The Chairman of the Board and The Duke

The next two choices presented at Orchestra Kentucky's October 25th concert will be a medley of songs recorded by Frank Sinatra and a medley of songs written by Duke Ellington. So, will it be the Chairman of the Board or the Duke? The audience will select what it wants to hear at the concert.

Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey and died on May 14, 1998 in Los Angeles.

Sinatra began his musical career with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, great bandleaders of the swing era. He had a successful solo career in the 1940s and was a teen idol. After a decline in popularity, his career was re-energized in 1954 after he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the film, From Here to Eternity. He recorded for Capitol Records and had several hit albums before leaving to found his own label, Reprise Records. He was a founding member of the Rat Pack and known to be close to celebrities and politicians, like John F. Kennedy.

After record sales fell off, Sinatra retired from show business in 1971. In 1973, he left retirement and recorded several albums. In 1980, he had a Top 40 hit with New York, New York and began to tour again.

Sinatra was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983 and Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985. He received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. He won eleven Grammys.

The orchestra will offer arranger John Moss' medley of Sinatra hits, entitled Salute to 'Ol Blue Eyes. The medley includes the hits I've Got You Under My Skin, Strangers in the Night, That's Life and Lady is a Tramp.

Listen to Sinatra's televised version of That's Life.