Swingin’ Facts About Frank Sinatra, The Chairman Of The Board
Since the early 1940s, the popularity of Frank Sinatra has remained unwavering.
This slim, well-dressed Italian kid from Hoboken, New Jersey took the world by storm with his effortlessly smooth, distinct, and powerful voice, and few have matched his level of stardom since.
However, behind the legendary voice and charismatic public image, Sinatra lived one of the most interesting lives of the 20th century—full of fun and games, as well as scandal and heartbreak.
Just reading about the ups and downs of Sinatra’s experiences makes for a wild experience of its own! Here are facts offering a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary and unique life of Ol' Blue Eyes himself.
Frank Sinatra Facts
1. The World Almost Missed Out On Frank Sinatra
When Sinatra was born, the doctors tending to his mother were stunned—the baby was born blue and not breathing. They had to use forceps to forcefully yank him out of the womb by the head.
Assuming that he didn't make it, they simply laid him on a table and began caring for his mother—and then his grandmother sprung into action. She put young Frank under a cold water tap, causing him to come to.
This rough entry into the world gave him a scar on the side of his face—a feature which stayed with him for his whole life, at times causing him serious insecurity.
2. His Mother Had A Secret Life
Frank Sinatra's parents were both born in Italy and emigrated to the US when they were young. When Sinatra was a child, his father fought as a lightweight boxer under the name of Marty O’Brien. His mother worked as a midwife, but behind closed doors, she was keeping a dangerous secret. It's alleged that Dolly Sinatra ran an underground abortion clinic for local Italian Catholic girls who found themselves in trouble.
As Sinatra's own family has said, there was a lot that Dolly was hiding.
3. His Childhood Scars Drove Him Insane
On top of the scars that Sinatra bore from his complicated birth, he also suffered from a punctured eardrum—and his problems didn't end there.
A childhood surgery left him with even more visible damage, and he suffered from horrific acne in his teens that caused permanent pockmarks and scars. This led his schoolmates to call him "Scarface,"
leaving the young Sinatra furious—but what better revenge than going on to become a Hollywood heartthrob?
