There’s a major Frank Sinatra revival now going on. And the celebration of the singer Time Magazine named as the greatest entertainer of the 20th century is part re-appreciation of his art, and part hard-nosed business. The Los Angeles Times:
A new era is beginning in the career of Frank Sinatra even if the Chairman of the Board isn’t here to participate.
The iconic singer died May 14, 1998, and the 10th anniversary is being marked with a flurry of activity, including a new U.S. postage stamp with his likeness, lavish new CD and DVD collections, a major revival of his films on television and high-profile media appearances by his children.
This surge in all things Sinatra is more than just a fleeting commemoration, however — it’s more like the beginning of a corporate brand roll-out.
Late last year, the Sinatra heirs signed a pact with Warner Music Group Corp. that will bring Ol’ Blue Eyes back in a big way, not just as a digitally resurrected entertainer but also as an advertising pitchman and, potentially, the name on the marquee of a feature film, a Broadway show and a casino and resort.
Part of the way you can judge if a deceased icon “lives on” is whether he has appeal to young people. And you can see some appreciative comments under Sinatra videos on You Tube.
And it’s fun to watch the often offbeat Sinatra lip syncs on You Tube done by young people — like this great one (a classic lip sync of a classic):
Here’s the CD that has that song (and some other ones from around the same 60s-80s timeframe):
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.