Francis Albert Sinatra from Hoboken, New York, had a colourful life. from the early days with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra to the latter mellow days of his life he entertained young and old alike.

His early career was filled with screaming girls and he was worshipped like present day pop idols. When that early success started to wane he reinvented himself, producing some of his finest work with Capitol Records which became known as the 'Capitol Years'. His voice then was probably at its peak and with the likes of Nelson Riddle and Count Basie the combination was electric.

Sinatra had one great love in his life Ava Gardner to whom he was married at one time. The realtionship was tempestuous at times and became a situation where they could not live with or without each other and it had a very negative effect on his career.

The Rat Pack compromising Frank, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr. and Peter Lawford were the toast of Vegas for some time until they split up. Frank became a friend of John F Kennedy the presidential candidiate through Peter Lawford who was married to Kennedy's sister. The Kennedy's asked Frank to use his connections with the Sam Giancarno of  the Mob to help JFK to get elected. This was forthcoming and he was elected President and in anticipation of a future intro to the political world, Frank built an extra wing on his house, a helipad and  accommodation for the secret service so that the new President could visit in style. However the very connections that eased the election were considered to be damaging to the President' term of office so the visit was cancelled. To say Sinatra was upset would be an understatement and he was rumoured to have taken a pickaxe to the helipad.

The one sad thing about this event was that Frank blamed Peter Lawford although he was blameless and refused to speak to him again. Lawford eventually died broke and alone and it was one of the less endearing aspects of Sinatra's life.

Frank could be a Jeykel & Hyde character; one moment he would be ranting at his personal valet on some trivial matter and making those around him extremely uncomfortable. Other times without any publicity he would be picking up the hospital bills for an actor/friend who had fallen on hard times.

One thing remains; the legend that is Frank Sinatra. The songs, written in the 1920's 30's, and 40's so beautifully constructed that they are still fresh today and recorded by many new artists. His renditions have been unequalled and the voice never successfully duplicated by others. We will probably not see the like of him again, he was a man of his times and brought so much pleasure to so many. From all of his fans thanks Frank.