Down memory lane

Imagine you are one of the best-selling music artistes of all time but you can’t read music. Yes, that was Frank Sinatra, the legendary American singer-actor, whose music continues to inspire musicians across the globe. Being rightly called ‘The Sultan of Swoon’, Sinatra was one of the first singers in America in the 1940s and 1950s to have a crazy teenage fan following. However, he never learned how to read sheet music, and rather depended on his ears and instincts to make timeless creations like The Voice and Ol’ Blue Eyes.

Born on December 12, 1915, to Italian immigrants in Hoboken, New Jersey, Sinatra attended David E. Rue Jr. High School and later AJ Demarest High School where he arranged bands for school dances. However, he left without graduating having attended only 47 days before being expelled for rowdiness. Later, to satisfy his mom, he got admission to Drake Business School, which he left after 11 months. In 1935, Sinatra got his first break when his mother pleaded with a local singing group, 3 Flashes, to let him join. Since then, he never looked back. Sinatra became one of the most popular music artistes of the 20th century, and his records have been sold over 150 million times worldwide.