When “Two” became “The One” By Mahnuel Muñoz “I knew number one was Bing Crosby, but someone had to be number two.” Frank Sinatra On January 19, 1942, Frank Sinatra immortalized his first recording as a soloist, apart from Tommy…
A REFLECTION ON THE FAN PHENOMENON THAT (MAYBE) YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE By Mahnuel Muñoz In January 1944, Arthur Rodzinski, the director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, said: “Boogie woogie that young people like is the greatest…
FRANK SINATRA AND WILLIE NELSON By Mahnuel Muñoz In the early 1980s, Frank Sinatra and Willie Nelson formed an unlikely friendship. The two did a series of NASA space research public service announcements, and Nelson in 2018 recorded a collection…
SINATRA’S GREAT IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT By Manuel Muñoz (1983) For Quincy Jones any dream is possible. He has just produced the album “Thriller” for Michael Jackson and now wants to unite Frank Sinatra and Lena Horne, two of the brightest stars…
THE LAST YEARS OF FRANK SINATRAby Mahnuel Munoz CHAPTER 7 Frank had recorded duets with other singers throughout his career, from his days with Tommy Dorsey’s band through the 1980s. The idea of creating an entire album of Sinatra paired…
Mitch Miller was born in Rochester, New York, on July 4, 1911. He took piano lessons but soon switched to the oboe. After graduating in music, he began his career working for the CBS Symphony Orchestra. After recording with conductors…
“The meaning of existence, oh, my love…” By Mahnuel Muñoz In 1999 I took my first steps as a Sinatra fan. After acquiring some bargain CDs with Columbia recordings and the usual “Greatest Hits”, I needed to explore deeper, and…
When Randy met Frankie By Mahnuel Muñoz Speaking to “Uncut” magazine in 2019, singer-songwriter Randy Newman (1943) recalled that he once had the opportunity to work with Frank Sinatra. Supposedly, the timeless, laid-back qualities of Newman’s music could endear him…
“I’LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN”Frank Sinatra’s first number 1 and the origins of the charts. By Mahnuel Muñoz HISTORIC CONTEXT In 1940 in the United States he danced and hugged to the sounds of the orchestras of Glenn Miller and Artie…
LEO ROBIN By Mahnuel Muñoz Leo Robin was born on April 6, 1900 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and at Carnegie Tech’s theater school. After graduating, he worked as an advertising agent,…
GORDON JENKINS By Mahnuel Muñoz On May 12, 1910, Gordon Jenkins, the Master of Orchestral Exuberance, was born. His arrangements may seem anachronistic to many modern ears, but they were an essential part of the popular musical sound of the…
FRANK AND THE PRESIDENT’S INAUGURAL GALAS. By Mahnuel Muñoz Frank always liked politics. His mother was an active Democrat, and Sinatra grew up surrounded by a progressive ideological environment that led him, when he was already famous, to support his…
