WASHINGTON — He was “Old Blue Eyes,” the iconic jazz and traditional pop singer with a penchant for big melodies.
Saturday is Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday, and his impact is felt in current mainstream music. Today’s industry promotes image over artistry, but Sinatra was the total package of style and substance. He was the guy who’d sing to your lady and buy you a drink after the show.
As a member of the “Rat Pack” with Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, Sinatra was also an accomplished actor who worked alongside Burt Lancaster, Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly.
“I think anybody who takes himself seriously as a singer has gotta listen to Sinatra,” Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis told WTOP on Friday. “He’s just an amazing interpreter of songs, and somebody that you can always listen to with a tremendous amount of pleasure.”
Among other things, Sinatra was a humble musician who often deferred to his ensemble. They were the ones who crafted those orchestral swing beats and enveloped his voice. Sinatra was a true performer who was said to put everything into his art.
“He saw himself as a member of the band,” DeCurtis said. “When Sinatra would deliver a line, there’s always something that’s very distinctive about it. Without being contrived or showy, he has an original approach.”
Sinatra died in 1998 at the age of 82. He released several albums and is credited with helping revolutionize pop music.
Listen to some of Sinatra’s biggest hits, according to the most-viewed on YouTube, in the gallery above.
