Frank Sinatra Jr..

From childhood, Frank Sinatra Jr. watched his father perform from the wings of Las Vegas stages, meeting Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Count Basie. He was born Francis Wayne Sinatra on January 10, 1944 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the middle child of Nancy Barbato and Frank Sinatra. He attended University High School.

Sinatra Jr. began his career as a musician, becoming his father’s musical director and conductor. He appeared in films such as Hollywood Homicide 2003, Cool World 1992, and The Walking Major 1970. On TV, he had roles on The Love Boat and Adam-12, and voiced himself on Family Guy. After his father’s death in 1998, he toured and performed in Las Vegas with a 36-piece orchestra in Sinatra Sings Sinatra.

In December 1963, at 19, Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped at gunpoint from a Lake Tahoe hotel. His family paid $240,000 for his release, and the kidnappers were convicted. He married Cynthia Sinatra in October 1998; they divorced in March 2001. His son, Michael Francis Sinatra, was his only child. He was also stepson to Ava Gardner, Mia Farrow, and Barbara Sinatra.

Sinatra Jr. preserved his father’s musical legacy after 1998, performing his songs and arrangements worldwide. He introduced younger audiences to Sinatra’s classics via The Sopranos and Family Guy. His 1963 kidnapping added drama to the Sinatra story. Through his dedicated performances, he kept the Great American Songbook alive.