Out and About (Sort Of): Salute to Sinatra by Howard Freedlander

Frank Sinatra. His voice and reputation still resonate.

Thanks to a Georgetown University professor, Anna Harwell Celenza, invited recently by the Academy Art Museum in Easton to talk about the life and career of a musical legend, I learned that Sinatra faced a professional crisis for nearly a decade after World War II and then reinvented himself to become a colossus on the public stage.

Professor Celenza ascribes Sinatra’s greatness to a comeback that few of us in the audience even knew about. Popular during the war, he found his particular sound less popular as other Italian-American singers like Perry Como and Tony Bennett vied for attention and acclaim. He didn’t serve during the war due to a perforated ear drum.

Then, in the early 1950s, he suffered a vocal chord hemorrhage that sidelined him for 18 months.

When Sinatra came back in 1953, his range and sound changed. The rest is history as he rebuilt a career that produced a distinctive style that still is popular and lasting. Professor of Music Celenza said she has discovered a great affection among her current students for the guy from Hoboken, NJ.

As I sat and listened to Professor Celenza’s presentation, I learned again that Frank Sinatra was a hugely talented musician whose phrasing and interpretation were riveting. When he performed, he also acted, bringing alive the lyrics in a way only he could do. His strong personality shone through his songs.

The Academy Art Museum hosted the lecture as a prelude to its May 2 event where the theme will be a tribute to Frank Sinatra.

Professor Celenza dispensed some myths surrounding the often controversial Sinatra, For example, there’s a school of thought that he didn’t work very hard. While it was true he didn’t spend much time in a recording studio, he was well-prepared, according to Celenza. I learned that he took up swimming early in his career to expand his lungs to sing better.

As he grew older, Sinatra seemed to become crankier and more confrontational. He seemed to relish the title of “king” imposed reverently—and maybe obsequiously– by his fellow Rat Pack members. He seemed to care little about public opinion of his behavior.

What Professor Celenza brought home to me was a picture of an immensely talented and determined performer who crafted a singing style matched by few. His life on the public stage lasted more than 50 years. Like others pursuing their careers, he had to change to retain, if not enhance his popularity.

The Sinatra sound continues to fascinate and captivate.