180-620: Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, film producer and author. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( née Barbato) and is known for her 1965 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin' " . Nancy Sinatra began her career as a singer in November 1957 with an appearance on her father's ABC television variety series The Frank Sinatra Show but initially achieved success only in Europe and Japan . In early 1966 she had
360-538: A cover of Carl Perkins ' rockabilly anthem " Blue Suede Shoes ". In February, Presley's " I Forgot to Remember to Forget ", a Sun recording released the previous August, reached the top of the Billboard country chart . Neal's contract was terminated and Parker became Presley's manager. RCA Victor released Presley's self-titled debut album on March 23. Joined by five previously unreleased Sun recordings, its seven recently recorded tracks included two country songs,
540-772: A jury-rigged echo effect that Sam Phillips dubbed "slapback". A single was pressed with "That's All Right" on the A-side and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" on the reverse. The trio played publicly for the first time at the Bon Air club on July 17, 1954. Later that month, they appeared at the Overton Park Shell , with Slim Whitman headlining. Here Elvis pioneered " Rubber Legs ", his signature dance movement. A combination of his strong response to rhythm and nervousness led Presley to shake his legs as he performed: His wide-cut pants emphasized his movements, causing young women in
720-556: A midwife , and according to Sinatra biographer Kitty Kelley , ran an illegal abortion service that catered to Italian Catholic girls, for which she was nicknamed "Hatpin Dolly". She also had a gift for languages and served as a local interpreter. Sinatra's illiterate father was a bantamweight boxer who later worked at the Hoboken Fire Department, working his way up to captain. Due to his illiteracy, he stressed
900-450: A promo clip . The recording is regarded as one of pop's more unusual singles; critic Cathi Unsworth wrote, "The puzzle of its lyrics and otherworldly beauty of its sound [offer] seemingly endless interpretations." The British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph placed "Some Velvet Morning" atop its 2003 list of the Top 50 Best Duets Ever ("Somethin' Stupid" ranked no. 27.) The song appeared on
1080-578: A transatlantic number-one hit with "These Boots Are Made for Walkin ' ". A TV promo clip from the era features Sinatra in high boots, accompanied by colorfully dressed go-go dancers , in what is now considered an iconic Swinging Sixties look. The song was written by Lee Hazlewood , who wrote and produced most of her hits and sang with her on several duets. As with all of Sinatra's 1960s hits, "Boots" featured Billy Strange as arranger and conductor. Between early 1966 and early 1968, Sinatra charted on Billboard' s Hot 100 with 14 titles, 10 of which reached
1260-475: A ukulele , with which he performed at family gatherings. Sinatra attended David E. Rue Jr. High School from 1928, and A. J. Demarest High School (since renamed as Hoboken High School ) in 1931, where he arranged bands for school dances, but left without graduating after having attended only 47 days before being expelled for "general rowdiness." To please his mother, he enrolled at Drake Business School, but departed after 11 months. Dolly found her son work as
1440-755: A 1,200-seat venue. By April 1952, he was performing at the Kauai County Fair in Hawaii. Sinatra's relationship with Columbia Records was disintegrating, with A&R executive Mitch Miller claiming he "couldn't give away" Sinatra records. Though several notable recordings were made during this time period, such as " If I Could Write a Book " in January 1952, which Granata sees as a "turning point", forecasting his later work with its sensitivity, Columbia and MCA dropped him later that year. His last studio recording for Columbia, "Why Try To Change Me Now,"
1620-519: A 1946 blues number, Arthur Crudup's " That's All Right ". Moore recalled, "All of a sudden, Elvis just started singing this song, jumping around and acting the fool, and then Bill picked up his bass, and he started acting the fool, too, and I started playing with them." Phillips quickly began taping; this was the sound he had been looking for. Three days later, popular Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips (no relation to Sam Phillips) played "That's All Right" on his Red, Hot, and Blue show. Listener interest
1800-526: A 1967 Christmas-themed episode of The Dean Martin Show which featured the Sinatra and Martin families. NBC aired Sinatra's own special, Movin' with Nancy , in 1967. It featured Lee Hazlewood, her father and his Rat Pack pals Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. , her brother Frank Sinatra Jr. and West Side Story dancer David Winters , who choreographed the show. Jack Haley Jr. directed and produced
1980-639: A 2004 version of his song " Let Me Kiss You ", which was featured on her album Nancy Sinatra . The single – released the same day as Morrissey's version – charted at no. 46 in the UK, providing Sinatra with her first hit in more than 30 years. The follow-up single, "Burnin' Down the Spark," failed to chart. The album featured U2 , Sonic Youth , Calexico , Pete Yorn , Jon Spencer , Pulp 's Jarvis Cocker and Steven Van Zandt , all of whom have cited Sinatra as an influence. Each artist crafted
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#17327801065982160-430: A 2007 public-service announcement for Deejay Ra's Hip-Hop Literacy campaign, encouraging reading of music and film-related books and screenplays. Sinatra's digital-only album Cherry Smiles: The Rare Singles , featuring previously unreleased tracks and songs only available as singles, was released in 2009. She released the 2013 digital-only album Shifting Gears , featuring 15 previously unreleased tracks, including
2340-499: A C in music in eighth grade. When his music teacher said he had no aptitude for singing, he brought in his guitar and sang a recent hit, "Keep Them Cold Icy Fingers Off Me". He was usually too shy to perform openly and was occasionally bullied by classmates for being a " mama's boy ". In 1950, Presley began practicing guitar under the tutelage of Lee Denson , a neighbor. They and three other boys, including two future rockabilly pioneers, brothers Dorsey and Johnny Burnette —formed
2520-652: A Tie Clip," went largely unnoticed. However, subsequent singles charted in Europe and Japan. By 1965, without a hit in the United States , she was on the verge of being dropped by the label. Her singing career received a boost with the help of songwriter/producer/arranger Lee Hazlewood , who had been making records for ten years, notably with Duane Eddy . Hazlewood's collaboration with Sinatra began when Frank Sinatra asked Lee to help boost his daughter's career. When recording " These Boots Are Made for Walkin' " , Hazlewood
2700-487: A billion worldwide. He was commercially successful in many genres, including pop , country, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, adult contemporary , and gospel . He won three Grammy Awards , received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame . He holds several records, including the most RIAA -certified gold and platinum albums,
2880-453: A bouncy pop tune, and what would centrally define the evolving sound of rock and roll : "Blue Suede Shoes"—"an improvement over Perkins' in almost every way", according to critic Robert Hilburn —and three R&B numbers that had been part of Presley's stage repertoire, covers of Little Richard , Ray Charles , and The Drifters . As described by Hilburn, these were the most revealing of all. Unlike many white artists ... who watered down
3060-522: A car and could chauffeur the group around. Sinatra soon learned they were auditioning for the Major Bowes Amateur Hour show and "begged" the group to let him in on the act. With Sinatra, the group became known as the "Hoboken Four" and passed an audition from Edward Bowes to appear on the show. They each earned $ 12.50, and ended up attracting 40,000 votes to win first prize—a six-month contract to perform on stage and radio across
3240-678: A champagne party", a Newsweek critic wrote. Amid his Vegas tenure, Presley, who had acting ambitions, signed a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures . He began a tour of the Midwest in mid-May, covering fifteen cities in as many days. He had attended several shows by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys in Vegas and was struck by their cover of " Hound Dog ", a hit in 1953 for blues singer Big Mama Thornton by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller . It became his new closing number. After
3420-681: A dance venue in Memphis. When Presley played, teenagers rushed from the pool to fill the club, then left again as the house western swing band resumed. Presley quickly grew more confident on stage. According to Moore, "His movement was a natural thing, but he was also very conscious of what got a reaction. He'd do something one time and then he would expand on it real quick." Amid these live performances, Presley returned to Sun studio for more recording sessions. Presley made what would be his only appearance on Nashville 's Grand Ole Opry on October 2; Opry manager Jim Denny told Phillips that his singer
3600-637: A delivery boy at the Jersey Observer newspaper (since merged into The Jersey Journal ), where his godfather Frank Garrick worked; he later worked as a riveter at the Tietjen and Lang shipyard. He began performing in local Hoboken social clubs and sang for free on radio stations such as WAAT in Jersey City. In New York, Sinatra found jobs singing for his supper or for cigarettes. To improve his speech, he began taking elocution lessons for
3780-499: A dollar each from vocal coach John Quinlan, one of the first people to notice his impressive vocal range. Sinatra began singing professionally as a teenager. Even though he never learned to read music, he learned by ear . He got his first break in 1935 when his mother persuaded a local singing group called the 3 Flashes to let him join. Baritone Fred Tamburro stated that "Frank hung around us like we were gods or something," admitting that they only took him on board because he owned
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#17327801065983960-623: A duet with her father – reached number one in the US and the UK in April 1967 and spent nine weeks at the top of Billboard 's easy listening chart. Frank and Nancy became the only father-daughter duo to top the Hot 100, but DJs dubbed the track "the incest song" because it was sung as if by two lovers. The record earned a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year at the 10th Annual Grammy Awards and remains
4140-404: A few thousand dollars. Sinatra persuaded Stordahl to come with him and become his personal arranger, offering him $ 650 a month, five times his salary from Dorsey. Dorsey and Sinatra, who had been very close, never reconciled their differences. Perfectly simple: It was the war years, and there was a great loneliness, and I was the boy in every corner drugstore, the boy who'd gone off drafted to
4320-543: A few weeks of the show, some 1,000 Sinatra fan clubs had been reported across the US. Sinatra's publicist, George Evans, encouraged interviews and photographs with fans and was the man responsible for depicting Sinatra as a vulnerable, shy, Italian–American with a rough childhood who made good. When Sinatra returned to the Paramount in October 1944, only 250 persons left the first show, and 35,000 fans left outside caused
4500-461: A local vocal quartet, the Songfellows, and another for the band of Eddie Bond . Phillips, meanwhile, was always on the lookout for someone who could bring to a broader audience the sound of the black musicians on whom Sun focused. In June, he acquired a demo recording by Jimmy Sweeney of a ballad, "Without You", that he thought might suit Presley. The teenaged singer came by the studio but
4680-536: A loose musical collective. During his junior year, Presley began to stand out among his classmates, largely because of his appearance: he grew his sideburns and styled his hair. He would head down to Beale Street , the heart of Memphis' thriving blues scene, and admire the wild, flashy clothes at Lansky Brothers . By his senior year, he was wearing those clothes. He competed in Humes' Annual "Minstrel" Show in 1953, singing and playing " Till I Waltz Again with You ",
4860-403: A minute to a basset hound wearing a top hat and bowtie. As described by television historian Jake Austen, "Allen thought Presley was talentless and absurd ... [he] set things up so that Presley would show his contrition". Allen later wrote that he found Presley's "strange, gangly, country-boy charisma, his hard-to-define cuteness, and his charming eccentricity intriguing" and worked him into
5040-418: A national celebrity. Accompanying Presley's rise to fame, a cultural shift was taking place that he both helped inspire and came to symbolize. The historian Marty Jezer wrote that Presley began the "biggest pop craze" since Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra and brought rock and roll to mainstream culture: As Presley set the artistic pace, other artists followed. ... Presley, more than anyone else, gave
5220-485: A near riot, known as the Columbus Day Riot, outside the venue because they were not allowed in. Such was the bobby-soxer devotion to Sinatra that they were known to write Sinatra's song titles on their clothing, bribe hotel maids for an opportunity to touch his bed, and steal clothing he was wearing, most commonly his bow tie . Sinatra signed with Columbia Records as a solo artist on June 1, 1943, during
5400-827: A non-single 1966 cover of the Cher hit " Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) ", which features in the opening credits of Quentin Tarantino 's 2003 film Kill Bill Volume 1 . In 1971 Sinatra and Hazlewood achieved their first collaborative success in the UK singles chart with the no. 2 hit "Did You Ever?", and the 2005 UK no. 3 hit by Audio Bullys , " Shot You Down ", sampled Sinatra's version of "Bang Bang". Between 1964 and 1968, Sinatra appeared in several feature films, co-starring with Peter Fonda in Roger Corman 's biker-gang movie The Wild Angels (1966) and alongside Elvis Presley in
5580-399: A pair of bestselling singles, the ballads " It's Now or Never " and " Are You Lonesome Tonight? ", along with the rest of Elvis Is Back! The album features several songs described by Greil Marcus as full of Chicago blues "menace, driven by Presley's own super-miked acoustic guitar, brilliant playing by Scotty Moore, and demonic sax work from Boots Randolph . Elvis' singing wasn't sexy, it
Nancy Sinatra - Misplaced Pages Continue
5760-414: A pastor at the family's church. Presley recalled, "I took the guitar, and I watched people, and I learned to play a little bit. But I would never sing in public. I was very shy about it." In September 1946, Presley entered a new school, Milam, for sixth grade. The following year, he began singing and playing his guitar at school. He was often teased as a "trashy" kid who played hillbilly music . Presley
5940-459: A police guard because somebody'd always try to take a crack at him." The trio became a quartet when Hayride drummer Fontana joined as a full member. In mid-October, they played a few shows in support of Bill Haley , whose " Rock Around the Clock " track had been a number-one hit the previous year. Haley observed that Presley had a natural feel for rhythm, and advised him to sing fewer ballads. At
6120-516: A popular local television show. Pressed on whether he had learned anything from the criticism of him, Presley responded, "No, I haven't... I don't see how any type of music would have any bad influence on people when it's only music. ... how would rock 'n' roll music make anyone rebel against their parents?" The next day, Presley recorded "Hound Dog", " Any Way You Want Me " and " Don't Be Cruel ". The Jordanaires sang harmony, as they had on The Steve Allen Show ; they would work with Presley through
6300-530: A psychiatric viewpoint;" his emotional instability was hidden to avoid "undue unpleasantness for both the selectee and the induction service". Briefly, there were rumors reported by columnist Walter Winchell that Sinatra paid $ 40,000 to avoid military service, but the FBI found this to be without merit. Toward the end of the war, Sinatra entertained the troops during several successful overseas USO tours with comedian Phil Silvers . During one trip to Rome, he met
6480-794: A recent hit for Teresa Brewer . Presley recalled that the performance did much for his reputation: I wasn't popular in school ... I failed music—only thing I ever failed. And then they entered me in this talent show ... when I came onstage, I heard people kind of rumbling and whispering and so forth, 'cause nobody knew I even sang. It was amazing how popular I became in school after that. Presley, who could not read music , played by ear and frequented record stores that provided jukeboxes and listening booths. He knew all of Hank Snow 's songs, and he loved records by other country singers such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills . The Southern gospel singer Jake Hess , one of his favorite performers,
6660-549: A recording session when an engine died and the plane almost went down over Arkansas . Twelve weeks after its original release, "Heartbreak Hotel" became Presley's first number-one pop hit. In late April, Presley began a two-week residency at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip . The shows were poorly received by the conservative, middle-aged hotel guests, "like a jug of corn liquor at
6840-424: A rendition of Neil Diamond 's " Holly Holy ". The orchestra tracks were recorded in the 1970s while Sinatra was touring with a 40-piece orchestra, and her vocal tracks were recorded within 10 years of the release of the collection. Sinatra's 1967 hit duet with Lee Hazlewood, " Summer Wine ", was featured in retail apparel giant H&M 's "The Summer Shop 2017" ad campaign. In October 2020, Sinatra and Light in
7020-629: A repertoire which included songs such as " My Buddy ," " Willow Weep for Me ," " It's Funny to Everyone but Me ", "Here Comes the Night," " On a Little Street in Singapore ," " Ciribiribin ," and "Every Day of My Life." Sinatra became increasingly frustrated with the status of the Harry James band, feeling that he was not achieving the major success and acclaim he was looking for. His pianist and close friend Hank Sanicola persuaded him to stay with
7200-617: A scene in Stanley Kubrick 's Full Metal Jacket (1987). Sinatra recorded several antiwar songs, including " My Buddy ", which was featured on her album Sugar , "Home", co-written by Mac Davis and "It's Such a Lonely Time of Year", which appeared on the 1968 LP The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas . Sinatra recreated her Vietnam concert appearances on a 1988 episode of the television show China Beach . Sinatra still performs for charitable causes supporting Vietnam veterans , including Rolling Thunder . Sinatra played
7380-547: A secretary in the 1963 Burke's Law episode "Who Killed Wade Walker?" She starred in three beach party films : For Those Who Think Young (1964), Get Yourself a College Girl (1964) and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966), performing songs in the latter film. After securing the role that eventually went to Linda Evans in Beach Blanket Bingo , she withdrew because the film's character
Nancy Sinatra - Misplaced Pages Continue
7560-568: A seven-year recording contract. His first session for Capitol took place at KHJ studios at Studio C, 5515 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, with Axel Stordahl conducting. The session produced four recordings, including " I'm Walking Behind You ," Sinatra's first Capitol single. After spending two weeks on location in Hawaii filming From Here to Eternity , Sinatra returned to KHJ on April 30 for his first recording session with Nelson Riddle , an established arranger and conductor at Capitol who
7740-544: A show in La Crosse, Wisconsin , an urgent message on the letterhead of the local Catholic diocese's newspaper was sent to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover . It warned that Presley is a definite danger to the security of the United States. ... [His] actions and motions were such as to rouse the sexual passions of teenaged youth. ... After the show, more than 1,000 teenagers tried to gang into Presley's room at
7920-464: A singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations , brought both great success and initial controversy . Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi ; his family relocated to Memphis, Tennessee , when he was 13. His music career began there in 1954, at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips , who wanted to bring the sound of African-American music to
8100-400: A slow, grinding version accentuated with exaggerated body movements. His gyrations created a storm of controversy. Jack Gould of The New York Times wrote, Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability. ... His phrasing, if it can be called that, consists of the stereotyped variations that go with a beginner's aria in a bathtub. ... His one specialty is an accented movement of
8280-404: A song for Sinatra to sing on the album. EMI released The Essential Nancy Sinatra , a UK-only greatest-hits compilation featuring the previously unreleased track "Machine Gun Kelly", in 2006. The album was Sinatra's first to make the UK charts (no. 73) since 1971's Did You Ever? reached no. 31. Sinatra recorded "Another Gay Sunshine Day" for Another Gay Movie in 2006. Sinatra received
8460-575: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 11, 2006. A Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California , Walk of Stars was dedicated to her in 2002. Sinatra appeared as herself on one of the final episodes (" Chasing It ") of the HBO mob drama The Sopranos . Her brother Frank Jr. had previously appeared in the 2000 episode " The Happy Wanderer ". Sinatra and Anoushka Shankar recorded
8640-615: A string of successful albums. He collaborated with Count Basie on Sinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical First (1962) and It Might as Well Be Swing (1964). In 1965, he recorded the retrospective album September of My Years and starred in the Emmy -winning television special Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music . After releasing Sinatra at the Sands in early 1966, Sinatra recorded one of his most famous collaborations with Tom Jobim , Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim . It
8820-550: A trust fund started in 1983. Between marriages, Nancy was engaged to producer Jack Haley Jr. , who later married Liza Minnelli . She has also dated Michael Caine and Phil Spector . She also lived with architect David Clinton, who designed and built both of her homes in Beverly Hills . Solo studio albums Collaborative studio albums Feature films Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra ( / s ɪ ˈ n ɑː t r ə / ; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998)
9000-756: A two-year contract of $ 75 a week after a show at the Paramount Theatre in New York. It was with the James band that Sinatra released his first commercial record "From the Bottom of My Heart" in July. No more than 8,000 copies of the record were sold, and further records released with James through 1939, such as " All or Nothing at All ," also had weak sales on their initial release. Thanks to his vocal training, Sinatra could now sing two tones higher, and developed
9180-417: A wider audience. Presley, on guitar and accompanied by lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black , was a pioneer of rockabilly , an uptempo, backbeat -driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues . In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker , who managed him for
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#17327801065989360-483: A year's worth of Saturday-night appearances. Trading in his old guitar for $ 8, he purchased a Martin instrument for $ 175 (equivalent to $ 2,000 in 2023) and his trio began playing in new locales, including Houston , Texas, and Texarkana , Arkansas. Presley made his first television appearance on the KSLA-TV broadcast of Louisiana Hayride . Soon after, he failed an audition for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts on
9540-625: Is kidnapped – a parallel she found too close to actual events when her brother Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped in December 1963. Sinatra appeared as a guest with Woody Allen on the game show Password in 1965. She appeared as herself in The Oscar (1966), and also starred in The Last of the Secret Agents? , in which she sang the title song, and The Wild Angels
9720-446: Is said to have suggested to Nancy, "You can't sing like Nancy Nice Lady anymore. You have to sing for the truckers." She later described him as "part Henry Higgins and part Sigmund Freud ". Hazlewood had Sinatra sing in a lower key and crafted songs for her. Bolstered by an image overhaul – including bleached-blond hair, frosted lips, heavy eye makeup and Carnaby Street fashions – Sinatra made her mark on
9900-576: Is still no one who can approach him." In 1955, Sinatra released In the Wee Small Hours , his first 12" LP, featuring songs such as " In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning ," " Mood Indigo ," " Glad to Be Unhappy " and " When Your Lover Has Gone ." According to Granata it was the first concept album of his to make a "single persuasive statement", with an extended program and "melancholy mood." Sinatra embarked on his first tour of Australia
10080-453: The 1942–44 musicians' strike . Columbia Records re-released Harry James and Sinatra's August 1939 version of "All or Nothing at All," which reached number 2 on June 2 and was on the best-selling list for 18 weeks. He initially had great success, and performed on the radio on Your Hit Parade from February 1943 until December 1944, and on stage. Columbia wanted new recordings of their growing star as quickly as possible, so Alec Wilder
10260-524: The B-side of "Sugar Town"). Their biggest hit was a cover of the 1963 country song " Jackson ". The single peaked at no. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1967, just a few months after Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash hit big on the country chart with their cover of the song. In December 1967 Sinatra and Hazlewood released the single " Some Velvet Morning " (US no. 26), accompanied by
10440-457: The Billboard chart. William Ruhlmann of AllMusic wrote that Sinatra "took the material very seriously, singing the love lyrics with utter seriousness" and that his "singing and the classically influenced settings gave the songs unusual depth of meaning." He was soon selling 10 million records a year. Such was Sinatra's command at Columbia that his love of conducting was indulged with
10620-474: The CBS television network. By early 1955, Presley's regular Hayride appearances, constant touring, and well-received record releases had made him a regional star. In January, Neal signed a formal management contract with Presley and brought him to the attention of Colonel Tom Parker , whom he considered the best promoter in the music business. Having successfully managed the top country star Eddy Arnold , Parker
10800-695: The Sands Hotel and Casino , after an invitation by the manager Jack Entratter . Sinatra typically performed there three times a year and later acquired a share in the hotel. Sinatra's decline in popularity was evident in his concert appearances. At a brief run at the Paramount in New York, he drew small audiences. At the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, he performed to half-filled houses. At a concert at Chez Paree in Chicago, only 150 people turned up in
10980-418: The best-selling Christmas album ever in the United States , with eventual sales of over 20 million worldwide. After the session, Moore and Black—drawing only modest weekly salaries, sharing in none of Presley's massive financial success—resigned, though they were brought back on a per diem basis a few weeks later. On December 20, Presley received his draft notice, though he was granted a deferment to finish
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#173278010659811160-423: The "best-dressed kid in the neighborhood". Excessively thin and small as a child and young man, Sinatra's skinny frame later became a staple of jokes during stage shows. At a young age, Sinatra developed an interest in music, particularly big band jazz and listened to Gene Austin , Rudy Vallée , Russ Colombo , and Bob Eberly while idolizing Bing Crosby . For his 15th birthday, his uncle Domenico gave him
11340-494: The "comedy fabric" of his program. Just before the final rehearsal for the show, Presley told a reporter, "I don't want to do anything to make people dislike me. I think TV is important so I'm going to go along, but I won't be able to give the kind of show I do in a personal appearance." Presley would refer back to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career. Later that night, he appeared on Hy Gardner Calling ,
11520-569: The 1950s and 1960s onwards, a period described by Rojek as the "high-water mark" of Sinatra's "hedonism and self-absorption." Rojek notes that the Rat Pack "provided an outlet for gregarious banter and wisecracks" but argues that it was Sinatra's vehicle, possessing an "unassailable command over the other performers." Sinatra would fly to Las Vegas from Los Angeles in Van Heusen's plane. On October 4, 1953, Sinatra made his first performance at
11700-851: The 1950s and 1960s. In 1983, Sinatra was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors . He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. Sinatra received eleven Grammy Awards , including the Grammy Trustees Award , Grammy Legend Award , and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . He was included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people . American music critic Robert Christgau called him "the greatest singer of
11880-430: The 1960s to making Hollywood films and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. Some of Presley's most famous films included Jailhouse Rock (1957), Blue Hawaii (1961), and Viva Las Vegas (1964). In 1968, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed NBC television comeback special Elvis , which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave
12060-496: The 1960s. A few days later, Presley made an outdoor concert appearance in Memphis, at which he announced, "You know, those people in New York are not gonna change me none. I'm gonna show you what the real Elvis is like tonight." In August, a judge in Jacksonville , Florida, ordered Presley to tame his act. Throughout the following performance, he largely kept still, except for wiggling his little finger suggestively in mockery of
12240-436: The 20th century" and he continues to be regarded as an iconic figure. "They'd fought through his childhood and continued to do so until her dying day. But I believe that to counter her steel will he'd developed his own. To prove her wrong when she belittled his choice of career ... Their friction first had shaped him; that, I think, had remained to the end and a litmus test of the grit in his bones. It helped keep him at
12420-453: The Allen and Berle shows, Sullivan had opined that Presley "got some kind of device hanging down below the crotch of his pants—so when he moves his legs back and forth you can see the outline of his cock. ... I think it's a Coke bottle. ... We just can't have this on a Sunday night. This is a family show!" Sullivan publicly told TV Guide , "As for his gyrations, the whole thing can be controlled with camera shots." In fact, Presley
12600-510: The American (and British) music scene in early 1966 with " These Boots Are Made for Walkin' " , its title inspired by a line from Robert Aldrich 's 1963 western comedy 4 for Texas , starring her father and Dean Martin . One of her many hits written by Hazlewood, it received three Grammy Award nominations at the 9th Annual Grammy Awards , including two for Sinatra and one for arranger Billy Strange . It sold more than one million copies and
12780-666: The Attic Records announced plans to release the Nancy Sinatra Archival Series. The first release was a Record Store Day Black Friday exclusive 7" vinyl single featuring two Sinatra/Hazlewood duets, " Some Velvet Morning " and " Tired of Waiting for You ". A new 23-track compilation, Start Walkin' 1965–1976 , followed in February 2021. The first single, a remastered reissue of Nancy & Lee's 1976 Private Stock single " (L'été Indien) Indian Summer ",
12960-485: The Blue of Evening ," and " It's Always You " in 1943. As his success and popularity grew, Sinatra pushed Dorsey to allow him to record some solo songs. Dorsey eventually relented, and on January 19, 1942, Sinatra recorded " Night and Day ," " The Night We Called It a Day ," " The Song is You ," and " Lamplighter's Serenade " at a Bluebird recording session, with Axel Stordahl as arranger and conductor. Sinatra first heard
13140-628: The Bond theme stalled at no. 44 on Billboard 's Hot 100 . "Jackson"/"You Only Live Twice" was even more successful in the UK, reaching no. 11 on the singles chart during a 19-week chart run (in the Top 50); it ranked 70 in the year-end chart. Sinatra traveled to Vietnam to perform for US troops in 1966 and 1967. Many soldiers adopted her song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin ' " as their anthem, as shown in Pierre Schoendoerffer 's documentary The Anderson Platoon (1967) and reprised in
13320-486: The Country Disc Jockey Convention in early November, Presley was voted the year's most promising male artist. After three major labels made offers of up to $ 25,000, Parker and Phillips struck a deal with RCA Victor on November 21 to acquire Presley's Sun contract for an unprecedented $ 40,000. Presley, aged 20, was legally still a minor, so his father signed the contract. Parker arranged with
13500-792: The Golden Arm (1955) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Sinatra also appeared in musicals such as On the Town (1949), Guys and Dolls (1955), High Society (1956), and Pal Joey (1957), which won him a Golden Globe Award . Toward the end of his career, he frequently played detectives, including the title character in Tony Rome (1967). Sinatra received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1971. On television, The Frank Sinatra Show began on CBS in 1950, and he continued to make appearances on television throughout
13680-818: The Loneliest Night of the Week) ," " Dream ," and " Nancy (with the Laughing Face) " as singles. Despite being heavily involved in political activity in 1945 and 1946, in those two years, Sinatra sang on 160 radio shows, recorded 36 times, and shot four films. By 1946, he was performing on stage up to 45 times a week, singing up to 100 songs daily, and earning up to $ 93,000 a week. In 1946, Sinatra released " Oh! What it Seemed to Be ", " Day by Day ", " They Say It's Wonderful ", " Five Minutes More ", and " The Coffee Song " as singles, and launched his first album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra , which reached No. 1 on
13860-691: The Nancy Sinatra Archival Series kicked off on September 27 with the digital release of a new 25-song compilation Keep Walkin': Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965-1978. Physical release followed on October 20, 2023. Sinatra participated in her first YouTube live chat on November 2, 2023. Sinatra has publicly stated her personal opposition to the affairs and presidency of former U.S. president Donald Trump . Sinatra has progressive positions on political issues, advocating for advances in women's rights , healthcare and reversal of climate change . Marriages: Children (with Lambert): Both women were left US$ 1 million from their grandfather Frank Sinatra's will, in
14040-604: The Pope , who asked him if he was an operatic tenor. Sinatra worked frequently with the popular Andrews Sisters in radio in the 1940s, and many USO shows were broadcast to troops via the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS). In 1944, Sinatra released " I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night " as a single and recorded his own version of Irving Berlin's " White Christmas ." The following year he released " I Dream of You (More Than You Dream I Do) ," " Saturday Night (Is
14220-501: The Top 40. In addition to "These Boots Are Made for Walkin ' ", defining recordings during this period include " Sugar Town ", "Love Eyes", the transatlantic 1967 number one " Somethin' Stupid " (a duet with her father), two versions of the title song from the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967), several collaborations with Lee Hazlewood – including " Summer Wine ", " Jackson ", "Lady Bird" and " Some Velvet Morning " – and
14400-545: The U.S. Sinatra quickly became the group's lead singer, and, much to the jealousy of his fellow group members, garnered most of the attention from the girls. Due to the success of the group, Bowes kept asking for them to return, disguised under different names, varying from "The Secaucus Cockamamies" to "The Bayonne Bacalas." In 1938, Sinatra found employment as a singing waiter at a roadhouse called "The Rustic Cabin" in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey , for which he
14580-480: The Valley ". At the end of the show, Sullivan declared Presley "a real decent, fine boy". Two days later, the Memphis draft board announced that Presley would be classified 1-A and would probably be drafted sometime that year. Each of the three Presley singles released in the first half of 1957 went to number one: " Too Much ", " All Shook Up ", and " (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear ". Already an international star, he
14760-527: The aid of forceps , which caused severe scarring to his left cheek, neck, and ear, and perforated his eardrum—which remained damaged for the rest of his life. His grandmother resuscitated him by running her grandson under cold water until he gasped his first breath. Due to his injuries, his baptism at St. Francis Church in Hoboken was delayed until April 2, 1916. A childhood operation on his mastoid bone left major scarring on his neck, and during adolescence he
14940-680: The album's cover image, "of Elvis having the time of his life on stage with a guitar in his hands played a crucial role in positioning the guitar ... as the instrument that best captured the style and spirit of this new music." On April 3, Presley made the first of two appearances on NBC 's The Milton Berle Show . His performance, on the deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego , California, prompted cheers and screams from an audience of sailors and their dates. A few days later, Presley and his band were flying to Nashville, Tennessee for
15120-412: The arrangements. Sinatra's first album for Capitol, Songs for Young Lovers , was released on January 4, 1954, and included " A Foggy Day ", " I Get a Kick Out of You ", " My Funny Valentine ", " Violets for Your Furs ", and " They Can't Take That Away from Me ", songs which became staples of his later concerts. That same month, Sinatra released the single " Young at Heart ", which reached No. 2 and
15300-451: The audience to start screaming. Moore recalled, "During the instrumental parts, he would back off from the mic and be playing and shaking, and the crowd would just go wild." Soon after, Moore and Black left their old band to play with Presley regularly, and disc jockey/promoter Bob Neal became the trio's manager. From August through October, they played frequently at the Eagle's Nest club,
15480-513: The auditorium. ... Indications of the harm Presley did just in La Crosse were the two high school girls ... whose abdomen and thigh had Presley's autograph. Presley's second Milton Berle Show appearance came on June 5 at NBC 's Hollywood studio, amid another hectic tour. Milton Berle persuaded Presley to leave his guitar backstage. During the performance, Presley abruptly halted an up-tempo rendition of "Hound Dog" and launched into
15660-513: The band was on the road, but professional jealousy surfaced as both men wanted to be considered the star of Dorsey's band. Later, Sinatra helped Rich form his own band with a $ 25,000 loan and provided financial help to Rich during times of the drummer's serious illness. In his first year with Dorsey, Sinatra recorded more than forty songs. Sinatra's first vocal hit was the song " Polka Dots and Moonbeams " in late April 1940. Two more chart appearances followed with " Say It " and " Imagination ", which
15840-537: The base, and bought an extra set of fatigues for everyone in his outfit. Presley was promoted to sergeant on February 11, 1960. While in Bad Nauheim , Presley, aged 24, met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu . They would marry after a seven-and-a-half-year courtship. In her autobiography, Priscilla said that Presley was concerned that his 24 months in the military would ruin his career. In Special Services , he would have been able to perform and remain in touch with
16020-454: The bestselling " Hard Headed Woman ", and " One Night " in 1958, and " (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I " and the number-one " A Big Hunk o' Love " in 1959. RCA Victor also generated four albums compiling previously issued material during this period, most successfully Elvis' Golden Records (1958), which hit number three on the LP chart. Presley returned to the U.S. on March 2, 1960, and
16200-478: The bland clothes he had worn on the first two shows, he stepped out in the outlandish costume of a pasha , if not a harem girl. From the make-up over his eyes, the hair falling in his face, the overwhelmingly sexual cast of his mouth, he was playing Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik , with all stops out." To close, displaying his range and defying Sullivan's wishes, Presley sang a gentle black spiritual, " Peace in
16380-551: The body ... primarily identified with the repertoire of the blond bombshells of the burlesque runway. Ben Gross of the New York Daily News opined that popular music "has reached its lowest depths in the 'grunt and groin' antics of one Elvis Presley. ... Elvis, who rotates his pelvis ... gave an exhibition that was suggestive and vulgar, tinged with the kind of animalism that should be confined to dives and bordellos ". Ed Sullivan , whose variety show
16560-495: The country field", "but there was a curious blending of the two different musics in both". This blend of styles made it difficult for Presley's music to find radio airplay. According to Neal, many country-music disc jockeys would not play it because Presley sounded too much like a black artist and none of the R&;B stations would touch him because "he sounded too much like a hillbilly ." The blend came to be known as "rockabilly". At
16740-576: The destruction of his marriage to Nancy, though he insisted that his marriage had long been over even before he met Gardner. In April, Sinatra was engaged to perform at the Copa club in New York, but had to cancel five days of the booking due to a submucosal hemorrhage of the throat. Evans once said that whenever Sinatra suffered from a bad throat and loss of voice it was always due to emotional tension, which "absolutely destroyed him." In financial difficulty following his divorce and career decline, Sinatra
16920-466: The duo's 1968 album Nancy & Lee , about which National Public Radio commented in 2017, "... its sly, sultry movements both are a gem of traditional '60s pop and an inversion of traditional conceptions of romance." Sinatra recorded the theme song for the James Bond film You Only Live Twice in 1967. In the liner notes of the CD reissue of her 1966 album Nancy In London , Sinatra states that she
17100-414: The end of 1943, he was more popular in a DownBeat poll than Bing Crosby. Sinatra did not serve in the military during World War II. On December 11, 1943, he was officially classified 4-F ("Registrant not acceptable for military service") by his draft board because of his perforated eardrum. However, Army files reported that Sinatra had actually been rejected because he was "not acceptable material from
17280-799: The excitement coming up out of the crowds when the kid stood up to sing. Remember, he was no matinée idol . He was just a skinny kid with big ears. I used to stand there so amazed I'd almost forget to take my own solos". Dorsey was a major influence on Sinatra and became a father figure . Sinatra copied Dorsey's mannerisms and traits, becoming a demanding perfectionist like him, even adopting his hobby of toy trains. He asked Dorsey to be godfather to his daughter Nancy in June 1940. Sinatra later said that "The only two people I've ever been afraid of are my mother and Tommy Dorsey." Though Kelley says that Sinatra and drummer Buddy Rich were bitter rivals, other authors state that they were friends and even roommates when
17460-543: The film The Razor's Edge (1946), was released as a single. Sinatra had competition; versions by Art Lund , Dick Haymes , Dennis Day , and The Pied Pipers also reached the top ten of the Billboard charts. In December, he recorded " Sweet Lorraine " with the Metronome All-Stars , featuring talented jazz musicians such as Coleman Hawkins , Harry Carney and Charlie Shavers , with Nat King Cole on piano, in what Charles L. Granata describes as "one of
17640-476: The film to the Catholic Church . By the end of 1948, Sinatra had slipped to fourth on DownBeat ' s annual poll of most popular singers, and in the following year he was pushed out of the top spots in polls for the first time since 1943. Frankly Sentimental (1949) was panned by DownBeat , who commented that "for all his talent, it seldom comes to life." Though " The Hucklebuck " reached
17820-719: The final occasion on which Black was to perform with Presley. On March 24, 1958, Presley was drafted into the United States Army at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas. His arrival was a major media event. Hundreds of people descended on Presley as he stepped from the bus; photographers accompanied him into the installation. Presley announced that he was looking forward to his military service, saying that he did not want to be treated any differently from anyone else. Between March 28 and September 17, 1958, Presley completed basic and advanced training at Fort Hood , Texas, where he
18000-456: The first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii . However, years of prescription drug abuse and unhealthy eating severely compromised his health, and Presley died unexpectedly in August 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42. Presley is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sale estimates ranging from 500 million records to over
18180-412: The following year. Movin' With Nancy was sponsored by RC Cola . Sinatra remained with Reprise until 1970. In 1971, she signed with RCA Records , resulting in three albums: Nancy & Lee – Again (1971), Woman (1972) and a compilation of some of her Reprise recordings called This Is Nancy Sinatra (1973). She released the non-LP single " Sugar Me " b/w " Ain't No Sunshine " in 1973. "Sugar Me"
18360-623: The forthcoming film King Creole . A couple of weeks into the new year, " Don't ", another Leiber and Stoller tune, became Presley's tenth number-one seller. Recording sessions for the King Creole soundtrack were held in Hollywood in mid-January 1958. Leiber and Stoller provided three songs, but it would be the last time Presley and the duo worked closely together. As Stoller later recalled, Presley's manager and entourage sought to wall him off. A brief soundtrack session on February 11 marked
18540-537: The goddamned building was going to cave in. I never heard such a commotion ... All this for a fellow I never heard of." Sinatra performed for four weeks at the theatre, his act following the Benny Goodman orchestra, after which his contract was renewed for another four weeks by Bob Weitman due to his popularity. He became known as "Swoonatra" or "The Voice," and his fans "Sinatratics." They organized meetings and sent masses of letters of adoration, and within
18720-514: The gritty edges of the original R&B versions of songs in the '50s, Presley reshaped them. He not only injected the tunes with his own vocal character but also made guitar, not piano, the lead instrument in all three cases. It became the first rock and roll album to top the Billboard chart, a position it held for ten weeks. While Presley was not an innovative guitarist like Moore or contemporary African American rockers Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry , cultural historian Gilbert B. Rodman argued that
18900-738: The group, but in November 1939 he left James to replace Jack Leonard as the lead singer of the Tommy Dorsey band. Sinatra earned $ 125 a week, appearing at the Palmer House in Chicago , and James released Sinatra from his contract. On January 26, 1940, he made his first public appearance with the band at the Coronado Theatre in Rockford, Illinois , opening the show with " Stardust ". Dorsey recalled: "You could almost feel
19080-561: The highlights of Sinatra's Columbia epoch". Sinatra's third album, Christmas Songs by Sinatra , was originally released in 1948 as a 78 rpm album set, and a 10" LP record was released two years later. When Sinatra was featured as a priest in The Miracle of the Bells , due to press negativity surrounding his alleged Mafia connections at the time, it was announced to the public that Sinatra would donate his $ 100,000 in wages from
19260-530: The importance of a "complete and full" education and had instilled in his son the desire to become a civil engineer and enroll at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken. Sinatra spent much time at his parents' tavern in Hoboken, working on his homework and occasionally singing for spare change. During the Great Depression , Dolly provided money to her son for outings with friends and to buy expensive clothes, resulting in neighbors describing him as
19440-558: The kiss was unplanned and spontaneous." Winters was nominated for an Emmy in the Special Classification of Individual Achievements category for his choreography but lost to co-winners The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Jackie Gleason Show . The special's success may have been a motivating factor for the development of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography , which was introduced
19620-405: The low of his career was the death of publicist George Evans in January 1950. According to Jimmy Van Heusen , Sinatra's close friend and songwriter, Evans's death to him was "an enormous shock which defies words," as he had been crucial to his career and popularity with the " Bobby soxers ." Sinatra's reputation continued to decline as reports broke in February of his affair with Ava Gardner and
19800-542: The man. He has a right to say what he wants to say. He is a great success and a fine actor, but I think he shouldn't have said it. ... This is a trend, just the same as he faced when he started years ago. Leiber and Stoller were again in the studio for the recording of Elvis' Christmas Album . Toward the end of the session, they wrote a song on the spot at Presley's request: " Santa Claus Is Back in Town ", an innuendo -laden blues. The holiday release stretched Presley's string of number-one albums to four and would become
19980-617: The most albums charted on the Billboard 200 , the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart , and the most number-one singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart . In 2018, Presley was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom . Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi , to Gladys Love ( née Smith ) and Vernon Presley. Elvis' twin Jesse Garon
20160-777: The musical drama Speedway (1968). Frank and Nancy Sinatra played a fictional father and daughter in the 1965 comedy Marriage on the Rocks . Sinatra was born on June 8, 1940, in Jersey City, New Jersey . She is the eldest of the three children born to Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy Barbato . Both of her parents were of Italian ancestry. When she was a toddler, the family moved to Hasbrouck Heights , New Jersey . They later moved again to Toluca Lake, California , for her father's Hollywood career. There she spent many years in piano , dance and dramatic performance lessons, and undertook months of voice lessons. Stefanie Powers
20340-459: The only father-daughter duet to hit number one in the US; it became Nancy's third million-selling disc . Other singles showcasing Sinatra's forthright delivery include " Friday's Child " (US no. 36, 1966) and the 1967 hits "Love Eyes" (US no. 15) and "Lightning's Girl" (US no. 24). She rounded out 1967 with the low-charting "Tony Rome" (US no. 83), the title track from the detective film Tony Rome starring her father. Her first solo single in 1968
20520-417: The order. The single pairing "Don't Be Cruel" with "Hound Dog" ruled the top of the charts for eleven weeks—a mark that would not be surpassed for thirty-six years. Recording sessions for Presley's second album took place in Hollywood in early September. Leiber and Stoller, the writers of "Hound Dog", contributed " Love Me ". Allen's show with Presley had, for the first time, beaten The Ed Sullivan Show in
20700-853: The owners of Hill & Range Publishing, Jean and Julian Aberbach , to create two entities, Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music, to handle all the new material recorded by Presley. Songwriters were obliged to forgo one-third of their customary royalties in exchange for having Presley perform their compositions. By December, RCA had begun to heavily promote its new singer, and before month's end had reissued many of his Sun recordings. On January 10, 1956, Presley made his first recordings for RCA Victor in Nashville. Extending his by-now customary backup of Moore, Black, Fontana, and Hayride pianist Floyd Cramer —who had been performing at live club dates with Presley—RCA Victor enlisted guitarist Chet Atkins and three background singers, including Gordon Stoker of
20880-447: The performance, crowds in Nashville and St. Louis burned him in effigy . His first motion picture, Love Me Tender , was released on November 21. Though he was not top-billed, the film's original title— The Reno Brothers —was changed to capitalize on his latest number-one record: "Love Me Tender" had hit the top of the charts earlier that month. To further take advantage of Presley's popularity, four musical numbers were added to what
21060-591: The popular Jordanaires quartet. The session produced the moody " Heartbreak Hotel ", released as a single on January 27. Parker brought Presley to national television, booking him on CBS's Stage Show for six appearances over two months. The program, produced in New York City, was hosted on alternate weeks by big band leaders and brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey . After his first appearance on January 28, Presley stayed in town to record at RCA Victor's New York studio. The sessions yielded eight songs, including
21240-493: The public, but Parker had convinced him that to gain popular respect, he should serve as a regular soldier. Media reports echoed Presley's concerns about his career, but RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes and Freddy Bienstock of Hill and Range had carefully prepared: armed with a substantial amount of unreleased material, they kept up a regular stream of successful releases. Between his induction and discharge, Presley had ten top-40 hits, including " Wear My Ring Around Your Neck ",
21420-403: The ratings. Sullivan booked Presley for three appearances for an unprecedented $ 50,000. The first, on September 9, 1956, was seen by approximately 60 million viewers—a record 82.6 percent of the television audience. Actor Charles Laughton hosted the show, filling in while Sullivan was recovering from a car accident. According to legend, Presley was shot only from the waist up. Watching clips of
21600-522: The record as a birthday gift for his mother, or that he was merely interested in what he "sounded like". Biographer Peter Guralnick argued that Presley chose Sun in the hope of being discovered. In January 1954, Presley cut a second acetate at Sun—"I'll Never Stand in Your Way" and "It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You"—but again nothing came of it. Not long after, he failed an audition for
21780-460: The record industry's largest company, Presley had accounted for over fifty percent of the label's singles sales. Presley made his third and final Ed Sullivan Show appearance on January 6, 1957—on this occasion indeed shot only down to the waist. Some commentators have claimed that Parker orchestrated an appearance of censorship to generate publicity. In any event, as critic Greil Marcus describes, Presley "did not tie himself down. Leaving behind
21960-537: The recordings at the Hollywood Palladium and Hollywood Plaza and was astounded at how good he sounded. Stordahl recalled: "He just couldn't believe his ears. He was so excited you almost believed he had never recorded before. I think this was a turning point in his career. I think he began to see what he might do on his own". After the 1942 recordings, Sinatra believed he needed to go solo, with an insatiable desire to compete with Bing Crosby , but he
22140-583: The release of the set Frank Sinatra Conducts the Music of Alec Wilder , an offering unlikely to appeal to Sinatra's core fanbase of teenage girls at the time. The following year he released his second album, Songs by Sinatra , featuring songs of a similar mood and tempo such as Irving Berlin 's " How Deep is the Ocean? " and Harold Arlen 's and Jerome Kern 's " All The Things You Are ". " Mam'selle ", composed by Edmund Goulding with lyrics by Mack Gordon for
22320-411: The rest of his career. Presley's first RCA Victor single, " Heartbreak Hotel ", was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the US. Within a year, RCA Victor would sell ten million Presley singles. With a series of successful television appearances and chart-topping records, Presley became the leading figure of the newly popular rock and roll ; though his performative style and promotion of
22500-453: The return of Elvis Presley from Europe following his discharge from military service. Nancy was sent to the airport on behalf of her father to welcome Presley when his plane landed. On the special, Sinatra and her father danced and sang a duet, " You Make Me Feel So Young/Old ". That same year, she began a five-year marriage to Tommy Sands . Sinatra was signed to her father's label, Reprise Records , in 1961. Her first single, "Cuff Links and
22680-413: The same year. Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), known mononymously as Elvis , was an American singer and actor. Known as the " King of Rock and Roll ", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century . Presley's energized performances and interpretations of songs, and sexually provocative dance moves , combined with
22860-418: The same year. She appeared in the 1968 Elvis Presley musical comedy Speedway , her final film. Sinatra appeared on The Virginian , The Ed Sullivan Show , The Man from U.N.C.L.E. , Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In , The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour , and The Kraft Music Hall , hosted by Sandler & Young . She also appeared in her father's 1966 special A Man and His Music – Part II and
23040-575: The session was captured on tape. The results, none officially released for twenty-five years, became known as the " Million Dollar Quartet " recordings. The year ended with a front-page story in The Wall Street Journal reporting that Presley merchandise had brought in $ 22 million on top of his record sales, and Billboard ' s declaration that he had placed more songs in the top 100 than any other artist since records were first charted. In his first full year at RCA Victor, then
23220-517: The somewhat stumbling rhythm" showed "the unmistakable emotion and the equally unmistakable valuing of emotion over technique." Assessing the musical and cultural impact of Presley's recordings from "That's All Right" through Elvis , rock critic Dave Marsh wrote that "these records, more than any others, contain the seeds of what rock & roll was, has been and most likely what it may foreseeably become." Presley returned to The Ed Sullivan Show , hosted this time by its namesake, on October 28. After
23400-402: The special, for which he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Music or Variety at the 20th Primetime Emmy Awards . During the special, Sinatra shared a kiss with Davis Jr., about which she has stated, "The kiss [was] one of the first interracial kisses seen on television and it caused some controversy then, and now. [But] contrary to some inaccurate online reports,
23580-505: The studio in 1981 to record a country album with Mel Tillis called Mel & Nancy . Two of their songs made the Billboard country chart: "Texas Cowboy Night" (no.. 23) and "Play Me or Trade Me" (no. 43). In 1985, Sinatra wrote the book Frank Sinatra, My Father . At 54, Sinatra posed for Playboy in the May 1995 issue and made appearances on TV shows to promote her album One More Time . The magazine appearance caused some controversy. On
23760-406: The swooning and screaming of teenage girls in the 1940s, decried rock and roll as "brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious. ... It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people. It smells phoney and false. It is sung, played and written, for the most part, by cretinous goons. ... This rancid-smelling aphrodisiac I deplore." Asked for a response, Presley said: I admire
23940-423: The talk-show circuit, she said that her father was proud of the photos. Sinatra told Jay Leno on a 1995 Tonight Show that her daughters gave their approval, but her mother said that she should ask her father before committing to the project. Sinatra said that when she told her father what Playboy would be paying her, he said, "Double it". In 1995, Nancy wrote the book Frank Sinatra, An American Legend . This
24120-510: The then-marginalized sound of African Americans led to him being widely considered a threat to the moral well-being of white American youth. In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender . Drafted into military service in 1958 , he relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. Presley held few concerts, however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of
24300-582: The time, Presley was billed as "The King of Western Bop", "The Hillbilly Cat", and "The Memphis Flash". Presley renewed Neal's management contract in August 1955, simultaneously appointing Parker as his special adviser. The group maintained an extensive touring schedule. Neal recalled, "It was almost frightening, the reaction that came to Elvis from the teenaged boys. So many of them, through some sort of jealousy, would practically hate him. There were occasions in some towns in Texas when we'd have to be sure to have
24480-529: The top of his game." —Sinatra's daughter Nancy on the importance of his mother Dolly in his life and character. Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in a tenement at 415 Monroe Street in Hoboken, New Jersey , the only child of Italian immigrants Natalina "Dolly" Garaventa and Antonino Martino "Marty" Sinatra , who boxed under the name Marty O'Brien. Sinatra weighed 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg) at birth and had to be delivered with
24660-560: The top ten, it was his last single release under the Columbia label. Sinatra's last two albums with Columbia, Dedicated to You and Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra , were released in 1950. Sinatra would later feature a number of the Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra album's songs, including " Lover ", " It's Only a Paper Moon ," and " It All Depends on You ," on his 1961 Capitol release, Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!! . Culminating
24840-596: The two concerts he performed in September at the Mississippi–Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, fifty National Guardsmen were added to the police detail to prevent a ruckus. Elvis , Presley's second RCA Victor album, was released in October and quickly rose to number one. The album includes "Old Shep", which he sang at the talent show in 1945, and which now marked the first time he played piano on an RCA Victor session. According to Guralnick, "the halting chords and
25020-570: The war. That's all. By May 1941, Sinatra topped the male singer polls in Billboard and DownBeat magazines. His appeal to bobby soxers , as teenage girls of that time were called, revealed a new audience for popular music, which had previously been recorded mainly for adults. The phenomenon became officially known as "Sinatramania" after his "legendary opening" at the Paramount Theatre in New York on December 30, 1942. According to Nancy Sinatra, Jack Benny later said, "I thought
25200-454: The young a belief in themselves as a distinct and somehow unified generation—the first in America ever to feel the power of an integrated youth culture. The audience response at Presley's live shows became increasingly fevered. Moore recalled, "He'd start out, 'You ain't nothin' but a Hound Dog,' and they'd just go to pieces. They'd always react the same way. There'd be a riot every time." At
25380-454: Was honorably discharged three days later. The train that carried him from New Jersey to Tennessee was mobbed all the way, and Presley was called upon to appear at scheduled stops to please his fans. On the night of March 20, he entered RCA's Nashville studio to cut tracks for a new album along with a single, " Stuck on You ", which was rushed into release and swiftly became a number-one hit. Another Nashville session two weeks later yielded
25560-503: Was "not bad" but did not suit the program. In November 1954, Presley performed on Louisiana Hayride —the Opry ' s chief, and more adventurous, rival. The show was broadcast to 198 radio stations in 28 states. His nervous first set drew a muted reaction. A more composed and energetic second set inspired an enthusiastic response. Soon after the show, the Hayride engaged Presley for
25740-438: Was "scared to death" of recording the song, and asked the songwriters Leslie Bricusse and John Barry : "Are you sure you don't want Shirley Bassey ?" There are two versions of the Bond theme. The first is the lushly orchestrated track featured during the opening and closing credits of the film. The second – and more guitar-heavy – version appeared on the double A-sided single with "Jackson", though
25920-504: Was Nat King Cole's musical director. After recording the first song, " I've Got the World on a String ," Sinatra offered Riddle a rare expression of praise, "Beautiful!", and after listening to the playbacks, he could not hide his enthusiasm, exclaiming, "I'm back, baby, I'm back!" In subsequent sessions in May and November 1953, Sinatra and Riddle developed and refined their musical collaboration, with Sinatra providing specific guidance on
26100-559: Was Sinatra's first top-10 hit. His fourth chart appearance (and his first on the first officially published Billboard chart ) was " I'll Never Smile Again ," topping the charts for twelve weeks beginning in mid-July. Other records with Tommy Dorsey issued by RCA Victor include " Our Love Affair " and "Stardust" in 1940; " Oh! Look at Me Now ," " Dolores ", " Everything Happens to Me ", and " This Love of Mine " in 1941; " Just as Though You Were There ", " Take Me ," and " There Are Such Things " in 1942; and " It Started All Over Again ," " In
26280-465: Was a devotee of Mississippi Slim 's radio show. He was described as "crazy about music" by Slim's younger brother, one of Presley's classmates. Slim showed Presley chord techniques. When his protégé was 12, Slim scheduled him for two on-air performances. Presley was overcome by stage fright the first time but performed the following week. In November 1948, the family moved to Memphis, Tennessee . Enrolled at L. C. Humes High School , Presley received
26460-743: Was a significant influence on his ballad -singing style. Presley was a regular audience member at the monthly All-Night Singings downtown, where many of the white gospel groups that performed reflected the influence of African American spirituals . Presley listened to regional radio stations, such as WDIA , that played what were then called "race records": spirituals, blues, and the modern, backbeat -heavy rhythm and blues . Like some of his peers, he may have attended blues venues only on nights designated for exclusively white audiences . Many of his future recordings were inspired by local African-American musicians such as Arthur Crudup and Rufus Thomas . B.B. King recalled that he had known Presley before he
26640-464: Was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board " and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes," he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century. Sinatra is among the world's best-selling music artists , with an estimated 150 million record sales globally. Born to Italian immigrants in Hoboken, New Jersey , Sinatra began his musical career in the swing era and
26820-504: Was attracting fans even where his music was not officially released: The New York Times reported that pressings of his music on discarded X-ray plates were commanding high prices in Leningrad . Presley purchased his 18-room mansion, Graceland , on March 19, 1957. Before the purchase, Elvis recorded Loving You —the soundtrack to his second film , which was released in July. It was his third straight number-one album. The title track
27000-491: Was awarded Song of the Year. In March, he recorded and released the single " Three Coins in the Fountain ", a "powerful ballad" that reached No. 4. Sinatra's second album with Riddle, Swing Easy! , which reflected his "love for the jazz idiom" according to Granata, was released on August 2 of that year and included " Just One of Those Things ", " Taking a Chance on Love ", " Get Happy ", and " All of Me ". Swing Easy!
27180-400: Was awarded a gold disc . A TV promotional clip features Sinatra in high boots, accompanied by colourfully dressed go-go dancers , to iconic Swinging Sixties effect. A run of chart singles followed, including two 1966 US Top Ten hits: " How Does That Grab You, Darlin'? " (no. 7) and " Sugar Town " (no. 5). "Sugar Town" became Sinatra's second million-seller. The ballad " Somethin' Stupid " –
27360-411: Was delivered 35 minutes before, stillborn . Presley became close to both parents, especially his mother. The family attended an Assembly of God church, where he found his initial musical inspiration. Vernon moved from one odd job to the next, and the family often relied on neighbors and government food assistance. In 1938, they lost their home after Vernon was found guilty of altering a check and
27540-416: Was devastated and never the same; their relationship had remained extremely close—even into his adulthood, they would use baby talk with each other and Presley would address her with pet names. On October 1, 1958, Presley was assigned to the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor , 3d Armored Division , at Ray Barracks , West Germany, where he served as an armor intelligence specialist. On November 27, he
27720-560: Was followed by 1968's Francis A. & Edward K. with Duke Ellington . Sinatra retired in 1971 following the release of " My Way " but came out of retirement two years later. He recorded several albums and released " New York, New York " in 1980. Sinatra also forged a highly successful career as a film actor. After winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for From Here to Eternity (1953), he starred in The Man with
27900-566: Was followed by an updated version in 1998 following Frank's death. Taking her father's advice to own her masters , Sinatra owns or holds an interest in most of her material, including videos. Sinatra appeared live at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2002. The sold-out, one-off concert was filmed by the BBC and later aired on BBC Four . She collaborated with former Los Angeles neighbor Morrissey on
28080-576: Was forced to borrow $ 200,000 from Columbia to pay his back taxes after MCA refused to front the money. Rejected by Hollywood, he turned to Las Vegas and made his debut at the Desert Inn in September 1951, and also began singing at the Riverside Hotel in Reno, Nevada . Sinatra became one of Las Vegas's pioneer residency entertainers, and a prominent figure on the Vegas scene throughout
28260-476: Was further scarred by cystic acne . Sinatra was raised in the Catholic Church . Sinatra's mother was energetic and driven; biographers believe that she was the dominant factor in the development of her son's personality and self-confidence. Sinatra's fourth wife Barbara would later claim that Dolly was abusive to him when he was a child, and "knocked him around a lot". Dolly became influential in Hoboken and in local Democratic Party circles. She worked as
28440-562: Was greatly influenced by the easy-listening vocal style of Bing Crosby . He found success as a solo artist after signing with Columbia Records in 1943, becoming the idol of the " bobby soxers ". In 1946, Sinatra released his debut album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra . He then signed with Capitol Records and released several albums with arrangements by Nelson Riddle , notably In the Wee Small Hours (1955) and Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (1956). In 1960, Sinatra left Capitol Records to start his own record label, Reprise Records , releasing
28620-494: Was hampered by his contract which gave Dorsey 43% of Sinatra's lifetime earnings. A legal battle ensued, eventually settled in August 1942. On September 3, 1942, Dorsey bade farewell to Sinatra, reportedly saying "I hope you fall on your ass," but he was more gracious on the air when replacing Sinatra with singer Dick Haymes . Rumors began spreading in newspapers that Sinatra's mobster godfather, Willie Moretti , coerced Dorsey at gunpoint to let Sinatra out of his contract for
28800-767: Was hired as an arranger and conductor for several sessions with a vocal group called the Bobby Tucker Singers. Of the nine songs recorded during these sessions, seven charted on the best-selling list. That year he made his first solo nightclub appearance at New York's Riobamba , and a successful concert in the Wedgewood Room of the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria New York that year secured his popularity in New York high society. Sinatra released " You'll Never Know ", " Close to You ", " Sunday, Monday, or Always " and " People Will Say We're in Love " as singles. By
28980-457: Was jailed for eight months. In September 1941, Presley entered first grade at East Tupelo Consolidated, where his teachers regarded him as "average". His first public performance was a singing contest at the Mississippi–Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on October 3, 1945, when he was 10; he sang "Old Shep" and recalled placing fifth. A few months later, Presley received his first guitar for his birthday; he received guitar lessons from two uncles and
29160-432: Was named Album of the Year by Billboard , and he was named "Favorite Male Vocalist" by Billboard , DownBeat , and Metronome that year. Sinatra came to consider Riddle "the greatest arranger in the world," and Riddle, who considered Sinatra, "a perfectionist," said: "It's not only that his intuitions as to tempo, phrasing, and even configuration are amazingly right, but his taste is so impeccable ... There
29340-473: Was one of Sinatra's schoolmates at Hollywood High School . She graduated from University High School (Los Angeles) in June 1958. Sinatra began to study music, dancing and voice at UCLA in the late 1950s, but she dropped out after one year. She made her professional debut on her father's television show The Frank Sinatra Show in November 1957 and then appeared on his 1960 television special The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis , which celebrated
29520-436: Was originally a straight acting role. The film was panned by critics but did very well at the box office. Presley would receive top billing on every subsequent film he made. On December 4, Presley dropped into Sun Records, where Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis were recording, and had an impromptu jam session along with Johnny Cash . Though Phillips no longer had the right to release any Presley material, he made sure that
29700-738: Was paid $ 15 a week. The roadhouse was connected to the WNEW radio station in New York City, and he began performing with a group live during the Dance Parade show. Despite the low salary, Sinatra felt that this was the break he was looking for, and boasted to friends that he was going to "become so big that no one could ever touch him." In March 1939, saxophone player Frank Mane, who knew Sinatra from Jersey City radio station WAAT, arranged for him to audition and record " Our Love ", his first solo studio recording. In June, bandleader Harry James , who had heard Sinatra sing on "Dance Parade," signed him to
29880-455: Was popular when they both used to frequent Beale Street. By the time he graduated high school in June 1953, Presley had singled out music as his future. In August 1953, Presley checked into Memphis Recording Service , the company run by Sam Phillips before he started Sun Records . He aimed to pay for studio time to record a two-sided acetate disc : " My Happiness " and " That's When Your Heartaches Begin ". He later claimed that he intended
30060-581: Was promoted to private first class and on June 1, 1959, to specialist fourth class . While on maneuvers, Presley was introduced to amphetamines and became "practically evangelical about their benefits", not only for energy but for "strength" and weight loss. Karate became a lifelong interest: he studied with Jürgen Seydel , and later included it in his live performances. Fellow soldiers have attested to Presley's wish to be seen as an able, ordinary soldier despite his fame, and to his generosity. He donated his Army pay to charity, purchased television sets for
30240-688: Was recorded in New York on September 17, 1952, with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Percy Faith . Journalist Burt Boyar observed, "Sinatra had had it. It was sad. From the top to the bottom in one horrible lesson." The release of the film From Here to Eternity in August 1953 marked the beginning of a remarkable career revival. Tom Santopietro notes that Sinatra began to bury himself in his work, with an "unparalleled frenetic schedule of recordings, movies and concerts," in what authors Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan describe as "a new and brilliant phase." On March 13, 1953, Sinatra met with Capitol Records vice president Alan Livingston and signed
30420-435: Was released as a digital exclusive on October 21, 2020. Some of Sinatra's past albums were issued on CD for the first time, including her first record with Hazlewood, 1968's Nancy & Lee , and its follow-up, 1972's Nancy & Lee Again . Sinatra's debut album, Boots , was reissued on vinyl, picture disc, compact disc, 4-track, 8-track, and digital by Light In The Attic Records on September 17, 2021. The second wave of
30600-569: Was releasing singles on the Private Stock Records label. Among the singles were "Kinky Love", "Annabell of Mobile", "It's for My Dad" and " Indian Summer " (with Hazlewood). "Kinky Love" was banned by some radio stations for its suggestive lyrics. It appeared on Sheet Music: A Collection of Her Favorite Love Songs in 1998, and Pale Saints covered the song in 1991. By the mid-1970s, Sinatra had slowed her musical activity and ceased acting to concentrate on her family. She returned to
30780-416: Was shown head-to-toe. Though the camerawork was relatively discreet during his debut, with leg-concealing closeups when he danced, the studio audience reacted with screams. Presley's performance of his forthcoming single, the ballad " Love Me Tender ", prompted a record-shattering million advance orders. More than any other single event, it was this first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show that made Presley
30960-400: Was such that Phillips played the record repeatedly during the remaining two hours of his show. Interviewing Presley on-air, Phillips asked him what high school he attended to clarify his color for the many callers who had assumed that he was black. During the next few days, the trio recorded a bluegrass song, Bill Monroe 's " Blue Moon of Kentucky ", again in a distinctive style and employing
31140-450: Was temporarily assigned to Company A, 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 37th Armor . During the two weeks' leave between his basic and advanced training in early June, he recorded five songs in Nashville. In early August, Presley's mother was diagnosed with hepatitis , and her condition rapidly worsened. Presley was granted emergency leave to visit her and arrived in Memphis on August 12. Two days later, she died of heart failure at age 46. Presley
31320-622: Was the Jailhouse Rock EP . Presley undertook three brief tours during the year, continuing to generate a crazed audience response. A Detroit newspaper suggested that "the trouble with going to see Elvis Presley is that you're liable to get killed". Villanova students pelted the singer with eggs in Philadelphia , and in Vancouver the crowd rioted after the show ended, destroying the stage. Frank Sinatra, who had inspired
31500-462: Was the more wistful "100 Years" (US no. 69). That same year she recorded "Highway Song", written by Kenny Young and produced by Mickie Most , for the European markets. The song reached the Top 20 in the UK and other European countries. Sinatra enjoyed a parallel recording career cutting duets with the husky-voiced, country-and-western -inspired Hazlewood, starting with " Summer Wine " (originally
31680-516: Was the nation's most popular, declared Presley "unfit for family viewing". To Presley's displeasure, he soon found himself being referred to as "Elvis the Pelvis", which he called "childish". The Berle shows drew such high ratings that Presley was booked for a July 1 appearance on NBC's The Steve Allen Show in New York. Allen , no fan of rock and roll, introduced a "new Elvis" in a white bowtie and black tails. Presley sang "Hound Dog" for less than
31860-444: Was unable to do it justice. Despite this, Phillips asked Presley to sing other numbers and was sufficiently affected by what he heard to invite two local musicians, guitarist Winfield "Scotty" Moore and upright bass player Bill Black , to work with Presley for a recording session. The session, held the evening of July 5, proved entirely unfruitful until late in the night. As they were about to abort and go home, Presley launched into
32040-427: Was working with the new number-one country singer, Hank Snow . Parker booked Presley on Snow's February tour. By August, Sun had released ten sides credited to "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill"; the latest recordings included a drummer. Some of the songs, like "That's All Right", were in what one Memphis journalist described as the "R&B idiom of negro field jazz"; others, like "Blue Moon of Kentucky", were "more in
32220-726: Was written by Lynsey De Paul and Barry Blue and, with other covers of works by early-'70s popular songwriters, resurfaced on the 1998 album How Does It Feel? In the autumn of 1971, Sinatra and Hazlewood's duet "Did You Ever?" reached no. 2 in the UK In 1972 they performed for a Swedish documentary, Nancy & Lee In Las Vegas , which chronicled their Las Vegas concerts at the Riviera Hotel and Casino and featured solo numbers and duets from concerts, behind-the-scenes footage and scenes of Sinatra's mother and her husband, Hugh Lambert. The film did not appear until 1975. By 1975, Sinatra
32400-529: Was written by Leiber and Stoller, who were then retained to write four of the six songs recorded at the sessions for Jailhouse Rock , Presley's next film. The songwriting team effectively produced the Jailhouse sessions and developed a close working relationship with Presley, who came to regard them as his "good-luck charm". "He was fast," said Leiber. "Any demo you gave him he knew by heart in ten minutes." The title track became another number-one hit , as
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