Rick Michel's Blog

Everyone has idols. It has been normal for teens to develop a strong connection to a certain artist, such as Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, Elvis, or the original pop idol, Frank Sinatra and often that idolization will remain into adulthood, but there are some warning signs that can indicate you may just have gone a little too far.

 Naming your child Frank would be considered a nice gesture. Sinatra’s own son was named Frank, of course, although he was named after Franklin D. Roosevelt. Trying to name your child “The Voice,” “Chairman,” or “Ol’ Blue Eyes” would be a bit too much. Remember, if it’s generally considered odd for Michael Jackson to have named his children Prince, Paris, and Blanket, you aren’t likely able to pull it off either.

 Sending a fan letter to your favorite celebrity is a nice thing to do – Sinatra received thousands of letters daily. You may even want to include a little token of appreciation: a piece of artwork or a cute photo. Don’t write it in blood and don’t send body parts – human or animal. Kesha receives teeth, Jared Leto found a human ear, and Avril Lavigne got a dead rabbit. The winner of the worst (best?) gift award goes to Dolly Parton though. The country music icon had a newborn baby named Jolene placed on her doorstep.

 Having a Frank Sinatra memento is a pretty cool thing. Autographs are neat and his first driver’s license even sold for more than fifteen thousand dollars, but don’t get too weird. Paying over a grand for Justin Timberlake’s French toast or a whopping $5,300 for Scarlet Johansson’s used tissue isn’t likely a good investment.

 Just remember to keep it classy and avoid pain and permanence. Tattoos are iffy choices and plastic surgery to alter your body to look like someone else, as one Superman fan did, is not okay. To honor Frank on his 100^th birthday, I’ll be performing Sinatra Forever at the Santander PAC in Reading, PA instead of going under the knife.