"I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, a fine family - and I don't think I could ask for anything more than that." __Frank Sinatra

Music has the power to transport us to an ethereal universe. The sound of a familiar melody can either move us to tears or put a smile on our faces. After the first few chords, a song can cast a hypnotic spell over us. The power of music is palpable.

There is one musician who, for my money, stands head and shoulders above the rest. He is the one who’s always cast a spell on me:  Ol’ Blue Eyes.

A specific something comes over me whenever I hear him sing. Perhaps it’s the tone of his unmistakable voice or the impeccable phrasing he uses with every note.

He produced timeless classics for 60 years, and I repeatedly listen to my favorites.

“Throughout my career, if I have done anything, I have paid attention to every note and every word I sing…” ~Frank Sinatra.

By now, you know who I’m talking about—the one – the only - Francis Albert Sinatra. I feel like the Bobbysoxers feel and swoon when I hear his voice. Embarrassing, eh? I offer no apologies. I grew up firmly planted in the Baby Boomer generation. I listened to many vocal groups, such as The Beatles and The Who, and singers like Carole King and Cat Stevens. I delighted in the lyrical voices of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins.

I adored jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong and Paul Desmond, lost myself in the velvety voice of Mel Torme, and was wild about the greatest scat singer ever to live – the amazing Ella Fitzgerald.

My mother brought me to my first Broadway musical when I was eight years old, where my love affair with the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, and George and Ira Gershwin was born.

My father made sure I was equally exposed to classical music. Every Sunday, he tuned his stereo to WQXR and listened to classical music while reading The New York Times. He would take me to see opera and ballet at Lincoln Center, my favorite being the ballet “Who Cares,” choreographed by the great George Balanchine with songs by George Gershwin. But Frank – well, he’s in his separate class. Yet sometimes, I wonder if it’s only his voice that makes me weak at the knees or if it’s something beyond that.

Perhaps it’s his Hoboken-ese I identify with since my dad grew up there. Or his “ring-a-ding-ding” style of living life on his terms. It could be the quiet generosity he bestowed on loved ones while donating generously to hundreds of charities. I deeply respected him for his active support against racism in the short film The House I Live In.

“Frank Sinatra's voice in pop music history. [...] Like Presley and Dylan – the only other white male American singers since 1940 whose popularity, influence, and mythic force have been comparable – Sinatra will last indefinitely.” ~Stephen Holden, 1983 Rolling Stone Record Guide

I love the fact that each new generation is rediscovering Frank. Young people are discovering what I, and the generation before me, have known:  Frank Sinatra is cool. He personifies what and how we all want to be.   That is, to live on our terms.

“Elton John stated that Sinatra ‘was simply the best – no one else even comes close.’" ~Wikipedia, Frank Sinatra

He was born with many gifts, never abusing or neglecting them. He quietly paid it forward, never announcing his generosity.

He believed in the love of family, friends, and country. He railed against discrimination and all forms of abuse.

Through it all, his voice – oh, his magical voice – remained a constant in our lives. I guess, in a way, he was one of my mentors.

In my Second Chapter, I hope I can be as cool as he was while living life on my terms as he did. The Chairman of the Board taught me a lot about life, and I didn’t even know it. I openly thank you for everything, Mr. Sinatra, with love.

P.S.  As a bonus, the greatest blessing in my life – my son – shares Frank’s birthday. He's the other Chairman of the Board.

What a double blessing, indeed.

Happy Birthday to you both.

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