Chapter One: Sinatra and the Music
The biggest impression Frank left on popular music and culture lives on in the heart of the music itself. The influence he had on the world can still be heard on his recordings today. His style of singing carried such meaning and depth that it transcended cultural boundaries. In a poem by Gerald Early, from Mustazza’s collection of essays entitled “Frank Sinatra and Popular Culture”, he recalls going to a freak show as a boy and hearing the wonderful sounds of Sinatra. He finds comfort in knowing that if Frank can “Do so much for the man who was the horror of horrors”, then he can relate to the music as well. Early observed that Sinatra’s message is universal. That ever so present human quality meant that a person could sense that Sinatra was a man who had seen it all, and if someone as prominent as this man could overcome adversity, so too, could everyone else. Those who listened to …show more content…
Musically speaking, his style also possessed certain qualities that made him stand out from the rest. In the history of American Popular Music, common trends tend to be evident. With each new decade, along with its shifting cultural values, popular music certainly changes as well. New styles and currents emerge, and new artists take the center stage. Frank Sinatra happens to be an exception. In his essay, “Frank Sinatra and the Great American Style”, Richard Iaconelli asserts that “No American performer has held center stage for so long. Elvis was but a ‘king’ for maybe three years, (1935-45); Big Crosby was the greatest pop icon for about a decade (1935-45) but did not develop fans from generations beyond his own”. Frank Sinatra held influence in nearly every decade until he passed in the late 1990’s. His image, along with mastery of his musical ability, kept the fans hooked, despite the changing currents in musical genre and
The biggest impression Frank left on popular music and culture lives on in the heart of the music itself. The influence he had on the world can still be heard on his recordings today. His style of singing carried such meaning and depth that it transcended cultural boundaries. In a poem by Gerald Early, from Mustazza’s collection of essays entitled “Frank Sinatra and Popular Culture”, he recalls going to a freak show as a boy and hearing the wonderful sounds of Sinatra. He finds comfort in knowing that if Frank can “Do so much for the man who was the horror of horrors”, then he can relate to the music as well. Early observed that Sinatra’s message is universal. That ever so present human quality meant that a person could sense that Sinatra was a man who had seen it all, and if someone as prominent as this man could overcome adversity, so too, could everyone else. Those who listened to …show more content…
Musically speaking, his style also possessed certain qualities that made him stand out from the rest. In the history of American Popular Music, common trends tend to be evident. With each new decade, along with its shifting cultural values, popular music certainly changes as well. New styles and currents emerge, and new artists take the center stage. Frank Sinatra happens to be an exception. In his essay, “Frank Sinatra and the Great American Style”, Richard Iaconelli asserts that “No American performer has held center stage for so long. Elvis was but a ‘king’ for maybe three years, (1935-45); Big Crosby was the greatest pop icon for about a decade (1935-45) but did not develop fans from generations beyond his own”. Frank Sinatra held influence in nearly every decade until he passed in the late 1990’s. His image, along with mastery of his musical ability, kept the fans hooked, despite the changing currents in musical genre and