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Frank Sinatra and the martini-both smooth, both a little dangerous and both swinging icons that define words like "classy" and "cool." His warm voice and personal charm took him halfway, but it was his inimitable, impeccable musical phrasing that made his songs stand out. His talent for putting his own interpretation on a lyric continues to set him apart from the hundreds of other popular vocalists who recorded at the time and it still sets his music above anything going today. Born across the Hudson River in the Italian-American neighborhood of Hoboken, NJ, Sinatra went on to a seven-decade career that took him to Hollywood and to arenas around the world. After being hit with a 4-F deferment from military service in WWII, Sinatra pursued a musical career around New Jersey's big band dancehall circuit. Frankie got his big break after being discovered by the popular bandleader Tommy Dorsey. Tommy recognized Frank's talents as a crooner, and brought him out to sing slow-dance ballads like "I'll Never Smile Again." Frank's impish good looks made him a hit with the teenage bobby soxers, and Columbia Records signed him to a recording contract under which he'd record some of his most classic material. Columbia singles included "People Will Say We're In Love," "White Christmas," "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Autumn In New York." However, after the war Sinatra's teenage appeal waned and he moved to Hollywood to try his luck in movies. His first role as a dramatic actor in From Here to Eternity revived a career that had been flagging. He signed a deal with Columbia Records and went on to record some of his most sophisticated material, including an ambitious series of adult-oriented concept albums including the jazzy Songs For Swinging Lovers, In the Wee Small Hours and the dark Only the Lonely. Frank Sinatra would go on to enjoy a legendary popularity in Las Vegas along with fellow entertainers Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Peter Lawford and the crew rose to notoriety as "The Rat Pack."

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