Frank_ The Voice Part 36

Then he posed for the cameras with Reed, both of them clutching their golden statuettes, both wearing the kinds of smiles that actors never smile in the movies. Frank had been photographed grinning like this once before, the time the cameras had caught him dancing with Lana Turner, the wedding band that joined him to Nancy clearly and indiscreetly visible on his left hand.

The woman he'd left Nancy (and Lana) for, the woman whose ring he still wore despite everything, the woman who had been largely responsible for getting him the role of Maggio, was the one person he never thanked. She was in Madrid, as busy in her way as he was in his.

He drove his son and daughter home, and it was only the thought of them, warm in the car with him and unable to stop talking about the miracle of the evening, that kept Frank from driving the Cadillac into a light pole. The Oscar sat on the seat between him and Nancy Sandra, like a fourth pa.s.senger. The rain had stopped; the streets were black and slick; the streetlights had halos. He drove west on Hollywood, turned south on Fairfax to Sunset, turned right, and continued west. When he pulled up in front of 320 North Carolwood, all the lights in the house were on.

He knew people were waiting for him in the apartment on Beverly Glen: Jule Styne had thrown together a little congratulatory party, with Gene Kelly and Sammy Cahn and Betty Comden and Adolph Green and a few others. There would be a lot of champagne, and a fresh-faced starlet named Charlotte Austin. But Frank wasn't in the mood to see anybody-everybody who congratulated him seemed, in some small or large way, to take responsibility for his triumph. The one person who had somehow managed not to do this, who had seemed genuinely happy for him without having to take anything at all from him, had been his ex-wife.

Frank and Donna Reed hold their Oscars for From Here to Eternity From Here to Eternity. Hollywood rejoiced in Sinatra's victory, the greatest career comeback ever. Louella Parsons wrote later: "I ran into person after person who said, 'He's a so-and-so but I hope he gets it. He was great!'" (photo credit 40.2) (photo credit 40.2) So he turned left on Sunset instead of right, away from Beverly Glen, and guided the Cadillac over the slick black boulevard, driving carefully through the curves. He pa.s.sed the Beverly Hills Hotel and turned off Sunset, among the dark, quiet streets with their tall palm trees and big, self-possessed houses. After a little while he pulled over and parked.

Sitting under a streetlight, he picked up the statuette and held it. He looked at it, ran his hand over its cool smoothness, turned it in the light. It was deliciously heavy: eight and a half pounds, the size of a newborn.

He opened the car door and got out, the statuette in his hand.

"I ducked the party, lost the crowds, and took a walk," he said years later. "Just me and Oscar! I think I relived my entire lifetime that night as I walked up and down the streets of Beverly Hills. Even when a cop stopped me, he couldn't bring me down to earth. It was very nice of him, although I did have to wait until his partner came cruising to a.s.sure him that I was who I said I was and that I had not stolen the statue I was carrying."

But he had not stolen the statue. He was Frank Sinatra.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

The true origin of this book was a slightly rowdy dinner at a Santa Monica restaurant called Guido's in September of 2004. I was finis.h.i.+ng Dean & Me Dean & Me, the memoir I co auth.o.r.ed with Jerry Lewis; Jerry was in the midst of preparing his annual Muscular Dystrophy a.s.sociation Telethon and in order to give some of the partic.i.p.ants in the show a night off, his manager Claudia Stabile hosted an impromptu party. Present, among others, were the bandleader Jack Eglash, the guitarist (and Claudia's husband-to-be) Joe Lano, the pianist and arranger Vincent Falcone, the singer Jack Jones, and, to my great good fortune, me. The occasion was convivial and uninhibited and show-biz gossipy in a Vegas-centric way, and at a certain point in the evening the conversation turned to Frank Sinatra.

Several of the men present had worked with Sinatra; almost everyone at the table, myself excepted, had known him well. Given the atmosphere of boozy hilarity, it wouldn't have surprised me a bit if the talk had been mildly iconoclastic or gently scathing-the Old Man (as they all referred to him) had been dead for six years, after all-but, in fact, it was uniformly reverent.

These were musicians talking, they were speaking of Sinatra as a musician, and they spoke with awe-of his pitch, his incomparable way with a lyric, his transcendent professionalism, his collegiality. And even his vulnerability. At one point Vinnie Falcone, who was Sinatra's conductor and accompanist toward the end of the singer's career, spoke of his fruitless efforts to get Frank to record the great and legendarily difficult Billy Strayhorn cla.s.sic "Lush Life." "Come on, Boss, just you and me and a piano," Vinnie said. Sinatra shook his head. Even the G.o.ds know their limits.

The evening stayed with me. Here was a vision of Frank Sinatra as a man and an artist, without the traps and trappings of celebrity, without a trace of the bad behavior for which he was so celebrated and which so often seemed to be the main, if not the only, topic of conversation. Sinatra lived and breathed in the talk of these awed colleagues. And so when yet another major biography of him came out just months after that dinner at Guido's-an apparently exhaustively researched book, in which, remarkably, the subject (and certainly the great artist) neither lived nor breathed-my interest was piqued.

The book you hold in your hands would have never existed without Phyllis Grann, great editor and-I am proud to say-great friend. To encourage a first-time biographer to take on Sinatra-not only a gigantic subject but also, perhaps, the most chronicled human in modern history-might have looked like sheer folly to most people (including, often, the biographer himself) but never to Phyllis, who evinced a mysteriously deep and abiding belief in me from the first time we met.

From the word go with Frank Frank, it was starkly clear to me that I was far out of my depth, miles out at sea where my limited expertise was concerned. I proceeded with maximum misgivings, even with terror. But I worked hard at it, slowly and steadily; and the one thing I never lost sight of was that dinner at Guido's. Here was a genius and a great artist, a man who had changed-shaped-the twentieth century, and I owed him his due. If I wasn't qualified to provide it, I owed it to Sinatra to qualify myself. My affection for him may have wavered-he had a genius, too, for making himself dislikable-but the one note I could never find within myself was the condescension, even the contempt, on which so many other writers based their narratives. Frank always brought me back. I dreamed of him, spoke to him, even, saw him plain in all his electric variability.

Idolatry, too, was out. Idolatry was fine for the idolators, but, once again, I felt I owed my subject more: I owed him a biography he deserved. If he continued to hold my affection despite his considerable, even spectacular, flaws, that was all well and good. It would sustain me. It did sustain me.

But I had help, and I needed every bit of it.

There are four men whose loyalty and perspicacity lifted me from sloughs of despond and ignorance and gave Bernoulli-like loft to a much-heavier-than-air project. First I must single out Peter Bogdanovich, a man who, quite simply, I am lucky to know, and who, luckily for me, knew Frank Sinatra. As my earliest reader, and as a first-rate writer himself, Peter literally kept me going, chapter by chapter, with his heartfelt enthusiasm and incomparable cultural-historical perspective.

That Will Friedwald and Michael Kraus, who both know as much about Sinatra as anyone has a right to know, gave freely of their time and steadily approved of what I was doing still amazes me. I will always remember their generosity. I was wildly fortunate to have these two frighteningly learned, gimlet-eyed men parsing every sentence of the book.

To a great editor of another sort, my brother and friend, Peter W. Kaplan, I owe more than I can say.

As I do to my longtime literary agent, Joy Harris, my ally, advocate, and friend through thick and thin-and sometimes a lot of thin. From our first day working together, I have felt that Joy understood me completely and was able to wait almost indefinitely for me to do what we both felt I could do. She also has never put a foot wrong. A writer can ask for no more.

To Karen c.u.mbus, and to Aaron, Avery, and Jacob Kaplan, I owe the greatest debt of all: the blessing of having someone for whom to do my work and to whom to give my work; a safe harbor in a tempest-tossed world.

I would also like to extend deep grat.i.tude to Damian Da Costa, Ted Panken, and Katherine Bang.

And to the following: Monty Alexander, Peggy Alexander, Bette Alexander, Iris Hiskey Arno, Ajay Arora, George Avakian, Brook Babc.o.c.k, Jean Bach, Adam Begley, A. Scott Berg, Tony Bill, Bill Boggs, Ernest Borgnine, Shannon E. Bowen, Laurie Cahn, Mariah Carey, Jeanne Carmen, Christopher Cerf, Iris Chester, Jonathan Cohen, Jeffrey Collette, Frank Collura, Kenny Colman, Peggy Connelly, Stan Cornyn, Neil Daniels, Houstoun Demere, Angie d.i.c.kinson, Frank DiGiacomo, John Dominis, Renee Doruyter, Todd Doughty, Bob Eckel, Chris Erskine, Vincent Falcone, Michael Feinstein, John Fontana, Dan Frank, Gloria Delson Franks, Mitch.e.l.l Freinberg, Bruce J. Friedman, Drew Friedman, Gary Giddins, Vince Giordano, Steve Glauber, Irwin Glusker, Starleigh Goltry, Bob Gottlieb, Chuck Granata, Mary Edna Grantham, Connie Haines, Betsy Duncan Hammes, Bruce Handy, Bill Harbach, Lee Herschberg, Suzanne Herz, Don Hewitt, Rebecca Holland, Anne Hollister, George Jacobs, Bruce Jenkins, John Jenkinson, Jack Jones, Mearene Jordan, Robert Kaplan, Kitty Kelley, Ed Kessler, Steve Khan, Andreas Kroniger, Suzy Kunhardt, Theodora Kuslan, Andrew Lack, Claudia Gridley Stabile Lano, Joe Lano, Peter Levinson, Jerry Lewis, Richard Lewis, Abbey Lincoln, George Lois, Mark Lopeman, Carmel Malin, Karyn Marcus, Gene McCarthy, Barbara McMa.n.u.s, Sonny Mehta, David Michaelis, Bill Miller, Mitch Miller, Jackeline Montalvo, Pat Mulcahy, Leonard Mustazza, Eunice Norton, Dan Okrent, Ed O'Brien, Tony Oppedisano, Neal Peters, Saint Clair Pugh, Mario Puzo, Alison Rich, Jenny Romero, Andrew Rosenblum, Frankie Randall, Adam Reed, Mickey Rooney, Andrew Rosenblum, Ric Ross, Steve Rubin, Mike Rubino, Jane Russell, George Schlatter, Gary Shapiro, Mike Sh.o.r.e, Liz Smith, Tyler Smith, Ted Sommer, Joe Spieler, William Stadiem, Jo Stafford, Nancy Steiner, Karen Svobodny, Laura Swanson, Gay Talese, Bill Thomas, Thomas Tucker, Sarah Twombly, Roberta Wennik-Kaplan, Tim Weston, Virginia Wicks, Bud Yorkin, and Sidney Zion.

And, it does not go without saying, effusive thanks to the great team at Doubleday, from copy editing to design to marketing to production.

If I have inadvertently omitted anyone from the list, I ask them to forgive me and know that they reside in my heart, if not my short-term memory.

PHOTO CREDITS.

Grateful acknowledgment is given to the following for permission to reprint: Cover: Ken Veeder/Capitol/MPTV Frontispiece: Bill Dudas/MPTV 1.1 AP/Wide World Photos AP/Wide World Photos1.2 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences2.1 Neal Peters Collection Neal Peters Collection3.1 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images4.1 CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images5.1 Neal Peters Collection Neal Peters Collection5.2 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images6.1 Frank Driggs Collection Frank Driggs Collection7.1 Metronome/Getty Images Metronome/Getty Images8.1 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences8.2 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Hulton Archive/Getty Images9.1 Gene Lester/Getty Images Gene Lester/Getty Images9.2 Photofest Photofest10.1 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Hulton Archive/Getty Images10.2 CBS/Landov CBS/Landov11.1 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis11.2 Herbert Gehr/Life Magazine/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images Herbert Gehr/Life Magazine/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images12.1 Herbert Gehr/Life Magazine/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images Herbert Gehr/Life Magazine/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images12.2 Frank Driggs Collection Frank Driggs Collection13.1 Everett Collection/Rex USA Everett Collection/Rex USA13.2 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis14.1 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis14.2 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images15.1 AP/Wide World Photos AP/Wide World Photos15.2 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis16.1 Frank Driggs Collection Frank Driggs Collection16.2 Photofest Photofest17.1 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis17.2 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis18.1 Everett Collection/Rex USA Everett Collection/Rex USA18.2 CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images19.1 SNAP/Zuma Press SNAP/Zuma Press19.2 CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images20.1 CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images20.2 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis21.1 Everett Collection Everett Collection21.2 Gene Lester/Getty Images Gene Lester/Getty Images22.1 Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images22.2 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis23.1 The Kobal Collection The Kobal Collection24.1 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis24.2 MPTV MPTV25.1 Frank Driggs Collection Frank Driggs Collection25.2 Frank Driggs Collection Frank Driggs Collection26.1 CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images26.2 Popperfoto/Getty Images Popperfoto/Getty Images27.1 Bob Costello/N.Y. Daily News Bob Costello/N.Y. Daily News28.1 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Hulton Archive/Getty Images28.2 Everett Collection Everett Collection29.1 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Hulton Archive/Getty Images30.1 Bert Hardy/Picture Post/Getty Images Bert Hardy/Picture Post/Getty Images31.1 Everett Collection/Rex USA Everett Collection/Rex USA32.1 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis32.2 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Hulton Archive/Getty Images33.1 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences33.2 AP/Wide World Photos AP/Wide World Photos34.1 Frank Driggs Collection Frank Driggs Collection34.2 Sid Avery/MPTV Sid Avery/MPTV35.1 ANSA/Corbis ANSA/Corbis36.1 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images37.1 AP/Wide World Photos AP/Wide World Photos38.1 Rex USA Rex USA38.2 Photofest Photofest39.1 Bettmann/Corbis Bettmann/Corbis39.2 M. Garrett/Getty Images M. Garrett/Getty Images40.1 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Hulton Archive/Getty Images40.2 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Hulton Archive/Getty Images

NOTES AND SOURCES.

CHAPTER 1.

1. The filial proxies for Mrs. Sinatra and Mrs. Puzo (also in a sense representing the two visions of G.o.dfatherhood) would have a memorable encounter in a Santa Monica restaurant in the 1970s, not long after the release of the movie version of The filial proxies for Mrs. Sinatra and Mrs. Puzo (also in a sense representing the two visions of G.o.dfatherhood) would have a memorable encounter in a Santa Monica restaurant in the 1970s, not long after the release of the movie version of The G.o.dfather The G.o.dfather. In the film, of course (as in the novel), a down-on-his-luck Sinatra-like singer wins a crucial movie role through the vivid intercession of Don Corleone. Horse's head and all, it made for a terrific story-one that, naturally enough, Sinatra resented. The worlds-colliding confrontation between the singer and the novelist/screenwriter was colorful enough that Puzo recounted it afterward in a letter to his close friend the novelist Bruce Jay Friedman. "As told to me by Mario," Friedman recalled, "he was having dinner with a female acquaintance-and spotted Sinatra at a distant table. Thinking he might impress his friend, he decided to walk over and introduce himself. 'The second I got to my feet, I saw that I had made a mistake. Sinatra was surrounded by "necks." For insurance, I stuck a fork in my pocket.' Thus fortified, he walked over, introduced himself to Sinatra, who cursed him out for five minutes straight. 'I accepted this calmly,' said Puzo, 'and noted that he never once looked me in the eye. And what amused me was the preposterous notion of a skinny Northern Northern Italian daring to curse out an Italian from the South.'" (Friedman to author, e-mail, Jan. 15, 2007). Italian daring to curse out an Italian from the South.'" (Friedman to author, e-mail, Jan. 15, 2007).SOURCE NOTES2 "The only two": "The only two": Peter Bogdanovich, in discussion with the author, Feb. 2009. Peter Bogdanovich, in discussion with the author, Feb. 2009.3 "I really don't think": "I really don't think": Peggy Connelly, in discussion with the author, May 2006. Peggy Connelly, in discussion with the author, May 2006.4 "Sometimes I'd be": "Sometimes I'd be": Hamill, Hamill, Why Sinatra Matters Why Sinatra Matters, p. 83.5 "When I would get": "When I would get": Ibid., p. 84. Ibid., p. 84.6 "She was a p.i.s.ser": "She was a p.i.s.ser": MacLaine, MacLaine, My Lucky Stars My Lucky Stars, p. 82.7 "I think my dad": "I think my dad": Tina Sinatra, Tina Sinatra, My Father's Daughter My Father's Daughter, p. 14.8 " "Honest and truly": Lyrics from "Honest and Truly," words and music by Fred Rose (New York: Leo Feist, 1924). Lyrics from "Honest and Truly," words and music by Fred Rose (New York: Leo Feist, 1924).9 "He was a hijacker": "He was a hijacker": Summers and Swan, Summers and Swan, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 21.

CHAPTER 2.

1. Or maybe just having seen the writing on the wall: Marty O'Brien, "a tough battler from Hoboken," according to Or maybe just having seen the writing on the wall: Marty O'Brien, "a tough battler from Hoboken," according to boxrec.com, nevertheless compiled an unspectacular 16 lifetime record, losing his last fight, on June 6, 1921, to Johnny Dohan, by a knockout in the fifth round. In all, Marty was knocked out in three of his seven prizefights.2. One must understand the succession of immigrations to appreciate the true power of the ethnic pecking order in early-twentieth-century America. Mario Puzo used the German-Irishness of Don Corleone's adoptive son Tom Hagen to signal that he was one cla.s.sy consigliere. Likewise, the German-Irishness of Hoboken's Park Avenue was a sign that the Sinatras had, at last, well and truly Arrived. One must understand the succession of immigrations to appreciate the true power of the ethnic pecking order in early-twentieth-century America. Mario Puzo used the German-Irishness of Don Corleone's adoptive son Tom Hagen to signal that he was one cla.s.sy consigliere. Likewise, the German-Irishness of Hoboken's Park Avenue was a sign that the Sinatras had, at last, well and truly Arrived.3. In his monumental biography In his monumental biography Mozart: A Life Mozart: A Life, Maynard Solomon tells us how "[i]n several of Mozart's most characteristic adagios and andantes a calm, contemplative, or ecstatic condition gives way to a troubled state-is penetrated by hints of storm, dissonance, anguish, anxiety, danger-and this in turn is succeeded by a restoration of the status quo ante, now suffused with and transformed by the memory of the turbulent interlude...The felicitous states that frame Mozart's excursions into anxiety may [psychologically] represent a variety of utopian modalities, and the impinging, disturbing materials may be taken to represent a variety of fearful things-the hidden layers of the unconscious, the terrors of the external world, a principle of evil, the pain of loss, or the irrevocability of death. An argument can be made, however, that in the last a.n.a.lysis we bring to the entire continuum of such states derivatives of feelings having their origin in early stages of our lives, and in particular the preverbal state of symbiotic fusion of infant and mother, a matrix that const.i.tutes an infancy-Eden of unsurpa.s.sable beauty but also a state completely vulnerable to terrors of separation, loss, and even fears of potential annihilation...Not without good reason, the British psychoa.n.a.lyst D. W. Winnicott described a baby as 'an immature being who is all the time on the brink of unthinkable anxiety on the brink of unthinkable anxiety,' an anxiety that is kept at bay only through a mother's ongoing, mirroring validation of the infant's existence. It may be such a precarious moment where inexpressible ecstasy collides with unthinkable anxiety that we sense in the Andante of Mozart's A-minor Sonata, which, reduced to its simplest essence, tells a story about trouble in paradise" (p. 187).

If ever there was a story about trouble in paradise, it is the sixty-two-year story of Frankie and Dolly.4. The story of Sinatra's naming is, with mythological aptness, clouded. Sinatra family history would have it that he was Francis Albert at birth, period. The truth doesn't seem to be so simple. By some accounts, the big baby was purposely named for his G.o.dfather, Frank Garrick, who was triply qualified, being (a) Marty's close friend; (b) Irish-American, and therefore cla.s.sy; and (c) (best of all) the nephew of a Hoboken police captain. According to other accounts, Dolly and Marty meant to name their son for Marty, but at the christening (poor Dolly, still recuperating, was absent) the priest, mistaking Garrick for the dad, asked The story of Sinatra's naming is, with mythological aptness, clouded. Sinatra family history would have it that he was Francis Albert at birth, period. The truth doesn't seem to be so simple. By some accounts, the big baby was purposely named for his G.o.dfather, Frank Garrick, who was triply qualified, being (a) Marty's close friend; (b) Irish-American, and therefore cla.s.sy; and (c) (best of all) the nephew of a Hoboken police captain. According to other accounts, Dolly and Marty meant to name their son for Marty, but at the christening (poor Dolly, still recuperating, was absent) the priest, mistaking Garrick for the dad, asked his his name, and Marty, staring at his tattoos, or just too flummoxed to speak up, left himself uncommemorated for the ages. (And a good thing, too: "Marty Sinatra" wouldn't have looked nearly as good on all those great Capitol alb.u.ms.) The name on the birth certificate was rendered, by some ethnically clueless clerk, as "Frank Sinestro" (Clarke, name, and Marty, staring at his tattoos, or just too flummoxed to speak up, left himself uncommemorated for the ages. (And a good thing, too: "Marty Sinatra" wouldn't have looked nearly as good on all those great Capitol alb.u.ms.) The name on the birth certificate was rendered, by some ethnically clueless clerk, as "Frank Sinestro" (Clarke, All or Nothing At All All or Nothing At All, p. 6).

Frank, not Francis.

An equally careless census clerk in 1920 listed the family name as "Sonatri," and the three residents of the cold-water flat on Monroe Street as twenty-five-year-old Tony (occupation: boilermaker), twenty-three-year-old Della (occupation: none), and four-year-old just plain Frank. (Interestingly, another "Sonatri" family also resided at 415 Monroe, also with a son-aged seven-named Frank.) The 1930 census lists the inhabitants of 705 Park Avenue, Hoboken, as Anthony (not Martin), Natalie (not Dolly), and Frank (not Francis) Sinatra (not Sonatri).5. Rosebud alert: in his adult years, Sinatra's favorite color scheme was...orange and black. Rosebud alert: in his adult years, Sinatra's favorite color scheme was...orange and black.6. "There are singers in my family but not any professionals," he told the "There are singers in my family but not any professionals," he told the Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times's music columnist in 1943. "I've been so busy singing since I left off being a sports reporter on a little New Jersey paper...that I haven't had time to study."SOURCE NOTES7 "Uncle Vincent": "Uncle Vincent": Tina Sinatra, Tina Sinatra, My Father's Daughter My Father's Daughter, p. 162.8 "a small grand piano": "a small grand piano": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 26.9 "The thing you have": "The thing you have": Giddins, Giddins, Bing Crosby Bing Crosby, p. 259.10 "Bing Crosby is the only": "Bing Crosby is the only": Ibid., p. 56. Ibid., p. 56.11 "I've learned the meaning": "I've learned the meaning": Lyrics from "Just One More Chance," words and music by Sam Coslow and Arthur Johnson (New York: Famous Music, 1931). Lyrics from "Just One More Chance," words and music by Sam Coslow and Arthur Johnson (New York: Famous Music, 1931).12 "I think it was at some": "I think it was at some": Thomas Thompson, "Frank Sinatra's Swan Song," Thomas Thompson, "Frank Sinatra's Swan Song," Life Life, June 25, 1971.13 "If you think you're going": "If you think you're going": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 28.14 "Her way of thinking": "Her way of thinking": Summers and Swan, Summers and Swan, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 25.15 "Like Dolly": "Like Dolly": Tina Sinatra, Tina Sinatra, My Father's Daughter My Father's Daughter, p. 16.16 "Frank, sporting the T-s.h.i.+rt": "Frank, sporting the T-s.h.i.+rt": Nancy Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, American Legend American Legend, p. 20.

CHAPTER 3.

1. Frank had pursued Marie, the younger sister of his close friend Billy Roemer, but since he wasn't doing very well in school and didn't seem to be going anywhere generally, Marie had spurned his attentions. Whatever he sang at the joint recital appears not to have changed her mind. Frank had pursued Marie, the younger sister of his close friend Billy Roemer, but since he wasn't doing very well in school and didn't seem to be going anywhere generally, Marie had spurned his attentions. Whatever he sang at the joint recital appears not to have changed her mind.2. But not for the same reason. Crosby started wearing hats in publicity stills, and then in the movies, to cover up his premature baldness-a little preview of the future for Sinatra, whose hairline at this point was still lush and low. But not for the same reason. Crosby started wearing hats in publicity stills, and then in the movies, to cover up his premature baldness-a little preview of the future for Sinatra, whose hairline at this point was still lush and low.3. Yet Frank went a good deal further: he had a lifelong obsession with cleanliness and neatness-many friends and acquaintances have mentioned his need to clean ashtrays, line up bottles of liquor on a bar, and so forth-that verged on the pathological. Yet Frank went a good deal further: he had a lifelong obsession with cleanliness and neatness-many friends and acquaintances have mentioned his need to clean ashtrays, line up bottles of liquor on a bar, and so forth-that verged on the pathological.4. They could also be unkind. A cousin of a friend of the author, a man who had a lively dance-band business in Hoboken in the 1930s, recalled telling young Sinatra to beat it. They could also be unkind. A cousin of a friend of the author, a man who had a lively dance-band business in Hoboken in the 1930s, recalled telling young Sinatra to beat it.5. Pica.s.so, who falsely claimed to have been able to draw like Raphael from the moment he first picked up a pencil, was guilty of the same peccadillo. Pica.s.so, who falsely claimed to have been able to draw like Raphael from the moment he first picked up a pencil, was guilty of the same peccadillo.6. Earlier in 1935, during breaks in the Lindbergh-baby-kidnapping trial of Bruno Hauptmann, WNEW's announcer Block had begun the revolutionary practice of playing records on the air-an idea that caught on and became Earlier in 1935, during breaks in the Lindbergh-baby-kidnapping trial of Bruno Hauptmann, WNEW's announcer Block had begun the revolutionary practice of playing records on the air-an idea that caught on and became The Make-Believe Ballroom The Make-Believe Ballroom. The station would become increasingly important in Frank Sinatra's career, culminating in the arrival in the early 1960s of William B. Williams, the disc jockey who dubbed Sinatra "the Chairman of the Board."7. Although he well might have. In a clip from a Hollywood musical that came out a couple of years later (1937's Although he well might have. In a clip from a Hollywood musical that came out a couple of years later (1937's Manhattan Merry-Go-Round Manhattan Merry-Go-Round), the moviemakers have one of their characters refer unashamedly-and in a complimentary context!-to the new Yankee phenom Joe DiMaggio, who appears briefly, as a guinea (www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgrCCc12sFc).8. Sinatra actually wound up recording the thing in 1961, in a blisteringly up-tempo Billy May chart-an exercise in redemptive revisionism-on Sinatra actually wound up recording the thing in 1961, in a blisteringly up-tempo Billy May chart-an exercise in redemptive revisionism-on Swing Along with Me Swing Along with Me.9. The big and dreaded gong, which-when the Major gave the high sign to the gong striker-tolled like John Donne's church bell right in the middle of a failed act, sending the aspirant not just off the show (that would have been bad enough) but in many cases back to dest.i.tution on America's hard Depression streets. Major Bowes, fearful of physical attack by disappointed contestants, had a large bodyguard on hand to hustle off the losers before they said or did anything unfortunate. The big and dreaded gong, which-when the Major gave the high sign to the gong striker-tolled like John Donne's church bell right in the middle of a failed act, sending the aspirant not just off the show (that would have been bad enough) but in many cases back to dest.i.tution on America's hard Depression streets. Major Bowes, fearful of physical attack by disappointed contestants, had a large bodyguard on hand to hustle off the losers before they said or did anything unfortunate.SOURCE NOTES10 "[A] New Year's Eve party": "[A] New Year's Eve party": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 31.11 "When she saw Crosby's": "When she saw Crosby's": Ibid., p. 33. Ibid., p. 33.12 "I remember the moment": "I remember the moment": Frank Sinatra, interview with Bill Boggs, Frank Sinatra, interview with Bill Boggs, Midday Live with Bill Boggs Midday Live with Bill Boggs, Sept. 22, 1975 (broadcast Nov. 30, 1975).13 "It was when I left": "It was when I left": Douglas-Home, Douglas-Home, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 21.14 "On Christmas Eve": "On Christmas Eve": Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986. Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986.15 "All life's grandeur": "All life's grandeur": Lowell, Lowell, Near the Ocean Near the Ocean, p. 19.16 "It was a lucky": "It was a lucky": Lyrics from "I Found a Million-Dollar Baby," words by Billy Rose and Mort Dixon, music by Harry Warren (New York: Remick Music, 1931). Lyrics from "I Found a Million-Dollar Baby," words by Billy Rose and Mort Dixon, music by Harry Warren (New York: Remick Music, 1931).17 "You'd better quit": "You'd better quit": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 34.18 "The NEWest Thing": "The NEWest Thing": Jaker, Sulek, and Kanze, Jaker, Sulek, and Kanze, Airwaves of New York Airwaves of New York, p. 134.19 "Oh, he never worked": "Oh, he never worked": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 36.

CHAPTER 4.

1. The draconian terms of the Bowes contract dictated that the name of the show not be used to promote any professional appearances on the part of former The draconian terms of the Bowes contract dictated that the name of the show not be used to promote any professional appearances on the part of former Amateur Hour Amateur Hour contestants. In addition, former contestants were to pay 15 percent of subsequent professional fees straight to the Major. Frank Sinatra did not lose sleep about hewing to the letter of the agreement. contestants. In addition, former contestants were to pay 15 percent of subsequent professional fees straight to the Major. Frank Sinatra did not lose sleep about hewing to the letter of the agreement.2. And also, apparently, of the Hoboken mobster Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo's. DeCarlo, an underling of the North Jersey boss Willie Moretti, was an avuncular executioner with a soft spot for sponsoring young Italian-American singers. In later years he would keep a large portrait of Sinatra in the barnlike structure in Mountainside he used as his headquarters. Just like And also, apparently, of the Hoboken mobster Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo's. DeCarlo, an underling of the North Jersey boss Willie Moretti, was an avuncular executioner with a soft spot for sponsoring young Italian-American singers. In later years he would keep a large portrait of Sinatra in the barnlike structure in Mountainside he used as his headquarters. Just like The Sopranos The Sopranos.SOURCE NOTES3 "Just because": "Just because": Lyrics from "s.h.i.+ne," words by Lew Brown and Cecil Mack, music by Ford T. Dabney (New York: Shapiro, Bernstein, 1924). Lyrics from "s.h.i.+ne," words by Lew Brown and Cecil Mack, music by Ford T. Dabney (New York: Shapiro, Bernstein, 1924).4 "walked right into": "walked right into": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 36.5 "There's only ten": "There's only ten": Higham, Higham, Ava Ava, p. 133.6 "I hate your husband": "I hate your husband": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 131.7 "panic period": "panic period": Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986. Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986.8 "I don't want you": "I don't want you": Lyrics from "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," words by Ted Koehler, music by Harold Arlen (New York: Mills Music, 1931). Lyrics from "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," words by Ted Koehler, music by Harold Arlen (New York: Mills Music, 1931).

CHAPTER 5.

SOURCE NOTES1 "being then and there": "being then and there": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 6.2 "He looked like": "He looked like": Ibid., p. 7. Ibid., p. 7.3 "On a Sunday evening": "On a Sunday evening": Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986. Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986.4 "Cheech, could I go": "Cheech, could I go": Kevin Coyne, "Sinatra's First, Freed at Last," Kevin Coyne, "Sinatra's First, Freed at Last," New York Times New York Times, Oct. 22, 2006.5 "Our love, I feel it": "Our love, I feel it": Lyrics from "Our Love," words and music by Larry Clinton, Buddy Bernier, and Bob Emmerich (New York: Chappell, 1939). Lyrics from "Our Love," words and music by Larry Clinton, Buddy Bernier, and Bob Emmerich (New York: Chappell, 1939).6 "So, I woke Harry": "So, I woke Harry": Levinson, Levinson, Trumpet Blues Trumpet Blues, p. 67.

CHAPTER 6.

1. The record wouldn't be released until the following June-when it would sell a disappointing eight thousand copies-but the song, performed live by the Music Makers with Sinatra, was broadcast several times that fall, and heard (as we'll soon discover) by some very important people. The record wouldn't be released until the following June-when it would sell a disappointing eight thousand copies-but the song, performed live by the Music Makers with Sinatra, was broadcast several times that fall, and heard (as we'll soon discover) by some very important people.SOURCE NOTES2 "Hey, Connie Haines": "Hey, Connie Haines": Connie Haines, in discussion with the author, Jan. 2006. Connie Haines, in discussion with the author, Jan. 2006.3 "bedlam. Gene Krupa": "bedlam. Gene Krupa": Jenkins, Jenkins, Goodbye Goodbye, p. 3.4 "We don't have a singer": "We don't have a singer": Levinson, Levinson, Trumpet Blues Trumpet Blues, p. 67.5 "It's an interesting thing": "It's an interesting thing": Michael Feinstein, in discussion with the author, April 2007. Michael Feinstein, in discussion with the author, April 2007.6 "Frank told Harry": "Frank told Harry": Haines, discussion. Haines, discussion.7 "The Irish Kids": "The Irish Kids": Gay Talese, in discussion with the author, May 2007. Gay Talese, in discussion with the author, May 2007.8 "Can you imagine?": "Can you imagine?": Hamill, Hamill, Why Sinatra Matters Why Sinatra Matters, p. 71.9 "After the first show": "After the first show": Levinson, Levinson, Trumpet Blues Trumpet Blues, p. 69.10 "Please give the new boy": "Please give the new boy": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 49.11 "sensational, intense style": "sensational, intense style": Ibid. Ibid.12 "He sounded somewhat": "He sounded somewhat": George T. Simon, "The Sinatra Report," George T. Simon, "The Sinatra Report," Billboard Billboard, Nov. 20, 1965.13 "I'll never forget": "I'll never forget": Levinson, Levinson, Trumpet Blues Trumpet Blues, p. 76.14 "the torchy ballads": "the torchy ballads": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 49.15 "Here comes the night": "Here comes the night": Lyrics from "Here Comes the Night," words by Frank Loesser, music by Hilly Edelstein and Carl Hohengarten (New York: Paramount Music, 1939). Lyrics from "Here Comes the Night," words by Frank Loesser, music by Hilly Edelstein and Carl Hohengarten (New York: Paramount Music, 1939).16 "half a love": "half a love": Lyrics from "All or Nothing At All," words and music by Jack Lawrence and Arthur Altman (New York, Leeds Music, 1940). Lyrics from "All or Nothing At All," words and music by Jack Lawrence and Arthur Altman (New York, Leeds Music, 1940).17 "an inst.i.tute you can't": "an inst.i.tute you can't": Lyrics from "Love and Marriage," words by Sammy Cahn, music by James Van Heusen (New York: Barton Music, 1955). Lyrics from "Love and Marriage," words by Sammy Cahn, music by James Van Heusen (New York: Barton Music, 1955).

CHAPTER 7.

1. At virtually the same moment, Jack Kapp, the brilliant but tunnel-visioned producer who single-handedly created Bing Crosby's recording career, was pus.h.i.+ng Crosby, hard, to abandon his scat-singing ways for a more commercially palatable vocal style. Kapp won, Bing became an enormously wealthy musical demiG.o.d, and we lost a great jazz artist. Tommy Dorsey, it might be argued, possessed his own inner Jack Kapp. At virtually the same moment, Jack Kapp, the brilliant but tunnel-visioned producer who single-handedly created Bing Crosby's recording career, was pus.h.i.+ng Crosby, hard, to abandon his scat-singing ways for a more commercially palatable vocal style. Kapp won, Bing became an enormously wealthy musical demiG.o.d, and we lost a great jazz artist. Tommy Dorsey, it might be argued, possessed his own inner Jack Kapp.SOURCE NOTES2 "He could do something": "He could do something": Levinson, Levinson, Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey, p. 42.3 "the Dorsey band": "the Dorsey band": Ibid., p. 108. Ibid., p. 108.4 "the greatest melodic": "the greatest melodic": Friedwald, Friedwald, Sinatra! Sinatra! p. 80. p. 80.5 "Have you heard": "Have you heard": Levinson, Levinson, Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey, p. 110.6 "Yes, I remember": "Yes, I remember": Douglas-Home, Douglas-Home, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 23.7 "Fame and fortune": "Fame and fortune": Tommy DorseyFrank Sinatra: The Song Is You Tommy DorseyFrank Sinatra: The Song Is You (RCA, 1994). Set of five compact discs. (RCA, 1994). Set of five compact discs.8 "On a night like this": "On a night like this": Lyrics from "Marie," words and music by Irving Berlin (New York: Irving Berlin, 1928). Lyrics from "Marie," words and music by Irving Berlin (New York: Irving Berlin, 1928).9 "h.e.l.l, if we don't": "h.e.l.l, if we don't": Levinson, Levinson, Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey, p. 111.10 "learned a lot from Harry": "learned a lot from Harry": Friedwald, Friedwald, Sinatra! Sinatra! p. 75. p. 75.11 "he dozed": "he dozed": Ibid., p. 74. Ibid., p. 74.12 "The bus pulled": "The bus pulled": Levinson, Levinson, Trumpet Blues Trumpet Blues, p. 79.13 "The first time": "The first time": Jo Stafford, in discussion with the author, Feb. 2006. Jo Stafford, in discussion with the author, Feb. 2006.14 "The only problem": "The only problem": Jo Stafford, interview with Michael Feinstein, Jo Stafford, interview with Michael Feinstein, Ballad of the Blues Ballad of the Blues (Feinery, 2003). Compact disc. (Feinery, 2003). Compact disc.15 "Never even heard": "Never even heard": Ibid. Ibid.16 "Frank really loved": "Frank really loved": Ibid. Ibid.17 "Sinatra knew this": "Sinatra knew this": Daniel Okrent, "A Season of Song: Saint Francis of Hoboken," Daniel Okrent, "A Season of Song: Saint Francis of Hoboken," Esquire Esquire, Dec. 1987.18 "Well, see": "Well, see": Stafford, discussion. Stafford, discussion.19 "Young": "Young": Ibid. Ibid.20 "I want you": "I want you": Torme, Torme, Traps, the Drum Wonder Traps, the Drum Wonder, p. 53.

CHAPTER 8.

1. He was in a Chicago studio with the band just days after he joined Dorsey, recording "The Sky Fell Down" and "Too Romantic." He was in a Chicago studio with the band just days after he joined Dorsey, recording "The Sky Fell Down" and "Too Romantic."SOURCE NOTES2 "I can still": "I can still": Jo Stafford, in discussion with the author, Feb. 2006. Jo Stafford, in discussion with the author, Feb. 2006.3 "For maybe": "For maybe": Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986. Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986.4 "Once, Sinatra": "Once, Sinatra": Friedwald, Friedwald, Sinatra! Sinatra! p. 88. p. 88.5 "Tommy was a very": "Tommy was a very": Douglas-Home, Douglas-Home, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 24.6 The producer George: The producer George: George Avakian, in discussion with the author, Oct. 2006. George Avakian, in discussion with the author, Oct. 2006.7 "I used to watch": "I used to watch": Summers and Swan, Summers and Swan, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 65.8 "Tommy sometimes": "Tommy sometimes": Friedwald, Friedwald, Sinatra! Sinatra! p. 86. p. 86.9 "You can have": "You can have": Stafford, discussion. Stafford, discussion.10 "I was never": "I was never": Sinatra, interview. Sinatra, interview.11 "calisthenics for the throat": "calisthenics for the throat": Summers and Swan, Summers and Swan, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 66.12 "Frank can hold": "Frank can hold": Ibid. Ibid.13 "The audience wouldn't": "The audience wouldn't": Levinson, Levinson, Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey, p. 114.14 "He had something": "He had something": Ibid. Ibid.15 "When I say": "When I say": Ibid., p. 115. Ibid., p. 115.16 "It was at the Meadowbrook": "It was at the Meadowbrook": Ibid., p. 119. Ibid., p. 119.17 "I take a sheet": "I take a sheet": Steve Wynn, from "Remembering Frank Sinatra," Steve Wynn, from "Remembering Frank Sinatra," USA Weekend USA Weekend, May 4, 2008.18 "Go ahead, do your thing": "Go ahead, do your thing": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 53.19 "When you sing": "When you sing": Stafford, interview. Stafford, interview.20 "He wound it up": "He wound it up": Friedwald, Friedwald, Sinatra! Sinatra! p. 90. p. 90.21 "Just call out": "Just call out": Levinson, Levinson, Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey, p. 125.22 "Next thing I know": "Next thing I know": Friedwald, Friedwald, Sinatra! Sinatra! p. 91. p. 91.23 "I'll never smile again": "I'll never smile again": Lyrics from "I'll Never Smile Again," words and music by Ruth Lowe (New York: Sun Music, 1939). Lyrics from "I'll Never Smile Again," words and music by Ruth Lowe (New York: Sun Music, 1939).

CHAPTER 9.

1. He would finish it, in a way, forty years later, when, his voice crackling with age and emotion, he recorded a monumentally powerful version of "Soliloquy," on He would finish it, in a way, forty years later, when, his voice crackling with age and emotion, he recorded a monumentally powerful version of "Soliloquy," on Sinatra 80th: Live in Concert Sinatra 80th: Live in Concert.2. The name of the city had very different connotations in the early 1940s, when Las Vegas was still a sleepy desert burg with sand on the streets and hitching posts for horses, from what it would have fifteen or twenty years later, when Sinatra, with the help of organized crime, had turned the town into, well... The name of the city had very different connotations in the early 1940s, when Las Vegas was still a sleepy desert burg with sand on the streets and hitching posts for horses, from what it would have fifteen or twenty years later, when Sinatra, with the help of organized crime, had turned the town into, well...Vegas.3. Jean Bach knew Sinatra before he wore those floppy bow ties, and believes she knows where he got the idea: her. She used to sew ties like that for her husband, Shorty Sherock, she said. "I remember this particular print, I thought Shorty was brave to wear it-and he came home one day, and he'd been in the elevator at the Brill Building, and Frank got on and looked at Shorty and menacingly said, 'Who wrote the lyrics to that tie?' And the next thing we know, we saw photographs of him with a kind of artist-looking bow tie" (Bach, in discussion with the author, March 30, 2006). Jean Bach knew Sinatra before he wore those floppy bow ties, and believes she knows where he got the idea: her. She used to sew ties like that for her husband, Shorty Sherock, she said. "I remember this particular print, I thought Shorty was brave to wear it-and he came home one day, and he'd been in the elevator at the Brill Building, and Frank got on and looked at Shorty and menacingly said, 'Who wrote the lyrics to that tie?' And the next thing we know, we saw photographs of him with a kind of artist-looking bow tie" (Bach, in discussion with the author, March 30, 2006).SOURCE NOTES4 "Dad was in": "Dad was in": Nancy Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, American Legend American Legend, p. 43.5 "I hated missing": "I hated missing": Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986. Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986.6 "Frank would tap": "Frank would tap": Summers and Swan, Summers and Swan, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 69.7 "It must have been": "It must have been": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 56.8 "Tommy Dorsey came": "Tommy Dorsey came": Ed Kessler, in discussion with the author, May 2006. Ed Kessler, in discussion with the author, May 2006.9 "They were in": "They were in": Ibid. Ibid.10 "I remember him": "I remember him": Ibid. Ibid.11 "they got at it": "they got at it": Jo Stafford, in discussion with the author, Feb. 2006. Jo Stafford, in discussion with the author, Feb. 2006.12 "went at each other": "went at each other": Torme, Torme, Traps, the Drum Wonder Traps, the Drum Wonder, p. 62.13 "I can live": "I can live": Ibid., p. 63. Ibid., p. 63.14 "coldly efficient": "coldly efficient": Ibid. Ibid.15 "If Tommy Dorsey": "If Tommy Dorsey": Cahn, Cahn, I Should Care I Should Care, p. 131.16 "Nothing meant anything": "Nothing meant anything": Levinson, Levinson, September in the Rain September in the Rain, p. 114.17 "I kept thinking": "I kept thinking": Sinatra, interview. Sinatra, interview.18 "All they wanted": "All they wanted": E. J. Kahn, "The Voice," E. J. Kahn, "The Voice," New Yorker New Yorker, Nov. 9, 1946.19 "This boy's going": "This boy's going": Wilson, Wilson, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 31.20 "a shy boy": "a shy boy": Summers and Swan, Summers and Swan, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 58.21 "Match me": "Match me": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 111.22 "I used to stand": "I used to stand": Hanna, Hanna, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 16.23 "He was hanging": "He was hanging": Connie Haines, in discussion with the author, Jan. 2006. Connie Haines, in discussion with the author, Jan. 2006.

CHAPTER 10.

1. As would be another important Sinatra arranger, Quincy Jones. As would be another important Sinatra arranger, Quincy Jones.2. And, a couple of years later, it would be And, a couple of years later, it would be hasta la vista hasta la vista to Lana. The way was paved one night during that same fateful January 1942, when Sinatra stopped in at the brand-new, star-studded L.A. nightclub Mocambo (palm fronds, c.o.c.katoos in cages), where he once again encountered the gorgeous Ava Gardner, nineteen and newly married to Mickey Rooney. When Rooney "introduced" her to the singer-both she and Sinatra remembered, but failed to mention, the earlier meeting at MGM-Sinatra said, flirtatiously, "Why didn't I meet you first?" She blushed at the inside joke, and both filed away the compliment (Server, to Lana. The way was paved one night during that same fateful January 1942, when Sinatra stopped in at the brand-new, star-studded L.A. nightclub Mocambo (palm fronds, c.o.c.katoos in cages), where he once again encountered the gorgeous Ava Gardner, nineteen and newly married to Mickey Rooney. When Rooney "introduced" her to the singer-both she and Sinatra remembered, but failed to mention, the earlier meeting at MGM-Sinatra said, flirtatiously, "Why didn't I meet you first?" She blushed at the inside joke, and both filed away the compliment (Server, Ava Gardner Ava Gardner, p. 174).3. Sinatra had registered for the draft in December 1940 but, as a married father, was granted a deferment. The loophole protected him from the draft-but not the contempt of much of the public and many men in uniform-until the fall of 1943, when the deferments were ended and he was recla.s.sified 1-A. Shortly afterward, to nationwide hoots, he was recla.s.sified yet again, to 4-F, for a punctured eardrum. Sinatra had registered for the draft in December 1940 but, as a married father, was granted a deferment. The loophole protected him from the draft-but not the contempt of much of the public and many men in uniform-until the fall of 1943, when the deferments were ended and he was recla.s.sified 1-A. Shortly afterward, to nationwide hoots, he was recla.s.sified yet again, to 4-F, for a punctured eardrum.

In August 1942, after Lana Turner impulsively married a Hollywood wannabe named Steve Crane (who, it would inconveniently turn out, was already married at the time), a heartbroken Buddy Rich enlisted in the Marines and left Dorsey.4. Although Hoboken lives on robustly in his dentalization of the Although Hoboken lives on robustly in his dentalization of the t t's in the lyric: "I hear music when I look at you/A beautiful theme of ev'ry dream I ever knew." His p.r.o.nunciation of "beautiful" sounds like something that might come out of the mouth of a sensitive gunsel in an old Warner Brothers gangster picture.5. In appearance and bearing, Goodman was almost Dorsey's Jewish counterpart: bespectacled, tough, egomaniacal. Musically, though, he was deeper and more virtuosic: Goodman was esteemed as both a cla.s.sical and a jazz musician. In the late 1940s, as Dorsey continued to wax sentimental, Goodman even developed an interest in bebop. In appearance and bearing, Goodman was almost Dorsey's Jewish counterpart: bespectacled, tough, egomaniacal. Musically, though, he was deeper and more virtuosic: Goodman was esteemed as both a cla.s.sical and a jazz musician. In the late 1940s, as Dorsey continued to wax sentimental, Goodman even developed an interest in bebop.SOURCE NOTES6 "Lucky Strike green": "Lucky Strike green": Jones, Jones, From Here to Eternity From Here to Eternity, pp. 75455.7 "almost tubercular": "almost tubercular": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 60.8 "Frank was not like": "Frank was not like": Shaw, Shaw, Twentieth-Century Romantic Twentieth-Century Romantic, p. 30.9 "He was so excited": "He was so excited": Levinson, Levinson, Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey, p. 151.10 "Frank sat on a stool": "Frank sat on a stool": Summers and Swan, Summers and Swan, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 73.11 "Lana was the love": "Lana was the love": Torme, Torme, Traps, the Drum Wonder Traps, the Drum Wonder, p. 74.12 "Now, in the story": "Now, in the story": Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986. Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986.13 "He's such a d.a.m.n": "He's such a d.a.m.n": Levinson, Levinson, Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey, p. 152.14 "I gotta do it": "I gotta do it": Ibid., p. 155. Ibid., p. 155.15 "I was sitting with Sinatra": "I was sitting with Sinatra": Friedwald, Friedwald, Sinatra! Sinatra! p. 110. p. 110.16 "Tommy was a good": "Tommy was a good": Levinson, Levinson, Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey, p. 155.17 "I'll wake each": "I'll wake each": Lyrics from "Just as Though You Were Here," words by Edgar De Lange, music by John B. Brooks (New York: Yankee Music, 1942). Lyrics from "Just as Though You Were Here," words by Edgar De Lange, music by John B. Brooks (New York: Yankee Music, 1942).18 "The curtains drawn": "The curtains drawn": Nancy Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, My Father My Father, p. 35.19 "[Tommy] said, 'No'": "[Tommy] said, 'No'": Sinatra, interview. Sinatra, interview.20 "Let him go": "Let him go": Wilson, Wilson, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 35.21 "Don't worry": "Don't worry": Levinson, Levinson, Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey, p. 156.22 "After tonight": "After tonight": Tommy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing: Centennial Collection The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing: Centennial Collection (RCA, 2005). Set of three compact discs. (RCA, 2005). Set of three compact discs.23 "Well, Frank": "Well, Frank": Ibid. Ibid.24 "was literally crying": "was literally crying": Summers and Swan, Summers and Swan, Sinatra Sinatra, p. 74.25 "I hope you fall": "I hope you fall": Nancy Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, American Legend American Legend, p. 51.26 "I was now free": "I was now free": Sinatra, interview. Sinatra, interview.27 "this skinny kid": "this skinny kid": Shaw, Shaw, Twentieth-Century Romantic Twentieth-Century Romantic, p. 40.28 "He said, 'What are you'": "He said, 'What are you'": Sinatra, interview. Sinatra, interview.29 "I was in New York": "I was in New York": Nancy Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, My Father My Father, p. 44.30 "There were about five": "There were about five": Ibid., p. 45. Ibid., p. 45.31 "What the f.u.c.k": "What the f.u.c.k": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 40.

CHAPTER 11.

1. Including the band's girl singer, a blond, pug-nosed twenty-two-year-old from North Dakota named Norma Deloris Egstrom, a.k.a. Peggy Lee. Including the band's girl singer, a blond, pug-nosed twenty-two-year-old from North Dakota named Norma Deloris Egstrom, a.k.a. Peggy Lee.2. Interestingly, one of the first buyers of the new and improved Sinatra age was none other than E. J. Kahn Jr. in "Phenomenon," the three-part 1946 Interestingly, one of the first buyers of the new and improved Sinatra age was none other than E. J. Kahn Jr. in "Phenomenon," the three-part 1946 New Yorker New Yorker profile-prepared with the aid of that magazine's legendary fact-checking department-that was the basis for his 1947 book, profile-prepared with the aid of that magazine's legendary fact-checking department-that was the basis for his 1947 book, The Voice The Voice.3. Or, as the announcer would intone: " Or, as the announcer would intone: "Your Hit Parade survey checks the best sellers on sheet music and phonograph records, the songs most heard on the air and most played on the automatic coin machines, an accurate, authentic tabulation of America's taste in popular music" (Brooks and Marsh, survey checks the best sellers on sheet music and phonograph records, the songs most heard on the air and most played on the automatic coin machines, an accurate, authentic tabulation of America's taste in popular music" (Brooks and Marsh, TV's Greatest Hits TV's Greatest Hits, p. 280).SOURCE NOTES4 "EXTRA ADDED ATTRACTION": "EXTRA ADDED ATTRACTION": Friedwald, Friedwald, Sinatra! Sinatra! p. 123. p. 123.5 "Be careful, it's my heart": "Be careful, it's my heart": Lyrics from "Be Careful, It's My Heart," words and music by Irving Berlin (New York: Irving Berlin, 1942). Lyrics from "Be Careful, It's My Heart," words and music by Irving Berlin (New York: Irving Berlin, 1942).6 "a kid was given a ticket": "a kid was given a ticket": Kahn, Kahn, Voice Voice, p. 67.7 "certain things were": "certain things were": Ibid. Ibid.8 "George was a "George was a genius genius": Jerry Lewis, in discussion with the author, March 2008. Jerry Lewis, in discussion with the author, March 2008.9 "in case a patron": "in case a patron": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 67.10 "I saw fans run": "I saw fans run": Nancy Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, My Father My Father, p. 47.11 "I'd look out my bedroom": "I'd look out my bedroom": Nancy Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, American Legend American Legend, p. 54.12 "People call me an overnight": "People call me an overnight": Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986. Frank Sinatra, interview with Sidney Zion, Yale University, April 15, 1986.13 "Frankie is a product": "Frankie is a product": Kelley, Kelley, His Way His Way, p. 75.

CHAPTER 12.