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Saying you’re sorry can sometimes be one of the most difficult things to do, especially if you don’t think you did anything wrong.  That seems to be the basic premise behind the breakup of one of the biggest comedy duos of all time, Martin and Lewis. Apparently, Dean was upset he wasn’t having much control over their act and Jerry wasn’t about to let up on a good thing and the rest, as they say, is history. (...)

Two things related to Frank Sinatra that I’ve written about on a number of occasions include his favorite drink, Jack Daniel’s whiskey, and his efforts to fight for racial equality.  I’ve recently learned how these two seemingly unrelated subjects are somewhat intertwined: the first master distiller for the iconic liquor was Nathan “Nearest” Green, a former slave. (...)

I admire Frank Sinatra for many reasons, but especially for that voice.  His vocal abilities earned him many fans of every age, from bobby soxers to grandmothers, but just how many of his peers admired Ol’ Blue Eyes? It turns out it’s a very long list.   (...)

Imagine you’re in a band and looking for a name, then you see a page in The New Yorker magazine with the words, “Frankie Goes to Hollywood,” and, boom, there it is!  That’s essentially what happened for the Liverpool, England pop group that rose to fame with that name in 1980.  It turned out to be a brilliant move, with the name lending itself to all sorts of marketing possibilities. (...)

When it came to alcohol, Frank Sinatra was really a one-trick pony - it was Jack Daniel’s whiskey all the way.  So, what do you do when you’re selling vodka, but want to class it up a bit?  Bring Ol’ Blue Eyes into the picture.  That’s what happened in 2011, with Sean “Diddy” Combs in charge of marketing and promotion, they took one of Sinatra’s signature songs, Luck Be a Lady, and made a commercial. (...)

“I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn't be a staring contest.”  That’s something Frank Sinatra said and it’s a great line no matter how you look at it.  On the surface, it’s Rat Pack clever and cool, designed to make someone chuckle, but it also tells something about Ol’ Blue Eyes, a man who could, and often did, enjoy the company of nearly any woman, in that he’d rather be able to relate to his companion on a level beyond how they look. (...)

Are you one of those people that prefers popping a vinyl record on a turntable and sitting back to enjoy the sounds of Ol’ Blue Eyes or Dino over the convenience of a CD or even streaming the music over the Internet? You’re not alone. And it’s not an age thing either; in fact, millennials have embraced vinyl as an art form, something pure and unmolested that can be savored like that aged whiskey that should always accompany a Sinatra album. (...)

The song’s gotta come from the heart.  That’s the advice Jimmy Durante gave Frank Sinatra in the 1947 movie, It Happened in Brooklyn.  Of course, even though Frank was still pretty young, he had clearly figured out the need to connect with the music and lyrics of a song, but it never hurts to be reminded about an important truth.  Ol’ Blue Eyes and The Schnoz aren’t necessarily two names that you saw beside each other often, but they genuinely seemed to enjoy it when they did perform together. (...)

When we’re moved by someone special, we want a way to be remember that feeling and be a part of who was responsible; that seems to be the reason why we want something connected to the stars we love, a piece of memorabilia to give the impression they’re intimately present in our lives.  I like to obtain photos with the celebrities I meet; a glance at a past connection instantly allows me to travel back to that time and place.  There are lots of Frank Sinatra collectables available to his many fans out there, but they aren’t usually cheap.  Here’s a glimpse at some of them.   (...)