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Informationen zum Autor Ellen Labrecque is a former Senior Editor for Sports Illustrated for Kids and the author of over twenty nonfiction books for young readers. She has written Who Was? biographies on Kobe Bryant, David Beckham, Princess Diana, and more. Manuel Gutierrez is an Argentinian illustrator with vast experience working internationally as a visual storyteller in the fields of comic books and advertising. Manuel was born in Neuquen, in the Argentinian Patagonia, and is a self-taught artist. He has worked for Marvel and DC Comics. Klappentext Learn about the showstopping life of one of the most famous entertainers of all time in this book about Frank Sinatra from the #1 New York Times Bestselling Series! Before Frank Sinatra became the international superstar that we remember him as today, he was just a young boy singing for spare change in his family's New Jersey tavern. Those small beginnings would be the start of an incredible career in which Frank became one of the best-selling musicians of all time -- selling over 150 million records worldwide. More than just a musician, Frank also went on to win an Academy Award and a Golden Globe during his career as an actor. With hundreds of songs from several genres such as big-band, swing, jazz, and pop, the "My Way" singer is considered one of the world's most beloved entertainers. Leseprobe Who Was Frank Sinatra? On December 30, 1942, two days before the new year, a slender singer walked onto the stage of the Paramount Theatre in New York City. Over three thousand fans—mostly teenage girls—shrieked and screamed in excitement. Some cried tears of happiness. “The sound that greeted me was absolutely deafening,” the star said later. “It was a tremendous roar . . . I was scared stiff.” The singer’s name was Frank Sinatra. He sang romantic songs in a soft and low voice. This style of singing is called crooning. And Frank was a crooner. But Frank didn’t write his own music. In fact, many of the songs he sang had been written many years earlier. They were considered old standards. But when Frank sang, he put a new spin on them—holding some notes longer, while releasing others in short bursts. Frank was also good looking and dressed nicely. He had bright blue eyes, white sparkly teeth, and curly thick brown hair. He was twenty-seven years old, but he could have been mistaken for someone much younger. Frank began singing. He sang slow songs that were filled with emotion about love and heartbreak. His voice sounded as soft and warm as a fleece blanket. The girls were in love with Frank’s songs. They thought they were in love with Frank, too! When the show ended, teenagers in the crowd rushed to the backstage door. They wanted to be near Frank. They hoped to get his autograph. The crowd spilled out into the New York streets and caused traffic jams. The teens loved him because he had a voice that sounded like nothing they had ever heard before. Before that night, Frank had been singing with a sixteen-piece orchestra as part of a big band. He had recently left to sing on his own. Frank didn’t realize how popular he had become and how much his music would inspire fans for many years to follow. Chapter 1: The Only Child Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey. His mother, Natalie “Dolly” Sinatra, was less than five feet tall and weighed just ninety pounds. But Frank, as he was called, weighed over thirteen pounds, which made the home birth difficult for Dolly. “I just didn’t want to come out,” Frank jokingly said many years later when describing his birth. The doctor worked hard to help Dolly deliver the baby. But when baby Frank arrived, he wasn’t breathing. Frank’s grandmother grabbed her grandson and ran cold water over hi...
