Frank: A Musical Journey

Blog

06/15/2017
A third date is an important milestone in any relationship, just check the Internet if you don’t believe me, so I was very happy to find out about my third engagement for Sinatra Forever at the Pavilion at Wolf Lake in as many years. I guess this means we’re going steady, as the kids would say (about 50 years ago, if memory serves). And one of the keys to a long-lasting relationship is keeping it fresh, which is why I’ve slotted thirteen new songs into the setlist for June 17, 2017 in Hammond, Indiana. (...)
06/08/2017
President John Kennedy has been in the spotlight recently because the 100th anniversary of his birth happened May 29th.  PBS just aired JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala, highlighting all the stars that came out to usher in our new president and a new era - all under the leadership of Frank Sinatra, who worked tirelessly to support a leader he believed in.  Frank’s influence undoubtedly helped Kennedy’s presidential victory. (...)
06/02/2017
I happened to see some of the Incredible Dog Challenge on CBS Saturday - those dogs are amazing to watch - and one pooch in particular caught my attention for reasons that will be obvious as I write about him. The competition, taken very seriously by owners and pups alike, is great not only because it gives us a chance to see some canine athletes in action, but because it raises funds for Tony La Russo’s Animal Rescue Fund, an entity he created to help homeless cats and dogs. (...)
05/26/2017
Last week CBS broadcast a special one hour I Love Lucy Superstar Special and it lived up to its name. Lucille Désirée Ball was a trailblazer, much as Frank Sinatra was. She was hugely talented and was the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu Productions. Her confidence came across in everything she did and it’s fitting that she’s best known by most for her television program that bears the name that described exactly how America felt about her, I Love Lucy. (...)
05/25/2017
Last week CBS broadcast a special one hour I Love Lucy Superstar Special and it lived up to its name. Lucille Désirée Ball was a trailblazer, much as Frank Sinatra was. She was hugely talented and was the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu Productions. Her confidence came across in everything she did and it’s fitting that she’s best known by most for her television program that bears the name that described exactly how America felt about her, I Love Lucy. (...)
05/11/2017
Frank Sinatra had a very real connection to Brazil. Of course, he connected everywhere, but when you single out that sultry-hot, glistening South American country that’s alive with music everywhere, you notice Ol’ Blue Eyes seemed to think that place was pretty special. Now, in the middle of my own Brazilian tour, I can attest to just how amazing Brazil is to perform in. (...)
05/04/2017
I wrote about songs that reference Frank Sinatra before, there are many, but I was recently listening to a couple of other very interesting mentions of Ol’ Blue Eyes by two very different, but significant song writers, Lou Reed and Suzanne Vega. The two songs have decades between them, but both, just like both of the artists, are very relevant today. Let’s have a look at “New Age” by The Velvet Underground and “Frank & Ava” by Suzanne Vega. (...)
04/27/2017
When you’re famous, there inevitably will be people that want to profit from your celebrity; I’m sure it didn’t take Frank Sinatra very long to learn this. In fact, by 1947 he was already having to defend himself against the sometimes-negative workings of the media who, let’s face it, want a juicy story to sell to their readers. It was 70 years ago this month that Ol’ Blue Eyes made headlines for a rather brash altercation with journalist Lee Mortimer. (...)
04/21/2017
Frank Sinatra released his version of the Academy Award winning song, “Call Me Irresponsible” in April of 1963; it’s the best-known recording of the tune, charting on Billboard’s Hot 100 for eight weeks. As is often the case with Ol’ Blue Eyes’ songs, “Call Me Irresponsible” wasn’t written for him; in fact there are two versions of why it came into being, both involving wonderfully iconic artists. I love how so many of these golden standards have stories of their own, often threading through the lives of so many we hold dear. (...)