Rick Michel's Blog

Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday year will be officially over when December 12th rolls around and what a year it was. It seemed the whole world celebrated at some point and I had a lot of fun participating. Ol’ Blue Eyes had another big year though, one that was very important for him not only as a milestone, but for his career - and he made the very most of when he turned fifty. Read More

“For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business.” That’s pretty high praise coming from anyone, but when the speaker is Frank Sinatra, people pay attention. Bennett turned 90 years old in August. That’s not a typo, he turned 90, yet he’s going at a pace that would give many artists a breakdown (you listening, Kanye?). Let’s honor the man that The Voice held in such high regard and look at what he’s doing this coming month. Read More

When you are The Voice, it stands to reason that other singers will want to partner up to create something magical. Through albums, concerts, television programs, and movies Frank Sinatra has sung more than his share of duets and, naturally, there were a few he really loved to work with. Here’s a look at three of his favorite singing partners. Read More

2016 continues to claim many of the legends we love with the death of Leonard Cohen just over a week ago. The Montreal-born Canadian singer/songwriter was smart, poetic, and seemingly tireless, but now all we can do is reflect on what he left us as he best known for the song “Hallelujah”.. There are even similarities with the biggest American entertainment legend of them all, Frank Sinatra. Read More

As I get ready for my performance of Sinatra Forever at the Peoples Bank Theater in Marietta, Ohio November 12th, the cooler temperatures with their murmurings of the approaching winter have started me thinking about the holidays that lead up to those shorter days and, of course, November 24th came immediately to mind. So, in that frame of mind, I thought it would be nice to put down my favorite three Frank Sinatra Thanksgiving songs. Read More

Experiencing each of the varied venues is one of the perks about travelling for performances nationally and internationally; each theater, no matter how storied their background, is different and unique in its tales, often offering up a condensed trip through the annals of its town’s history. This is especially true with the Peoples Bank Theater in Marietta, Ohio where I’ll be presenting Sinatra Forever on November 12, 2016. Read More

A new Frank Sinatra release is always exciting news, especially when it contains something we’ve never seen before, like the new footage of him singing Cole Porter’s “At Long Last Love,” but it’s ever more noteworthy because of the surroundings of the footage - a very special charity tour that demonstrates why we love Frank so much. Read More

Dean Martin was a funny man. Sure, when you think of the Rat Pack, the first word that comes to mind is, “cool,” but part of their appeal was the comedy they brought to every routine that seemed to draw its power from the chemistry they had together. I’ve noticed some of that same charisma can even be drawn from his material when I perform on stage - there’s a powerful comedic influence to just acting like Dean Martin. Read More

Spending three months working Sammy’s Showroom, Harrah’s Reno gives you opportunity to reflect on the career of the man who was “arguably the greatest entertainer that ever lived,” as Larry King once said. While there were some enormous hurdles Mister Show Business had to jump and devastating setbacks to overcome over the course of his life, his unbridled affection and humor would shine through. I thought I’d share a few “firsts” that he was able to give the world simply because he was Sammy. Read More

The 50th Anniversary Show for Sammy’s Showroom, Harrah’s Reno is in its last days proving all good things must come to an end, as the saying goes, but there’s always another door ahead and my next door takes me north, way north into Western Canada, where I’ll be touring for five shows of Sinatra Forever in three different provinces - Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Read More