Died (Almost) This Day In LA: It's Frank Sinatra Sunday

Published May 15, 2011 12:00 AM

The Hollywood Palladium opened its doors for the first time on September 23, 1940 with today's video lunch featured performer, the then not-so-well-known Frank Sinatra singing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. You know the rest of that story.

He became an idol of the 40s, an Academy Award winner in the 50s, signed with Capitol, left Capitol, founded Reprise Records, toured the planet, turned to Vegas, turned to television and retired twice. Somewhere in there he found time tow be married four times, including husbanding Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow. "Being an 18-karat manic depressive, and having lived a life of violent emotional contradictions, I have an over-acute capacity for sadness as well as elation," the iconic Rat Packer reportedly told an interviewer in 1950.

Frank SInatra died at the age of 82 on May 14, 1998 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from complications of senility, heart disease, kidney disease, and bladder cancer. According to Wikipedia, Sinatra's final words, spoken to his wife after she encouraged him to fight, were "I'm losing."

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Frank Sinatra - Blue Skies

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