Friday, December 12, 2008

Call Him Irreplaceable

Frank Sinatra would have been 93 years old today.
It's just as well that Frankie's no longer with us because I don't think you would have wanted to see Frank at age 93. It probably wouldn't have been a pretty sight.
At the time of his death (at age 83) Sinatra's best years were surely behind him. And Frank wouldn't have wanted you to see him in such a diminished state.
Old Blue Eyes was a proud man who did his living while the living was good. He never missed a moment and rarely missed a beat. He knew how to swing.
I've never been a big Sinatra aficionado but one cannot really appreciate the Great American Songbook without paying homage to Sinatra. For six decades he was The Voice. He was the soundtrack of our lives.
From what I've read about Sinatra (and I've read quite a bit) I'm not sure that if I knew him I would have actually liked him. Frank himself knew that he was a moody, difficult, combustible personality.
But the talent always managed to shine through. As an artist, he was an extraordinary perfectionist: disciplined, hard-working, demanding.
We grant a wide berth to genuine superstars -- people who posses such incredible talent that it takes our breath away.
Sinatra was one of those people.
And so far, no one has replaced him. No one.

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