U.S. Postal Service News
Postal Chairman of the Board to Deliver 'The' Chairman of the Board
Special Ceremonies in
"The Postal Service is proud to honor a legendary American and one of the world's greatest entertainers," said Kessler. "Frank Sinatra was our nation's first modern entertainment superstar. He was, as they say, 'the complete package.' He had looks and charm, talent and skill, creativity, tenacity and style. His music and movies reflected — and helped to shape — the passion and fighting spirit of our nation. From concert performer, to recording artist, to motion picture star, Sinatra set the standard for excellence in his day and for generations to come."
— Beginning at 10 a.m. ET, Nancy Sinatra, her daughter A.J. Lambert and Frank Sinatra, Jr., will join Kessler and Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-NY) in a first-day-of-issue ceremony at Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway in New York City. Serrano has a close connection to \"Ol' Blue Eyes,\" as he learned to speak English from listening to his father's Sinatra records.
— At 3 p.m. ET (noon PT), Tina Sinatra will join Postal Service Governor James Bilbray in dedicating the stamp in Las Vegas at the Bellagio fountains main alcove on Las Vegas Boulevard. Frank Sinatra stamp artist Kazuhiko Sano will also participate in this first-day-of-issue ceremony.
— At 3 p.m. ET, Frank Sinatra, Jr., will join Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) and USPS Northern New Jersey District Manager Maria Morse in a first-day-of-sale ceremony in Hoboken, NJ, Sinatra's hometown. The event takes place at Pier A Park at 1st Street and Frank Sinatra Drive. The park is located near the Hoboken Post Office, which was renamed the Frank Sinatra Post Office in 2002. They will unveil a 10-ft. image of the stamp with the New York City skyline in the background.
Art director
In a 60-year career studded with accolades, Sinatra won several Grammys, received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1971, and was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983. Sinatra gave generously to many charities and was noted for his philanthropy. President Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985. Sinatra was born in
An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenue of
Frank Sinatra Backgrounder
An Oscar-winning actor who appeared in more than 60 motion pictures, Frank Sinatra was even more celebrated as a singer, admired the world over as a supreme interpreter of American popular song.
The son of Italian immigrants,
Street Corner Singer
Inspired by Bing Crosby, a major vocalist of the 1930s, the youthful Sinatra set his sights on a career in music and began singing on street corners with friends. In 1935, he and three others auditioned for Major Bowes' Amateur Hour, a popular radio program of its day. They performed as the "Hoboken Four" and won the talent contest.
After touring for a season with the Hoboken Four, Sinatra decided to go it alone. In 1939, he was singing at a roadhouse in
Months after signing with James, Sinatra was invited by
America's First Pop Icon
Sinatra made his breakthrough appearance as a solo performer on
In this phase of his career, Sinatra was known primarily as a sensitive crooner whose musical style was perfect for the World War II era, when many couples were separated by circumstance. He worked hard at making his singing as conversational as possible and giving the melody and lyrics a flowing, surprisingly unbroken quality.
His wholehearted embrace of the technology of sound recording enhanced Sinatra's talent. He effectively used the microphone, which brought intimacy and articulation to the forefront of the art of popular singing, as a prop to convey emotion and to expand his dynamic range.
Academy Award Winner
Highlights among Sinatra's early musical films include Anchors Aweigh (1945) and On the Town (1949). In 1946, he received a special Academy Award for The House I Live In, a short film arguing in favor of racial and religious tolerance. In 1953, Sinatra's popularity soared to new heights with the release of From Here to Eternity, in which he proved that he was an outstanding dramatic actor, winning an Academy Award for his supporting role as Maggio, a scrappy Italian-American soldier. For his dramatic performance in The Man With the Golden Arm (1955), Sinatra received a Best Actor nomination. Other highlights of his film career include the musicals Young at Heart (1955), Guys and Dolls (1955), High Society (1956), Pal Joey (1957), and Can-Can (1960). He also excelled in non-singing roles in films such as the crime caper Ocean's Eleven (1960) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962), a political thriller that addressed the Cold War.
Darker, Emotional Singer
Musically, Sinatra had entered another phase in the 1950s, an era that is generally considered his greatest period. The boyish crooner evolved into a deeper, more personal interpreter of pop songs who conveyed the meaning of a lyric with intensity and remarkable nuance. Sinatra had begun to express darker emotions that had not been previously acceptable, thus paving the way for the aggressive style of singers in the rock era. At the same time, his rhythmic acuity intensified, so that he sang with finger-snapping confidence that made him seem the essence of "cool" — a shift that mirrored postwar America's newfound swagger.
"Concept Album" Pioneer
Sinatra did much to establish and preserve the great American songbook. He gave the classic songs new life by almost single-handedly inventing the pop album format. As the new medium of the long-playing record developed, Sinatra pioneered what was later known as the "concept album" — a musical album created entirely around a single concept. Collaborating with such legendary arrangers as
From 1955 to 1958, he released several albums now considered classics, including In the Wee Small Hours (1955), a selection of torch songs; Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (1956), containing "I've Got You Under My Skin," a favorite of many fans; A Swingin' Affair! (1957); and
Sinatra formed his own recording company, Reprise, in late 1960, and around this time became known as the "Chairman of the Board." Now in his late 40s, Sinatra was famous not only for his musical talent and acting ability, but as the central figure in the so-called "Rat Pack," a professional and personal circle that included
Versatile Performer
In the 1960s, Sinatra worked in almost every conceivable setting, from the great jazz orchestras of Count Basie (It Might as Well Be Swing, 1964) and
Later in his career, Sinatra became an elder statesman on the music scene, and was known by the nickname "Ol' Blue Eyes." In 1985, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President
Sinatra is widely regarded by singers, musicians, critics and fans as the single most important and influential performer of the American popular song. In a career studded with accolades, he won several Grammys, received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1971 and was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983. Sinatra gave generously to many charities and was noted for his philanthropy. He died
SOURCE U.S. Postal Service
Search Our News Using Google Search
Can't find what you want? Try using Google:
