Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra, who many consider to be one of the greatest singers of all time, never had plans to become a singer. Born on December 12, 1915, Frank grew up wanting to be a sportswriter. He worked as an office boy for a local newspaper. But after hearing Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday, he began singing. He got a quartet together to sing, which led to a job as a singing waiter at a roadhouse. He got his big break in 1939 when he joined the Harry James band and sang famous songs like “From the Bottom of My Heart.”

Frank was soon lured away by Tommy Dorsey. Dorsey helped him become a sensation throughout the 1940s. His crooning voice drove audiences wild. The women loved his soft tone. Sinatra got a start in movies in the late 1940s and continued to star in films throughout the 1950s. His first film was Las Vegas Nights.

Frank married four times. His last wife, Barbara, was said to have a calming effect on him. He was known for his wild parties with the “Rat Pack,” which included such famous figures as Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. In his later years, Sinatra was hospitalized several times—for intestinal surgery, a pinched nerve, and other ailments. He died of a heart attack two months after his final hospitalization.