Frank Sinatra Research Paper

A world of pure domination and immense stardom came violently crashing down before the eyes of the remarkable Frank Sinatra. While walking through Times Square one cold day in February of 1951 he spotted the name of a new male singer, Eddie Fisher, on the sign of the Paramount Theatre. Only seven years ago, Frank had drawn thousands of obsessed female fans to watch him perform; the same girls were obsessing over Fisher, which Frank could not handle. He rushed back to where he was staying, made sure he shut the door, turned on the gas from the stovetop and rested his head upon it, waiting for death to take his pain away. His friend who was staying with Sinatra, found the singer on the floor a while later, crying: failing his suicide attempt …show more content…
The man made over 1,000 song recordings, selling over 150 million records throughout the world. Not only did he sing, but he could act: acting in over 50 films and winning himself an Oscar in 1954. He was the definition of classy, cool, and confident for a pool of male and female fans alike. Even more exciting are the allegations which claim Frank had ties to the Mafia. Still, the music was what mattered most; the songs he made are considered timeless, but also went against the tide of competing music of the time such as rock and roll. According to the highly acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese, “Frank Sinatra was more than a singer, he was a legend. I admired him throughout his career. He never gave up. Even when his singing career seemed to be in trouble, he never faltered. He never gave up on his effort to regain the heights, and he did (“The Final Curtain” 70). With an amazing career spanning sixty years, not every year was bound to be successful; in fact, he took quite a hard turn before creating even his most well-known hits of …show more content…
The time was right at the beginning of the twentieth century where mass European immigration took place for various reasons. Among those who immigrated were Frank’s parents: Dolly and Marty Sinatra, who were born in Italy and came to America as children. They met, married, and moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, the birthplace of Sinatra in 1915. Given the state of wealth during the time, the majority of Hoboken’s population were poor Italian immigrants. Dolly, known for her powerful mind, was smart with her money and removed herself from that majority. The local people knew her for being a midwife but also an abortionist, which was a source of income along with the bar she ran with her husband (Kaplan 6). Many saw her as a natural leader due to her strong involvement in local politics. She kept herself busy and was a force to be reckoned with: being strategic, ambitious and powerful, while also violent, abusive, unforgiving, and