’s reported that when she visited Frank in Vegas, she’d be set up with rigged slot machines so she’d keep winning! She died in a plane crash on her way to see Frank perform. Thanks for reading, Blue!

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    1. Thanks so much, Ernie. There’s a lot about Sinatra which I didn’t include, especially his extreme generosity and support for civil rights. He helped many young black performers find their way in show business, stars such as Sammy Davis Jr. He also famously refused to play in any ‘whites only’ venues. He was a great man.

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    1. That he was, Jim, and also a very generous man who anonymously helped out many young performers getting a start in the business. He was a big supporter of Martin Luther King Jr and the civil rights movement. I’m pleased to know you enjoyed my choice today, Jim. Thanks so much!

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  11. Yep! … He did his way … and down here in Aussieland we had “The Black Sorrows” featuring, Joe Camilleri and Bull sisters … I was lucky enough to see them perform in Geelong …

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  13. he’s an entertainer I enjoy listening to, …and thank Nancy, I didn’t really know that much about him, …those scarring, opening moments of life, …strewth, …definitely had to be a fighter, … have a great Tuesday, ..the suns’s shining here, …hope it is for you too,…💫🤗💫 ..

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    1. The sun is shining brightly here in NY and the temps are inching up, too. Spring has sprung! Thanks so much, Penn, for your very kind and gracious comments. Frank is a favorite of mine, not just as an entertainer but as a humanitarian and a great supporter of civil rights. He really was a terrific man. I’m delighted and most appreciative to have you here following my challenge; keep enjoying the music! ☺️

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