The New England Surge were an indoor football team that was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League in 2007 and 2008.
96-562: The Surge played home games at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts . On April 24, 2007, only four games into the team's first season, head coach Rick Buffington was fired, replaced by team president Roy Lucas Jr. The team shut down its operations after the 2008 season. The mascot's name was Surgeo the Leopard. The Surge started their inaugural season by losing their first two games before Defeating New York/New Jersey by
192-713: A Built Ford Tough Series bull riding event at the arena every year from the event's inception in 1998. The Built Ford Tough Series was known as the Bud Light Cup until the 2002 season. On January 29–30, 2011, the Massachusetts International 28th Auto Show was held at the arena. On June 11, 2014, Worcester Technical High School held their graduation at the DCU Center, notable for the commencement address by President Barack Obama . On November 18, 2015, future President Donald Trump held
288-556: 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
384-475: 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
480-755: 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,"
576-1177: A 58-minute version of "Runaway Jim". The concert performed nearly a year later, on November 27, 1998, was later released as a live album, entitled Live Phish Volume 6 . On December 27–28, 2010, they returned for a pair of concerts, the group's 11th and 12th appearances at the venue and its first public performances there in over seven years, performing one of the most well received renditions of " Harry Hood " since reuniting in 2009. They would return for two more concerts on June 7–8, 2012, notable for being that Summer tour's opening concerts. Phish would again return amidst their acclaimed Fall 2013 tour for two concerts on October 25–26, 2013. The arena played host to The Up in Smoke Tour on July 20–21, 2000. The show featured many famous rappers and hip hop artists, including Ice Cube , Eminem , Proof , Snoop Dogg , Dr. Dre , Nate Dogg , Kurupt , D12 , MC Ren , Westside Connection , Mel-Man , Tha Eastsidaz , Doggy's Angels , Devin The Dude , Warren G , TQ , Truth Hurts , Xzibit and The D.O.C . The July 20 show
672-522: 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
768-637: 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
864-499: 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
960-404: 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
1056-591: 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
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#17327870127541152-485: 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
1248-640: A new center-hung video scoreboard for the arena bowl. In the summer of 2023, all arena seats were replaced. The arena is home to the Worcester Railers which began play in 2017 as a member of the ECHL . The arena was formerly home to the Worcester Sharks American Hockey League (AHL) team, owned and operated by its NHL affiliate San Jose Sharks , which moved its farm team to the west coast in 2015. Prior to this,
1344-530: 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
1440-409: A rally at the DCU Center for a campaign stop. Secret Service agents screened attendees before the event. A crowd of over 10,000 was in attendance. On August 23–25, 2019, a Super Smash Bros. tournament titled Shine 2019 was held at the DCU Center. Over 1,600 competitors attended the tournament and the livestream had over 30,000 concurrent viewers on the final day. The facility expanded in 1997 with
1536-629: 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
1632-563: A score of 61–6 in front of a home crowd of 4,724 fans. However, following a 1–3 start, team owner Roy Lucas Jr. fired Rick Buffington and named himself as a coach. The team would dramatically improve under Lucas winning 7 of their final 8 games en route to a #2 seed in the playoffs. The Surge would defeat the Lehigh Valley Outlawz 58–34 in the Atlantic Division Semifinal game before losing 80–45 to
1728-568: 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
1824-629: A small venue that could draw from both the Boston and Providence concert markets simultaneously. The old Boston Garden had poor acoustics and lacked air conditioning, prompting promoters to schedule Boston area shows at the arena. This practice continues today as the arena is an alternative to the larger TD Garden . The impact was also felt immediately thirty-five miles south at the Providence Civic Center. Within six months of The Centrum's opening, Providence's WPRI Channel 12 news ran
1920-615: 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
2016-427: A tractor pull, and KISS playing to underline the variety of events hosted by the new Centrum after only a few months of operation. From August 13 to August 24, 1987, in an effort to thank their local fans for years of support and allow wide availability of tickets, Boston played an unprecedented nine-show run on their Third Stage tour . Starting with a three-night booking, as each show neared selling out another night
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#17327870127542112-601: A two-part story by reporter Brian Rooney citing a situation the week prior with the KISS band as a prime example of how the newly built Centrum was cutting deeply into the Providence Civic Center's vital concert business. Shortly after the Centrum's September 1982 opening, RI promoter Frank J. Russo scheduled KISS on their Creatures of the Night Tour /10th Anniversary Tour for a January 23, 1983 show at their usual area stop –
2208-756: 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
2304-686: Is an indoor arena and convention center complex in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts . The facility hosts a variety of events, including concerts, sporting events, family shows, conventions, trade-shows and meetings. It is owned by the City of Worcester and managed by ASM Global , a private management firm for public assembly facilities. Ten-year naming rights were purchased in 2004 by Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) and went into effect January 2005. DCU's naming rights were later extended to 2027. The Centrum, or officially Centrum in Worcester as it
2400-576: 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
2496-453: 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
2592-862: The Arena Football League played in the arena in the 1994 season, but folded after one year in Massachusetts. The New England Surge of the Continental Indoor Football League also called the Center home for two seasons, but ceased operations after the 2008 season. In 2018, the Massachusetts Pirates began their inaugural season in the National Arena League , going 11-5 and regular season champions in their first year. They joined
2688-457: 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
2784-603: The Boston Celtics to see the Grateful Dead at the Centrum. The venue has hosted 16 concerts of the band Phish . On December 31, 1993, they played their first concert at the Centrum, complete with a stage decorated like an aquarium (featured for the 1993 New Years run). Footage from this show was featured in the band's only official music video, " Down with Disease ", whose jam debuted that night. On November 29, 1997, Phish played their longest song in band history,
2880-503: The Indoor Football League in 2021, and went on to win that year's United Bowl . In 2023, the Massachusetts Pirates , announced they would be departing the arena. On May 17, 1998, it was the host of WCW 's WCW Slamboree . Additionally, on April 27, 2003, WWE Backlash came to the DCU Center. In additional several WWE events have taken place at the DCU Center. On December 28, 1998, Mick Foley , performing under
2976-728: The Providence Civic Center . He also scheduled a show the night prior at the new Centrum. The Centrum KISS date sold thousands more tickets than the Civic Center KISS date, which petered out at 2,000 sales. Russo canceled the Providence show and publicly offered to trade Centrum KISS show tickets for Civic Center KISS show tickets in lieu of refunds, throwing in a free bus ride up and back. On January 22, 1983, hundreds of fans departed from Sabin Street in front of
New England Surge - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-757: The Rochester Raiders in the Championship game. Notable players The Surge would start the 2008 season with a 5–0 record, highlighted by a dramatic 49–41 victory over the Chesapeake Tide and a ferocious rally to defeat the Flint Phantoms 49–48, before losing a 62–20 game against Rochester. They would finish the season with an 8–3 record and won the Atlantic Division East regular-season title. They would go into
3168-695: 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
3264-423: 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
3360-569: 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
3456-939: 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
3552-436: 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
3648-485: 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
3744-792: 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
3840-818: 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
3936-604: 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
New England Surge - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-459: The Providence Civic Center, headed up on chartered buses to the competing venue (after this, for the next four tours in a row, only the Centrum got area bookings from KISS; they did not attempt to play the Providence Civic Center again until 1988). On January 27, 1988, KISS paused in the middle of their Crazy Nights tour concert at the arena and filmed most of the footage for a music video supporting their impending "Turn On The Night" single. The video
4128-592: The Sky , Stretch Arm Strong , Kill Your Idols and Nashville Pussy . It also featured 42 tattoo artists from Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Malaysia, Manitoba, Spain, Switzerland and the US. On October 29, 2016, Parachute Concerts and area based Veteran Independent Promoter Ed Atamian brought the nostalgic Rap R&B throwback 'I Love The 90's Tour' to the arena. Featuring Salt N Pepa ft. DJ Spinderella, Vanilla Ice, Coolio, Young MC, Color Me Badd, All 4 One. The show sold thousands of tickets. Its success hearkens back to
4224-566: The Surge had lost a total of about $ 577,000. Still, on January 29, 2009, Lucas told the Worcester Telegram and Gazette , "we can guarantee there will be indoor football in Worcester in 2009." Shortly thereafter the investors voted 5–1 to remove Lucas as president. The same investors, mostly small business owners and retirees who borrowed some of the money they put up and had no experience in professional sports, allege that Mr. Lucas buried
4320-545: 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
4416-527: 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
4512-420: The arena was expected to last three to four summers. Some of the major improvements were a new electrical system, new ice chillers, and a completely new ice floor all of which are original to the arena which opened in 1982. Other improvements to the arena during phase 1 will include a new dasher board system and a new seamless glass system, which are often found in new arenas. During the summer of 2012, phase 2 of
4608-582: The arena. It was Hagler's 60th professional fight and his 56th win overall. The fight was the only time Hagler fought at the arena and was the last of 36 he fought in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The College of the Holy Cross uses the facility as an alternate location for anticipated larger attendance home games for men's basketball and men's ice hockey. During the 1980s, the arena became an alternate stop for touring musical acts, offering them
4704-412: 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
4800-513: 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
4896-410: The business expected" despite the recession. Worcester Centrum Director Antonio Tavares told Rooney, in a shot at his competition down south, "You can no longer sit and wait for the phone to ring and expect acts to be calling you, especially unique types of events, and say 'Hey, we're interested in playing the Providence Civic Center'. That doesn't happen anymore." Rooney showed footage of a tennis match,
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#17327870127544992-576: 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
5088-414: 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
5184-799: 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
5280-549: The facility, the Hilton Garden, opened in October 2006, doubling the number of rooms previously available in the facility's other headquarters hotel, the former Crowne Plaza that closed in 2009. It was announced on June 3, 2009, that the DCU Center would undergo a series of major renovations. There were to be three or four phases to the renovations, scheduled to avoid the Worcester Sharks AHL season. Work on
5376-543: 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
5472-476: 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
5568-475: 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
5664-442: 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
5760-451: 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
5856-464: 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
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#17327870127545952-428: The league never produced a schedule and is presumed defunct. Reasons cited for the huge losses include the $ 40,000 plus tab the team ran up the first season with the Hilton Garden Inn hotel to house players, as well as money for plane tickets. Several out-of-state players were brought in and housed in the hotel rather than the Surge using local talent. Others cite that Lucas took on too many duties when he named himself
6048-405: 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
6144-468: The more diverse concerts in their history. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones joined DMB for these shows opening both nights and even sitting in on much of sets for both nights. The Grateful Dead played the Centrum 12 times between 1983 and 1988. Dates they played included 10/20/83, 10/21/83, 10/8/84, 10/9/84, 11/4/85, 11/5/85, 4/2/87, 4/3/87, 4/4/87, 4/7/88, 4/8/88, and 4/9/88. 4/3/87 is the most listened-to Grateful Dead tape on Archive.org. Bill Walton took
6240-447: The name Mankind, won his first WWE Championship during the taping of the January 4, 1999 edition of Monday Night Raw at the Worcester Centrum Centre, defeating The Rock . On May 5, 2002, it hosted a house show that would end up being the final show held under the WWF name, with the company changing its name to the WWE one day later. On July 12, 2005, it was the host of the July 14, 2005 taping of SmackDown! . On November 2, 2009, it
6336-502: The opening of an attached convention center that features panoramic views of downtown Worcester. The complex added 50,000 square feet (4,600 m ) of exhibit space, 11 meeting rooms, a 12,144-square-foot (1,128.2 m ) ballroom (the largest in Central Massachusetts) and a kitchen. The facility's 100,000-plus square feet of exhibit space is filled by consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, conferences, and other public and private functions year-round. An additional headquarters hotel for
6432-429: The playoffs as the #1 seed. On the eve of their semifinal playoff matchup with the Lehigh Valley Outlawz , Offensive coordinator Jerry Snay abruptly resigned from the team, stating that he had not been paid in two years. The Surge would go on to lose the game by a score of 27–21. This would end up being the last game played by the Surge. After only two years in existence as a franchise, the team investors stated that
6528-467: 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
6624-479: 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
6720-511: The renovations began. These included a new glass wall on the Foster Street side of the building; major improvements to heating, ventilation and cooling systems; upgrades to restrooms and concessions; and a new dehumidification system. In 2018/2019, a plan of $ 37 million renovations were announced for the next four years. In the summer of 2023, the facility replaced all arena seats. Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra ( / s ɪ ˈ n ɑː t r ə / ; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998)
6816-402: The team with sloppy bookkeeping, poor business practices, and out-of-control spending on hotel rooms, restaurant tabs, rental cars, airline tickets, and marketing expenses. The Surge announced that they would be leaving the CIFL and would be starting a new league (the United States Indoor Football League) along with the Lehigh Valley Outlawz . Three other teams were announced but despite promises,
6912-664: The team’s coach and tried to handle on-field duties and the general manager’s job at the same time. Last, the Surge spent a large amount of $ 107,000 in advertising costs in its first season. On April 3, 2009, Lucas notified The DCU Center that it would be voiding the third and final year on its lease with the Arena. Several court cases have been filed as investors, creditors, as well as players and coaches, have all attempted to recover money owed to them. DCU Center The DCU Center (originally Centrum in Worcester , formerly Worcester's Centrum Centre and commonly Worcester Centrum )
7008-529: 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
7104-560: 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
7200-645: The venue was home to the Worcester IceCats , also of the AHL. The arena also hosted the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic on January 29, 2009. The PlanetUSA All stars defeated Team Canada, 14–11, in the highest-scoring AHL All Star game in history. Worcester has been host to Boston Celtics preseason games in some years. They also hosted the first and second rounds of the 1992 and 2005 NCAA men's Division I basketball tournaments. The arena has been home to multiple indoor football teams. The Massachusetts Marauders of
7296-587: The venues and Worcester's strong performance with Urban concerts since the early 1990s. Boston natives Aerosmith have performed at the DCU Center 13 times over the course of their career, including a few New Year's Eve shows. Popular rapper Tyler, the Creator took the stage at DCU on March 3, 2022. The arena features annual appearances of the top family shows including Sesame Street Live , Disney on Ice , Harlem Globetrotters and The Wiggles , among others. The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) has hosted
7392-625: 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
7488-553: 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
7584-559: 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
7680-473: Was added. This successful tour stop prompted a good-natured ad parody on rock radio station WBCN , "Now appearing at the Centrum, Boston on Ice!", a reference to themed ice shows . The arena played host to what some fans consider to be the greatest two-night stand in the history of The Dave Matthews Band , in December 1998. Fresh off their May release of Before These Crowded Streets , they played some of
7776-464: 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
7872-542: 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!
7968-475: Was directed by Marty Callner who laid tracks inside the security barrier in front of the stage for a moving camera to film up at lead singer Paul Stanley dancing up a stage ramp while lip-synching the lyrics and featured a dolly shot running down the center aisle showing the crowd. "Turn On the Night" only charted in the UK, where it reached #41. Rooney reported the new Centrum was "thriving", and already "doing double
8064-454: Was expanded to 14,800 seats in 1989 with the addition of the 300-level balconies. The convention center addition was completed along with a renovation of arena infrastructure in 1997. This upgrade resulted in the facility's name change to Worcester's Centrum Centre. The venue received further updates with the DCU naming rights purchase, including new signage both inside and outside the facility, and
8160-629: Was filmed and later released as a live DVD. The arena played host to The Tattoo the Earth Tour on October 5–7, 2001, and October 12–14, 2002. The show featured performances by Slipknot , Slayer , Sevendust , Sepultura , Hed PE , Mudvayne , downset. , Hatebreed , Full Devil Jacket , Famous, Amen , U.P.O. , Nothingface , PPM, Cold , Relative Ash, Systematic , Six Feet Under , Candiria , Lamb of God , God Forbid , Darkest Hour , Unearth , All That Remains , Dropkick Murphys , Sick of It All , Tiger Army , Converge , The Unseen , Reach
8256-560: 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
8352-685: 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
8448-476: 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
8544-562: 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
8640-547: 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
8736-767: 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
8832-432: 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
8928-801: 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
9024-688: 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
9120-587: Was the host of WWE Raw for the first time in nine years. On January 14, 2014, it was the host of the January 17 taping of SmackDown! . It was the host of WWE SmackDown when it went live on July 19, 2016, an episode featuring WWE's second ever brand extension draft . For the first time Total Nonstop Action Wrestling debuted at the DCU Center on January 20, 2012. On February 11, 1983, Marvelous Marvin Hagler retained his WBC , WBA and The Ring Middleweight titles against English boxer Tony Sibson at
9216-495: Was then known, opened in September 1982 after years of construction delays, with a capacity of roughly 12,000. The first performance on September 1, 1982, was a free concert sponsored by The City of Worcester with Mayor Sara Robertson acting as Master of Ceremonies with the New England Symphony Orchestra performing. The first paid opening event was a Frank Sinatra concert on September 2, 1982. The arena
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