His album "Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color" (Capitol: 1955) not only was rare in the sense that he conduced an orchestra as opposed to singing, but was also the first album to be recorded at the Capitol [Records] Tower, today a prominent landmark at Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles.
His death is referred to in the Badly Drawn Boy song "You Were Right".
His father's name was Martin Anthony Sinatra. His mother's name was Natalie 'Dolly' Garavente, a midwife.
His heritage was entirely Italian.
His only job as film director was the anti-war film None But the Brave, which was the first Japanese and American co-production. The studios involved were Warner Bros. and Toho Studios.
His version of "New York, New York" is played at Yankee Stadium after every Yankee home win. Liza Minnelli's version is played after every Yankee home loss.
In On the Town (1949), he co-sang "New York, New York". Years later, he used the song "Theme From New York, New York" (first performed by friend Liza Minnelli, and commonly referred to as simply "New York, New York") as a showstopper in his live performances.In his "Concert For The Americas"(1982) he combined the 2 songs,using the first verse of the earlier song.
In 1960, when he was in the process of forming his own label, Reprise Records, he pointed out the Capitol Tower to a friend, saying, "See that? I helped build that. Now, it's time to build one of my own." A few years later, referring to his label's success, he stated, "We may not be a Cadillac yet, but we ain't no Bug [Volkswagen], neither."
In 1963, his son, Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped. The kidnappers told Frank Sr. to call them from pay phones. During one call, he ran out of coins, and briefly feared that the loss had cost him his son (the kidnappers gave him another chance). He paid the $250,000 ransom, Frank Jr. was returned, and the kidnappers were eventually caught. However, as a result of the payphone scare, Sinatra swore never to be caught without dimes again, and carried a roll of dimes with him constantly until his death.
In 1981 he was heavily criticized for performing a ten-day gig in South Africa. Jesse Jackson and the United Nations special committee on Apartheid publicly condemned Sinatra for "collaboratng with the apartheid regime.".
In his 1947 film It Happened in Brooklyn (1947), Frank introduced the now-standard, "Time After Time", which charted at #17 in 1947. It was later re-recorded, by Frank, in 1959 as the B-side to "French Foreign Legion". In 1960, Frankie Ford's rendition of the song charted at #75 US. Interestingly, that version fared much better than all, in Brooklyn, reaching NYC's Top 10. In 1966. Chris Montez's version peaked at #36 US.
In his memoir, "Mr. S.: My Life With Frank Sinatra", the legend's valet, George Jacobs, said that Sinatra cried when he heard that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King had been assassinated, one of the few times he had seen his employer in tears.
Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1980.
Inspired the Johnny Fontaine character in The Godfather (1972).
Interred at Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California, USA. Specific Interment Location: B-8, #151.
Is one of only five actors/actresses to have both a #1 single and an Oscar for acting. The others are Cher, Barbra Streisand, Jamie Foxx, and Bing Crosby.
Like most members of The Rat Pack, Sinatra was known to much prefer the labels "The Clan" and "The Summit".
Made no further public appearances after suffering a heart attack in January 1997.
Member (leader) of the "Rat Pack" - Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. All appeared in Ocean's Eleven (1960) and Sergeants 3 (1962).
Mentioned in the Marillion song "Sugar Mice" (from their 1987 album "Clutching at Straws").