My first recollection of Frank's voice was coming out of a jukebox in a dark bar on a Sunday afternoon when my mother and I went in searching for my father. I always remember she said, "Listen to that, that's Frank Sinatra, he's from New Jersey." It was a voice filled with bad attitude, life, beauty, excitement, a nasty sense of freedom, sex, and a sad knowledge of the ways of the world. Every song seemed to have its postscript, "and if you don't like it, here's a punch in the kisser.” But it was the deep blueness of Frank's voice that affected me the most, and while his music became synonymous with black tie, the good life, the best booze, women, sophistication, his blues voice was always the sound of hard luck, and men late at night with the last ten dollars in their pockets, trying to figure a way out.And if you're a real Sinatra fan, you should also check out my #1 favorite Sinatra letter of all time, which ends with Sinatra making the following offer to a journalist:
On behalf of all New Jersey, Frank, I wanna say: "Hail Brother, you sang out our soul.”
- Bruce Springsteen
...if you are a gambling man, [and]:In today's 24-hour-a-day entertainment cycle, a modern-day PR spokesman would never let that letter be written... but I bet it would feel SO good if they could!
a) You prove, without a doubt, that I have ever punched an elderly drunk or elderly anybody, you can pick up $100,000.
b) I will allow you to pull my "hairpiece"; if it moves, I will give you another $100,000; if it does not, I punch you in the mouth. How about it?
(Signed, 'Sinatra')
Any other Sinatra/Springsteen fans out there, holla back. :) In the meantime, back to keeping the rest of you posted on my adventures!
