Frank Sinatra

"May you live to be 100, and may the last voice you hear be mine."

One hundred years ago, on December 12, 1915, one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century was born. 

A Hollywood legend that certainly needs no introduction, Frank Sinatra had a lifelong career as an award-winning singer and film actor.

His life was the subject of much intrigue for his many fans. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey to Italian parents, he weighed a whopping 13.5 pounds! 

Due to his large birth weight, he had to be delivered with the aid of forceps. It was a traumatic birth, and the intervention caused scarring on his face, neck and ears - scars which he carried for the rest of his life. 

Nobody thought that he had survived the birth, and it was only after his body had been placed in the kitchen sink away from his mother, that his grandmother swilled him with cold water and gave him a good slap on the back which roused him.

He had a difficult childhood, never being a popular kid and having a particularly fractious relationship with his mother. However, he seemed to always know that he was special, and when his parents bought a bar, he had his own radio in his room, where he became obsessed with listening to crooners such as Bing Crosby and Ruby Vallee, believing that one day, he would be able to sing as well as them. 

After leaving school at sixteen, his parents finally realised that he was serious about his dream, and bought him a microphone and amplifier. He was determined to break into the music business, and performed at gig after gig where, with his intense musicality, he had the girls eating out of his hand. 

By December 1942, Sinatramania had well and truly begun, and there was no looking back.

As well as his success as a musician, television and movie star, Frank Sinatra also performed on many radio shows, becoming the star of various radio shows of his own during the 1940s and 1950s. 

There's a whole heap of these on RUSC already, which you can see on the following link:-

http://www.rusc.com/members/star.aspx?id=50

Frank's favorite toast was said to be, "May you live to be 100, and may the last voice you hear be mine."

Sadly, he never made it to 100 years old himself, passing away in May 1998 at the age of 82. However, seventeen years on from his death, his voice can still be heard in restaurants and bars across the world. 

Happy birthday Frank!