, Music
Francis Albert Sinatra (English: Francis Albert Sinatra: December 12, 1915, Hoboken, New Jersey - May 14, 1998, Los Angeles) - American actor, singer (crooner) and showman. He was famous for his romantic style of singing songs and his “honey” voice.
In his younger years he had the nickname Frankie and the Voice (“the Voice”), in more later years- Mr. Blue Eyes (Ol` Blue Eyes), and then the respectful Elder (“Chairman of the Board”).
I admit that alcohol is the enemy of man, but doesn’t the Bible teach us to love our enemy?
Sinatra Frank
The songs performed by him became classics of pop and swing style, became the most striking examples of the pop-jazz style of singing “crooning”; several generations of Americans were brought up on them.
Over 50 years of active creative activity, he recorded about 100 consistently popular single discs and performed all the most famous songs of the largest US composers - George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.
In 1997 he was awarded the highest US award, the Congressional Gold Medal.
To be successful, you need to have friends; but to maintain great success you must have many friends.
Sinatra Frank
Sinatra is the son of Italian immigrants who, at the turn of the century, settled with their parents on the east coast of America as children. His father was a native of Palermo (Sicily) and worked as a professional boxer, fireman and bartender.
Sinatra's mother was from the northern Italian city of Lumarzo (near Genoa) and served as the local chairman of the Democratic Party in Hoboken. Frank was the only child in the family. He grew up in humble surroundings, compared to many other Italian-American immigrants.
WITH early years he was interested in music, and from the age of 13 he worked part-time with a ukulele, a small music kit and a megaphone in bars in his city. Since 1932, Sinatra had made small appearances on radio; Ever since he saw his idol Bing Crosby at a concert in Jersey City in 1933, he chose the profession of a singer.
Progress means that everything requires less time and more money.
Sinatra Frank
In addition, he also worked as a sports journalist for a local newspaper during the Great Depression in the 1930s, after leaving university without a diploma. Cinema aroused his great interest; his favorite actor was Edward G. Robinson, who then starred primarily in gangster films.
With the group “The Hoboken Four,” Sinatra won the young talent competition of the then popular radio show “Major Bowes Amateur Hour” in 1935 and after some time went with them on his first national tour.
He then worked for 18 months from 1937 as a contract showman at a music restaurant in New Jersey, which was also frequented by stars such as Cole Porter, and, along with radio appearances, laid the foundation for his professional career.
Some women have husbands just to pull up a dress that buttons at the back.
Sinatra Frank
The impetus for Sinatra's career took off was his work in the famous swing jazz orchestras of trumpeter Harry James and trombonist Tommy Dorsey in 1939-1942. In February 1939, Sinatra married his first love, Nancy Barbato.
In this marriage, Nancy Sinatra was born in 1940, who later became a famous singer. She was followed in 1944 by Frank Sinatra Jr. (in 1988-1995, director of Sinatra’s orchestra) and in 1948, Tina Sinatra, who works as a film producer.
At the end of the 1940s, Sinatra began to experience a creative crisis in the genre, which coincided with whirlwind romance with actress Ava Gardner.
I believe in you and me. I am like Albert Schweitzer, Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein in my respect for life - in any form. I believe in nature, birds, sea, sky, everything that I can see or that has real evidence. If these things are what you mean by God, then I believe in God.
Sinatra Frank
1949 was the most difficult year in Sinatra’s career: he was fired from radio, and six months later plans to hold concerts in New York were grossly disrupted, Nancy filed for divorce, and his affair with Gardner grew into a loud scandal; Columbia Records refused him studio time.
In 1950, his contract with MGM was terminated, and his new agent at MCA also turned his back on Sinatra. At the age of 34, Frank became a "man of the past."
In 1951, Sinatra married Ava Gardner, whom he divorced six years later. In addition, Sinatra lost his voice after a severe cold. All these misfortunes were so unexpected and difficult that the singer decided to commit suicide.
Fear is the enemy of logic. There is no more powerful, destructive, harmful, disgusting thing in the world - for a person or a nation.
Sinatra Frank
The voice problems were temporary, and when he recovered, Sinatra started all over again. In 1953, he starred in the film From Here to Eternity, receiving an Oscar for it as best actor background.
He began to be invited to various film projects, the most successful of which were The Man With the Golden Arm (1955), Ocean's Eleven (1960), and Detective. The Detective", 1968).
Since the late 1950s, Sinatra has performed in Las Vegas with such stars as Sam Davis, Dean Martin, Joe Bishop and Peter Lowford.
Luck is wonderful and you should be lucky enough to get this opportunity. But after that you need to have talent and be able to use it.
Sinatra Frank
Their company, known as "Rat Pack", worked with John Kennedy during his 1960 presidential campaign. Recordings and performances with the big bands of Count Basie, Billy May, studio swing orchestras of Nelson Riddle and others were very successful, earning Sinatra the reputation of one of the masters of swing.
In 1966, Sinatra married actress Mia Farrow. He was 51 and she was 21. They separated the following year. Ten years later, Sinatra married for the fourth time - to Barbara Marx, with whom he lived until the end of his life.
In 1971, Sinatra announced that he was retiring, but continued to give rare concerts. In 1980, Sinatra recorded one of his masterpieces - the hit “New York, New York”, becoming the only singer in history who managed to regain popularity and love of the public after fifty years.
I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, it's the best thing they feel all day.
Sinatra Frank
The Rat Pack's farewell tour took place in 1988–1989, and Sinatra's last concert performance took place in 1994, when he was 78 years old. On May 14, 1998, Frank Sinatra died of a heart attack at the age of 82.
Interesting Facts
* Frank Sinatra is the inspiration for Johnny Fontane, a character in Mario Puzo's The Godfather.
* Frank Sinatra received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his achievements and contributions to music.
On May 13, 2008, a new postage stamp with a portrait of Sinatra went on sale in New York, Las Vegas and New Jersey. The issue of the stamp is timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the death of the great singer. The graduation ceremony in Manhattan was attended by the children of Frank Sinatra, his friends, relatives and admirers of his work.
If you possess something, but you cannot give it away, then you do not possess it... it possesses you.
Sinatra Frank
Most famous songs
* "My Way"
* "New York, New York"
* "Strangers in the Night"
* “It Was a Very Good Year”
* "I've Got You Under My Skin"
* "America The Beautiful"
* "Jingle Bells"
* "Let It Snow"
* "Something Stupid"
* “You make me feel so young”
* "Moonlight In Vermont"
* "My Kind Of Town"
* "Moon river"
* "Love and Marriage"
* “Everybody loves somebody sometime”
* “I love you baby”
Albums
* 1946 - The Voice Of Frank Sinatra
* 1948 - Christmas Songs By Sinatra
* 1949 - Frankly Sentimental
* 1950 - Songs By Sinatra
* 1951 - Swing And Dance With Frank Sinatra
* 1954 - Songs For Young Lovers
* 1954 - Swing Easy!
* 1955 - In The Wee Small Hours
* 1956 - Songs For Swingin` Lovers
* 1956 - This Is Sinatra!
* 1957 - A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra
* 1957 - A Swingin` Affair!
* 1957 - Close To You And More
* 1957 - Where Are You
* 1958 - Come Fly With Me
* 1958 - Sings For Only The Lonely (Only The Lonely)
* 1958 - This Is Sinatra Volume 2
* 1959 - Come Dance With Me!
* 1959 - Look To Your Heart
* 1959 - No One Cares
* 1960 - Nice `N` Easy
* 1961 - All The Way
* 1961 - Come Swing With Me!
* 1961 - I Remember Tommy
* 1961 - Ring-A-Ding-Ding!
* 1961 - Sinatra Swings (Swing Along With Me)
* 1961 - Sinatra’s Swingin` Session!!! And More
* 1962 - All Alone
* 1962 - Point Of No Return
* 1962 - Sinatra And Strings
* 1962 - Sinatra And Swingin` Brass
* 1962 - Sinatra Sings Great Songs From Great Britain
* 1962 - Sinatra Sings Of Love And Things
* 1962 - Sinatra-Basie An Historic Musical First (feat. Count Basie)
* 1963 - Sinatra's Sinatra
* 1963 - The Concert Sinatra
* 1964 - America I Hear You Singing (feat. Bing Crosby & Fred Waring)
* 1964 - Days Of Wine And Roses Moon River And Other Academy Award Winners
* 1964 - It Might As Well Be Swing (feat. Count Basie)
* 1964 - Softly As I Leave You
* 1965 - A Man And His Music
* 1965 - My Kind Of Broadway
* 1965 - September Of My Years
* 1965 - Sinatra `65 The Singer Today
* 1966 - Moonlight Sinatra
* 1966 - Sinatra At The Sands (feat. Count Basie)
* 1966 - Strangers In The Night
* 1966 - That's Life
* 1967 - Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim)
* 1967 - The World We Knew
* 1968 - Cycles
* 1968 - Francis A & Edward K (feat. Duke Ellington)
* 1968 - The Sinatra Family Wish You A Merry Christmas
* 1969 - A Man Alone The Words And Music Of McKuen
* 1969 - My Way
* 1970 - Watertown
* 1971 - Sinatra & Company (feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim)
* 1973 - Ol` Blue Eyes Is Back
* 1974 - Some Nice Things I've Missed
* 1974 - The Main Event Live
* 1980 - Trilogy Past Present Future
* 1981 - She Shot Me Down
* 1984 - LA Is My Lady
* 1993 - Duets
* 1994 - Duets II
* 1994 - Sinatra & Sextet Live In Paris
* 1994 - The Song Is You
* 1995 - Sinatra 80th Live In Concert
* 1997 - With The Red Norvo Quintet Live In Australia 1959
* 1999 - `57 In Concert
* 2002 - Classic Duets
* 2003 - Duets With The Dames
* 2003 - The Real Complete Columbia Years V-Discs
* 2005 - Live From Las Vegas
* 2006 - Sinatra Vegas
* 2008 - Nothing But The Best
Francis Albert Sinatra is an American singer, actor, director and showman. He is rightfully considered one of the most influential and popular artists of the 20th century. In total, more than 150 million records with compositions performed by the singer have been sold. A true icon of popular music of his time, mainly in America, he was declared a Grammy Award winner eleven times. Known to the general public for the special timbre of his voice and the lyrical style of vocal performance.
short biography
Born December 12, 1915 in Hoboken (New Jersey), USA. Frank's parents emigrated from Italy, moving to the United States in early childhood. Having settled on the east coast of the country, they began a new life in which a future star appeared. The musician’s father tried many professions in America, from a loader and bartender to a fireman and a professional boxer. The mother did housework and worked as a nurse for some time. Subsequently, when the future singer matured a little, she took up political activity as the leader of the local Democratic Party.
Hoboken, where Sinatra grew up, was a city of immigrants with a fairly low standard of living. Frank never received any education. At school he was not interested in natural science subjects, and he also did not gravitate toward humanities. The creative nature, which did not tolerate rigid boundaries, made itself felt. Since childhood, the future performer was not distinguished by exemplary behavior. The result was expulsion from school, which did not upset him much. After all, Frank's only passion was music.
The first activity that paved the way to fame was working as a driver for the start-up team “Three Flashes”. Then the young man himself becomes a performer in this group, which is now called the “Four from Hoboken”. At the time, Frank was earning just over twenty dollars a week for his work. Subsequently, Sinatra recalled that he was extremely happy about this: “For the given opportunity to perform on stage and see my face on posters, I myself was ready to pay extra.”
The first tour began unnoticed. At the same time, Frank marries a young girl from a modest family, Nancy Barbato, who will bear him three children. Their marriage lasted from 1939 to 1951. Subsequently, the musician married three more times. His second wife is Ava Gardner, an American actress, Hollywood star, and Oscar nominee. She was married to the popular performer from 1951 to 1957. The singer married Mia Farrow for the third time. famous actress Hollywood. Subsequently, she often starred in films by Woody Allen, who liked to call her his muse. This marriage lasted two years, from 1966 to 1968. The last wife of America's idol was Barbara Marx - American model and a dancer. The final marriage turned out to be the most durable and lasted from 1976 to 1998 until the death of the star. Sinatra had three children from his first marriage: daughters Nancy and Tina, and son Frank.
Interesting Facts:
- The singer had no musical education, he never learned musical notation. He managed to perform works based solely on his hearing.
- Sinatra was one of the show business figures who participated in John Kennedy's election campaign.
- A small celestial body discovered in 1989 was named in honor of the musician. This is asteroid Sinatra 7934, which is only visible through a powerful telescope.
- Frank didn't finish any educational institution, since he was expelled from junior school in his fourth year of study for poor academic performance and behavior.
- In 1938 the artist a short time arrested for seducing a married woman. At that time in America it was considered a crime.
- In 1943, the musician was invited to a reception at the White House by then US President Franklin Roosevelt.
- He became a grandfather in 1974 when Nancy had a daughter. Later Frank had two more grandchildren.
- In 1979, during the musician’s visit to Egypt, a concert was held, which was initiated by the then President of Egypt Anwar Sadat. It is noteworthy that this concert took place almost in front of the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Cheops.
- In 1980, the singer took part in the election campaign of US presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. This happened 20 years after similar work on the John Kennedy election campaign.
- 175 thousand people gathered at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to listen to their favorite performer perform live in 1980.
- In the 80s, the artist was the face of iconic television advertisements for the resorts of Atlantic City and Las Vegas. This happened after signing a lucrative agreement with Steve Wynn.
- He received one of the highest non-military awards in the United States - the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This happened in the mid-80s.
- Celebrating his 75th birthday, the singer went on an anniversary world tour in December 1990.
- On the day Sinatra died, the lights on the streets of Las Vegas went out, and the Empire State Building was lit blue to match the color of the iconic artist's eyes.
Best songs
"New York, New York"
The composition “New York, New York” is one of Frank Sinatra’s signature songs and is strongly associated with him. The history of its appearance is interesting. The theme was first heard in Martin Scorsese's film New York, New York in 1977. Then it was performed by Liza Minnelli. Composer D. Kander and poet F. Ebb specially wrote a song for this film. Subsequently, the single was covered with minor changes to the lyrics by Frank Sinatra for his album “Trilogy: Past Present Future”.
The song's popularity grew after it was performed by the singer at Radio City Music Hall in October 1978. In 1979, recording took place for the above-mentioned album. Subsequently, two more studio versions of the song performed by the musician were made: in 1981 and 1993.
By now the single is truly cult and widely circulated. popular culture. Many public events in the New York City region are not complete without its performance. The composition is the anthem of many sports teams. For example, a song sung by Frank Sinatra plays at the end of every New York Rangers game. Also every year New Year's Eve This melody sounds in Time Square in New York.
“New York, New York” - listen
"My way"
The history of the composition “My way” began in 1967 in France. It was performed by Claude François under the title “Comme d’habitude”, and a few months later it was covered by Sinatra with lyrics by Paul Anka. Immediately after this, the single soared to the top of the American and British charts. An interesting fact is that the composition is often performed at funerals. This is not accidental, since the poems represent the narrative of a person who has gone through a long journey of life, in which there is no place for disappointment.
“My way” - listen
"Strangers in the night"
The musician himself initially considered the song “Strangers in the night” not very successful. Nevertheless, this work was subsequently included in the singer’s new album of the same name. And as a result, a surge in popularity in 1966, which was reflected in the top positions of the popular music charts. For this album, the performer received two Grammy awards. As for the melody, perhaps everyone has heard it at least once.
“Strangers in the night” - listen
Frank Sinatra's house
The singer moved to Palm Springs in the 1940s. Then it was a small, unremarkable town. Only later did it acquire the status of a fashionable resort and the traditional residence of many Hollywood stars. The construction of this house was led by architect Stuart Williams. Subsequently, he recalled that Sinatra came in 1947 and said: “I want a house right here.” The mansion cost its owner more than 150 thousand dollars. The musician wanted the house to be built within a few months before the new year, which was done. New home in Palm Springs witnessed family life Frank is married to Nancy Barbato and Ava Gardner. The building has completely preserved the original layout and decoration of the premises. Currently, the owner of the property rents it out, including short-term.
Frank Sinatra's Mafia Connection
In the minds of many people, a musician appears in the image popular artist, closely associated with the ethnic mafia structures of the mid-20th century. This was greatly facilitated by the publication of Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather. One of the characters in the work, Johnny Fontaine, seems to have been copied by the author from the image of Frank Sinatra. Perhaps there is a small grain of truth in this. After all, the future artist grew up in a rather criminal area populated by people from southern European countries. It is no secret that in these areas at that time there was organized crime, which to one degree or another permeated many layers of society. This was facilitated by the Great Depression that was at hand. The economic crisis pushed people to get involved in illegal money-making schemes. At the beginning of his career, the singer repeatedly performed in nightclubs with a dubious reputation. Subsequently, the musician participated in a number of events, which were presumably attended by people who were not entirely on friendly terms with the law.
Frank Sinatra’s special manner of behavior on stage and in life, characteristic of representatives of many strata of society of that time, played a role. The theme of the movie in which he starred also made a significant contribution to the formation of the star’s image as a person associated with the criminal world. All this together added a semi-criminal touch to his artistic image. It is worth saying that in the middle of the 20th century this image turned out to be advantageous and the singer did not refuse to use it.
Life story
G. Gerasimov writes “The components of the success of the Voice, as it was also called, are numerous. Sinatra did not receive any formal musical education, or any other education. Natural abilities and talent helped him establish his voice, determination and perseverance helped him overcome all obstacles on the path to fame. He merged with the song, he sang in such a way that even in a stadium with tens of thousands of listeners, everyone felt that Sinatra was singing only for him. He turned the song into a three-act drama. They said about him that he could sing the phone book and everyone would be spellbound. And he himself said, “The interpretation of a song is more important than the song itself.” And here for him there were no authorities except his own taste.”
The singer’s repertoire developed gradually and, perhaps, that’s why it turned out to be so diverse. Among his fans are teenagers, who are captivated by his romantic ballads with emotional and easy-to-remember lyrics, and older viewers. Adults were attracted to Sinatra's serious and at times even philosophical songs. The content of Sinatra's songs significantly influenced his success...
Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in Hobocon, New Jersey, the son of Italian immigrants Martin, a boxer-fireman from Sicily, and Natalie (Dolly), a nurse.
Frank grew up in an area of New Jersey where fighting and crime were common. In his youth, he also found himself involved in scandalous and even criminal stories. Such fame accompanied him all his life. It was even said that his creative activities were financed by the mafia, and many people attributed his amazing success to this. In part, he can even be considered a prototype of one of the heroes famous novel M. Pioso "The Godfather".
In his youth, Sinatra tried many professions, including a waiter and a sports reporter. But Frank dreamed of something else - he saw himself singing on stage. After hearing Bing Crosby in 1933, the young man decided to finally become a singer.
Sinatra begins to sing at college dances, performs at all amateur competitions, and offers his services to small radio stations. He is willingly invited, but the reason is not recognition of talent. Everything is much more prosaic - the young singer does not demand money.
In 1937, Frank won a small amateur competition in his hometown. Performs at the Country Hut nightclub in a nearby town. During this period, he lives a calm, measured life. He marries a modest, charming girl, Nancy Barbato. They had three children Nancy, Frank and Tina.
In 1939, Frank was lucky enough to be “discovered” by the leader of a jazz orchestra, the famous trombonist Tommy Dors... for $75 a week.
Sinatra released his first record, Polka Dot Dress and Moonbeams, in 1940. He was not drafted into the army during World War II due to a burst eardrum. But he contributed to the victory. Since 1942, the singer regularly performed radio programs from New York. His melodic love ballads were a great success among American soldiers.
And on December 30, 1942, Sinatra became a star. That day became the birth of the Golden Voice, as his fans call him. For two months, the hall where concerts of a hitherto unknown singer take place was filled to capacity. Frank is offered to sign a lucrative ten-year contract with Columbia. Success gives way to success, and soon Sinatra, singing tirelessly, earns at least 50 thousand dollars a year.
In 1944, thirty thousand fans crowded Times Square in New York, trying to get to the concert of their idol. Several storefronts were damaged.
In 1941, Frank starred in the film Las Vegas Nights, after which he regularly appeared with vocal numbers in musical films. He played his first dramatic role in 1943 in the film “Above and Above.”
He won an Oscar for his performance in the 1945 anti-racist film The House I Live In. In 1949, Sinatra starred in S. Donen's musical "Going to the City."
But at the same time, new names appear on the stage - Frankie Laine, Tony Bennett, and the collections at Sinatra's concerts are getting smaller. The artist runs into thousands of debts and fails on more than one TV show. And then he starts an affair with actress Ava Gardner.
It is in vain that his friends try to dissuade him from getting a divorce, believing that this will make the singer’s situation even worse. Public opinion is not on his side youngest son only six months. But on November 5, 1951, Sinatra divorced, and two days later he got married.
This marriage did not bring happiness to anyone, but, according to one of Sinatra’s “lifetime” biographers, “they experienced an explosion of passion comparable only to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Because of filming, we didn’t see each other for months, and it never occurred to anyone to sacrifice their career for the sake of another. “I never perceived Ava as the woman who deprived us of our father,” recalls his daughter Tina Sinatra. - I first saw her when I was four years old, and it seemed to me that she really liked communicating with us, because she didn’t have her own children. Now I understand that she and her father were made for each other, so their breakup still seems strange to me.”
But Frank cheated on his wife with Anita Ekberg, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe... Their divorce was officially filed in 1957. Gardner later said that she found in Sinatra “95 percent sex and 5 percent himself.”
Sinatra was married twice more. His third wife, actress Mia Farrow, is thirty years younger than him. In 1976, Sinatra married for the fourth and last time- on Barbara Marks.
But let's go back to the 50s. In 1953, due to ligament disease, the singer lost his contract with MCA. But he did not give up - he won the role of Angelo Maggio, a brave soldier and “slave of honor,” in the film “While There Will Be Men.” The artist is ready to act for free. His instincts did not deceive him; even his fellow actors gave a standing ovation to Sinatra’s success - he received an Oscar for his supporting role.
In total, Sinatra starred in 58 films. As a dramatic actor, he showed himself in the psychological dramas “The Man with the Golden Arm” (1955), “Detective” (1968), “The First Deadly Sin” (1980), and the political thriller “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962).
In 1964, Sinatra directed his own film, Only the Brave. At the 1971 Oscars, the artist received the Gene Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
After the success of the film “While There Will Be Men,” the themes of Sinatra’s songs expanded; he managed to create not only the image of a lover, but also the image of a strong man. According to a critic from the New York Times, "with the possible exception of Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine, no one could embody the masculine ideal of the 50s."
The song “My Way” (“I walked my way”) set a kind of record in the British hit parade, remaining in the lead for 122 weeks - from 1969 to 1971.
As G. Gerasimov writes, critics consider Sinatra’s “title melody,” his “hymn,” to be the song “I Did it My Way,” proposed to Sinatra in a translation from French by another singer and composer, Paul Anka. Now in a television interview, Anka says that when this song, in his opinion, ordinary, came back to him performed by Sinatra, he did not recognize it. The singer managed to make a masterpiece out of it - a ballad about his own life, in tune with millions of Americans with a similar fate.
This song touched the hearts of Americans not only with its talented performance, but also because of the life philosophy expressed in it, glorifying American individualism and perseverance in the desire to move forward along the path chosen by him, and not by someone else - the party, uncle, circumstances. Sinatra himself said, “I do as I please.”
President Clinton, responding to the sad news and expressing his “great admiration” for the singer, did not fail to refer to this song “I think every American should smile and say yes, he really went his own way.”
Sinatra left the stage in 1971, but could not live without listeners, without their applause. Two years later, the singer returned and went on a world tour.
One of his latest performances took place in the huge auditorium of North Carolina State University in Wilmington. The singer performed with a teleprompter because his memory was failing him. After the concert, publicist Peter Hamill aptly said, “Sinatra is like the Colosseum. Partially destroyed, but still fascinating."
He released his last disc, Duets, in 1994. The elderly singer ended his career using new recording techniques. Thanks to modern technology, he sings with thirteen other famous performers, including Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Julio Iglesias, although they were recorded separately.
In 1995, Sinatra again received a Grammy Award for his concert performances and recordings.
He knew every president since Franklin Roosevelt, who invited him to tea at the White House in 1944.
“Sinatra could be rude and harsh, but also extremely generous, giving money not to universities, as is customary here among the rich and of which he never graduated, but to the poor, the sick, to fight cancer and other noble causes,” notes G. Gerasimov. - In total, he donated, according to some estimates, one billion dollars...
He lived his life “under the hood” not only of the ubiquitous press, which he did not favor, but also of the FBI secret police, who tried in vain to convict him of criminal connections with the mafia. They never found anything.”
And in 1985, the singer was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor of the United States.
Sinatra owned houses in New York and Los Angeles, a ranch in Palm Springs, record companies, several radio stations, private jets, shares in many companies, including a concern for the production of parts for ballistic missiles and the company he created, Artanis (Sinatra). , if read the other way around). In recent years, the business associated with his name has been run by his youngest daughter, Tina. The business included ties, spaghetti sauce and more.
When Sinatra died on the night of May 15, 1998, in a Los Angeles hospital from another heart attack, the San Francisco Chronicle suggested “Sinatra's death is a reason to celebrate his life. Let’s pour a glass and put on a record!”
Sinatra himself drew the line earlier: “We only live once, and the way I live, once is enough.”
Frank Sinatra is a popular American pop singer, performer of the hits “New York, New York”, “My way”, “Love Story” , “Over and Over” (“Peace be with you”). During the heyday of his activity, the artist acted in films, performed on the radio, produced films, and hosted his own television show. Sinatra is the winner of eleven Grammy awards and two Oscars.
The singer known as Frank Sinatra was born in 1915 into a family of Italian immigrants. He celebrated his birthday on December 12th. When born, the child weighed more than 6 kg. Full name, given to the boy at birth, sounded like Francis Albert Sinatra.
As a child, the child was often left with his grandmother and aunt. Frank's mother devoted a lot of time to social work, and his father was a dock worker. Martin and Dolly Sinatra were typical representatives of the working class of America in the early twentieth century.
At a young age, Frank became interested in music. He used his skills on the small ukulele to earn pocket money. Due to absenteeism and poor academic performance, young Sinatra was expelled from high school. He developed his abilities, being naturally gifted. Sinatra was not familiar with solfeggio and sang by ear.
Best songs and albums
Sinatra is considered the only singer who, in old age, was able to repeat the success of his younger years. The master recorded one of the most famous songs “New York, New York” in 1979. By this time the singer was already 64 years old. The song became a hallmark of New York and is still used today as one of the city's unspoken anthems.
Over the half-century of his creative activity, the singer has recorded more than a hundred hit compositions. Frank performed songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Burling and others famous composers of its time. During the singer's lifetime, about 60 albums with his vocals were released. Collections of Christmas songs performed by Sinatra are still very popular in America.
The artist’s most famous songs in the world: “Strangers in the night”, “New York, New York”, “My way” , "Fly Me to the moon", "Jingle bells" and "Let it Snow".
Personal life
The singer was officially married four times. His personal life was long time the object of close attention of journalists, which led to Frank's divorce from his first wife. The singer hated the press for the rest of his life.
The artist's first love was a girl named Nancy Barbato. She and Frank married in the winter of 1939. His wife gave Sinatra three wonderful children. The eldest daughter was born in 1940. She was named after her mother. When Nancy Sinatra grew up, she, following the example of her father, devoted her life to music. In 1944, Frank Sinatra Jr. was born, who also became a musician. He led his father's orchestra. The youngest child in this marriage was the singer’s daughter Tina. The children of Frank and Nancy connected their lives with show business. The eldest daughter and middle son became musicians, and Tina found herself in the film business.
After his divorce from Nancy, Sinatra quickly found solace in the arms of the actress. The lovers got married a few years after their romance began. For Ava, marriage to Sinatra was the third.
During the beginning of his family life with Gardner, Frank suffered a severe creative crisis. The singer was plagued by a series of failures, as a result of which he found himself unclaimed in the profession. Having lost his voice due to complications from a cold, Frank decided to take his own life. His wife was next to the singer and supported him in difficult times, Sinatra recovered and returned to the stage. In 1952, his concerts again began to be sold out. Sinatra lived with his second wife for about six years.
The singer married for the third time at the age of 51. The wedding of Sinatra and his 21-year-old fiancee Mia Farrow took place in 1966. Many devastating articles appeared in the press on this matter. Thanks to her wife's surname, Mia has made a good career as an actress. The young wife helped the singer overcome another creative crisis. A year after their wedding, Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra divorced.
The singer's fourth wife in 1976 was Barbara Marx. She was Sinatra's last official life partner, with whom he lived until his death. Biographers often criticize Barbara, calling her an inheritance hunter. The couple lived together for 22 years.
Frank Sinatra was not only talented singer and an actor, but also a famous ladies' man. His women were extraordinarily beautiful and talented. Among Sinatra's lovers there were many famous actresses, singers and fashion models. Both in his youth and in his old age, Frank knew how to charm the woman he liked with his “velvet” voice and gallant manners.
In addition to four official marriages, the singer had two broken engagements. Sinatra broke off his engagement to Humphrey Bogart's widow Lauren Bacall due to early publicity. The actress's friends told reporters about the upcoming wedding, and representatives of the press occupied the singer's home. Sinatra felt that Lauren had betrayed him and broke off their relationship.
The second engagement to Juliet Prowse was called off in 1962, a month and a half after its announcement. The breakup was initiated by the bride; she decided to focus on her career. Sinatra also had relationships with Lana Turner, Gina Lollobrigida, Shirley MacLaine, Donna Reed, Jill St. John. Frank and his women usually parted amicably, without scandals or incidents. Sinatra met many of his passions during filming and maintained friendly relations after breaking up.
Movies
The artist's charm helped him build a good career in cinema. Sinatra did not go to acting school or take performing arts lessons. His playing and musical skills were native. During his film career, Frank played roles in 46 films.
In 1965, the artist tried to direct the film “Only the Brave.” This experience was isolated, but as a producer, Sinatra released as many as six films. It is interesting that the artist’s children chose professions that replicate their father’s occupations. For example, Sinatra's youngest daughter began producing films.
Frank Sinatra in It Happened in Brooklyn The most famous films with the artist’s participation: “From Here to Eternity,” “Ocean’s 11” (film adaptation of 1960), “The Manchurian Candidate,” “The Man with the Golden Arm,” “Detective,” “Around the World in 80 Days” (film adaptation 1956). Sinatra's work in films was highly appreciated. The actor won two Oscar statuettes and two Golden Globe awards.
- In his youth, the artist almost ended up in prison because of his love for married woman. In America at the beginning of the last century, an affair with another man's wife was a criminal offense and could adversely affect the singer's career.
- There is a version that Frank Sinatra was connected with the mafia. In particular, the singer did not hide the fact that he is personally acquainted with some crime bosses. According to rumors, the mafia, ordered by Sinatra, dealt with his ill-wishers. And the singer primarily considered journalists who were too interested in his personal life and affairs to be his enemies.
- Frank Sinatra treated Audrey Hepburn very warmly, and it was he who gave the rising star the nickname “Princess.” Interestingly, in 1953, the actress actually played a royal in the film “Roman Holiday.” Sinatra's wife Ava Gardner was also considered for the role, but the producers chose Audrey Hepburn.
- Frank's eldest daughter posed for the cover of Playboy magazine. At the time of the candid photo shoot, Nancy Sinatra had already celebrated her 54th birthday.
- Frank was not only a singer and actor, but also a famous showman. The most popular representatives of American show business appeared on Sinatra's television show. After demobilization, young Elvis Presley appeared on television in Sinatra's show. By the way, the relationship between the two great singers was not particularly warm. Frank did not like rock and roll and called it degenerate music, which Elvis Presley did not like.
- In 1960, the singer bought a casino. When it turned out that one of Sinatra's partners was Chicago gangster Sam Giancana, the artist had to give up his share in the business to save his reputation.
- False renditions of the song "My Way" have caused the death of several singers in the Philippines. Over 10 years, 6 people were killed in karaoke bars. As a result of these incidents, the song was banned in the Philippines.
- Modern biographers, studying archives, have suggested that the singer had an affair with Marilyn Monroe. The veracity of this claim remains in question. It is known that Frank and Marilyn met in 1954. Several biographical books based on the memoirs of people close to Marilyn and Sinatra present conflicting information about their relationship.
- According to one version, Frank was crazy about the diva, but she rejected him, according to another, Marilyn was in love with the singer, but he did not want to connect his life with her. There is also an opinion that Sinatra and Monroe had secret romance. This love story caused a public outcry, and interest has not waned even half a century after the actress’s death. Some daredevils even suggest that Monroe could have committed suicide because of her unrequited love for Sinatra. Photos of the singer and actress do not support, but do not refute the theory about their secret romance.
Death
The singer announced the end of his stage career in 1971. He did not succeed in retiring completely that year. In 1973, the master recorded a new studio album, “Ol" Blue Eyes Is Back,” and resumed his concert activities in 1974. The last collection of compositions was released by the singer in 1993, and in 1995, the master appeared on stage for the last time.
Frank Sinatra and his wife in old age The singer died in 1998. The cause of death was a heart attack. The legendary Sinatra passed away on May 14th. Frank was 82 years old at the time of his death. The funeral took place in California in the city of Cathedral city at the Desert Memorial Park cemetery.
Discography:
- 1946 - The Voice Of Frank Sinatra
- 1948 - Christmas Songs By Sinatra
- 1954 - Swing Easy!
- 1957 - A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra
- 1958 - Come Fly With Me
- 1960 - Nice "N" Easy
- 1962 - Point Of No Return
- 1964 - Softly As I Leave You
- 1966 - Moonlight Sinatra
- 1966 - Strangers In The Night
- 1969 - My Way
- 1973 - Ol" Blue Eyes Is Back
- 1981 - She Shot Me Down
He performed all the most famous songs of the largest US composers - George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.
In addition to his musical triumph, Sinatra was also a successful film actor, the high point of his career being the 1954 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. His “piggy bank” contains many film awards: from the Golden Globes to the Screen Actors Guild Award. During his life, Sinatra starred in more than 60 films, the most famous of which were “Town to the City”, “From Here to Eternity”, “The Man with the Golden Arm”, “High Society”, “Pride and Passion”, “Eleven Ocean's Friends" and "The Manchurian Candidate".
Frank Sinatra was awarded the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People awards, and a year before his death he was awarded the highest US award - the Congressional Gold Medal.
Biography
Youth
Francis Albert Sinatra was born on the second floor of an apartment building on Monroe Street in Hoboken on December 12, 1915. His mother - nurse Dolly Garavante - spent a terrifying few hours giving birth to a boy. On top of that, he developed frightening lifelong scars from the forceps used by Dr. The reason for such a difficult birth could be the unusual weight of the baby - almost six kilograms.
Frank's father was Martin Sinatra, a shipyard worker and boilermaker, and Dolly's mother served as the local chairman of the Democratic Party in Hoboken. Both immigrated to the United States from Italy: Martin from Sicily and Dolly from Genoa. After the birth of his son, Martin had trouble finding regular work, so he began participating in boxing matches, where he quickly became a local favorite. Dolly was the head of the family: a strict, dynamic woman who loved her family, but focused more on social and political work than on family work. Due to various work commitments, she often left Frank with her grandmother for long periods of time.
In the spring of 1917, America entered the war. Martin was too old to recruit, so he continued his regular work at the docks, bar, ring, and later the Hoboken Fire Department. After the end of the war, Dolly became closely involved with Hoboken immigrants, and left the boy with his grandmother and aunt. Also, the mother often left her son under the supervision of her Jewish neighbor, Mrs. Golden, thanks to the good impressions of communicating with her, in later life Frank supported Jews and Israel. Unlike his peers, the two-year-old curly-haired boy Frank grew slowly and less progressively.
From an early age he was interested in music, and from the age of 13 he worked part-time using a ukulele, a small musical instrument, and a megaphone, in bars in his city. In 1931, Sinatra was kicked out of school for “disgraceful behavior.” As a result, he never received any education, including musical education: Sinatra sang by ear, never having learned the notes.
Sinatra's 1959 hit "High Hopes" remained on the national charts for 17 weeks, longer than any other song by the singer.
Memory
Most famous songs
Albums
(albums, concert recordings and compilations released by record companies with which Sinatra collaborated)
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Filmography
Acting works
- - Walk more cheerfully / Step Lively - Glenn Russell
- - Raise anchors / Anchors Aweigh - Clarence Doolittle
- - While the clouds are floating / Till Clouds Roll By - as himself
- - It happened in Brooklyn / It Happened in Brooklyn - Danny Webson Miller
- - Miracle of the Bell / The Miracle of the Bells - father Paul
- - Kissing Bandit / The Kissing Bandit - Ricardo
- - Take me with you to baseball / Take Me Out to the Ball Game - Dennis Ryan
- - Dismissal to the city / On the Town - Chip
- - Double dynamite / Double Dynamite - Johnny Dalton
- - Meet Danny Wilson / Meet Danny Wilson - Danny Wilson
- - From now on and forever and ever / From Here to Eternity - Private Angelo Maggio(received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor)
- - This is a young heart / Young at Heart - Barney
- - Unexpected / Suddenly - John Baron
- - Not like a stranger / Not as a Stranger - Alfred Boone
- - Guys and Dolls / Guys and Dolls - Nathan Detroit
- - The Man with the Golden Arm / The Man With the Golden Arm - Frankie
- - Delicate trap / The Tender Trap - Charlie
- - High Society / High Society - Mike Connor
- - Johnny Concho / Johnny Concho - Johnny Concho/Johnny Collins
- - Around the world in 80 Days / Around The World In 80 Days - pianist in the saloon
- - Joker / The Joker Is Wild - Joe
- - Pride and passion / The Pride and the Passion - Miguel
- - Pal Joey / Pal Joey - Joey Evans
- - Kings set off / Kings Go Forth - First Lieutenant Sam Loggins
- - And they ran up / Some Came Running - Dave Hirsch
- - Hole in the head / A Hole in the Head - Tony Manetta
- - Never so little / Never So Few - Captain Tom Reynolds
- - Cancan / Can-can -- Francois Durnet
- - Ocean's Eleven / Ocean's Eleven - Danny Ocean
- - Devil at 4 o'clock / The Devil at 4 O'Clock - Harry
- - Three sergeants / Sergeants 3 - First Sergeant Mark Merry
- - Manchurian Candidate / The Manchurian Candidate - Captain/Major Bennett Marco
- - Adrian Messenger List / The List of Adrian Messenger - cameo
- - Come and blow your horn / Come Blow Your Horn - Alan Baker
- - Four from Texas / 4 for Texas - Zach Thomas
- - Robin and the 7 Gangsters / Robin and the 7 Hoods - gangster Robbie
- - Von Ryan Train / Von Ryan's Express - Colonel Ryan
- - Wedding on the rocks / Marriage on the Rocks - Dan Edwards
- - Cast a giant shadow / Cast a Giant Shadow - Vince
- - Attack on the "Queen" / Assault on a Queen - Mark
- - Naked Fugitive / The Naked Runner - Sam Laker
- - Tony Rome / Tony Rome - Tony Rome
- - Detective / The Detective - Joe Leland
- - Lady in Cement / Lady in Cement - Tony Rome
- - Dirty Dingus Magee / Dirty Dingus Magee - Dyngus Billy Magee
- - The First Deadly Sin / The First Deadly Sin - Edward Delaney
Director's work
- - Only the brave / None But the Brave
Producer works
- - Johnny Concho / Johnny Concho
- - Hole in the head / A Hole in the Head(executive producer; uncredited)
- - Three sergeants / Sergeants 3
- - Robin and the 7 Gangsters / Robin and the 7 Hoods
- - Only the brave / None But the Brave
- - The First Deadly Sin / The First Deadly Sin
see also
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Excerpt characterizing Sinatra, Frank
A man without convictions, without habits, without traditions, without a name, not even a Frenchman, by the most strange accidents, it seems, moves among all the parties that worry France and, without attaching himself to any of them, is brought to a prominent place.The ignorance of his comrades, the weakness and insignificance of his opponents, the sincerity of the lie and the brilliant and self-confident narrow-mindedness of this man put him at the head of the army. The brilliant composition of the soldiers of the Italian army, the reluctance of his opponents to fight, his childish audacity and self-confidence gain him military glory. Countless so-called accidents accompany him everywhere. The disfavor into which he falls from the rulers of France serves to his advantage. His attempts to change the path destined for him fail: he is not accepted into the service in Russia, and he fails to be assigned to Turkey. During the wars in Italy, he is on the verge of death several times and is saved each time in an unexpected way. Russian troops, the very ones that could destroy his glory, for various diplomatic reasons, do not enter Europe as long as he is there.
On his return from Italy, he finds the government in Paris in that process of decay in which the people who fall into this government are inevitably erased and destroyed. And for him there is a way out of this dangerous situation, consisting of a meaningless, causeless expedition to Africa. Again the same so-called accidents accompany him. Impregnable Malta surrenders without a shot; the most careless orders are crowned with success. The enemy fleet, which does not let a single boat through, lets through an entire army. In Africa, a number of atrocities are committed against almost unarmed inhabitants. And the people who commit these atrocities, and especially their leader, convince themselves that this is wonderful, that this is glory, that this is similar to Caesar and Alexander the Great, and that this is good.
That ideal of glory and greatness, which consists in not only not considering anything bad for oneself, but being proud of every crime, attributing to it an incomprehensible supernatural significance - this ideal, which should guide this person and the people associated with him, is being developed in the open air in Africa. Whatever he does, he succeeds. The plague does not bother him. The cruelty of killing prisoners is not blamed on him. His childishly careless, causeless and ignoble departure from Africa, from his comrades in trouble, is given credit to him, and again the enemy fleet misses him twice. While he, already completely intoxicated by the happy crimes he had committed, ready for his role, comes to Paris without any purpose, the decay of the republican government, which could have destroyed him a year ago, has now reached its extreme, and the presence of him, fresh from a person's parties, now only can elevate him.
He doesn't have any plan; he is afraid of everything; but the parties seize on him and demand his participation.
He alone, with his ideal of glory and greatness developed in Italy and Egypt, with his madness of self-adoration, with his audacity of crimes, with his sincerity of lies - he alone can justify what is about to happen.
He is needed for the place that awaits him, and therefore, almost independently of his will and despite his indecision, despite the lack of a plan, despite all the mistakes he makes, he is drawn into a conspiracy aimed at seizing power, and the conspiracy is crowned with success .
He is pushed into the meeting of the rulers. Frightened, he wants to run away, considering himself dead; pretends to faint; says meaningless things that should destroy him. But the rulers of France, previously smart and proud, now, feeling that their role has been played, are even more embarrassed than he is, and say the wrong words that they should have said in order to retain power and destroy him.
Chance, millions of coincidences give him power, and all people, as if by agreement, contribute to the establishment of this power. Accidents make the characters of the then rulers of France subservient to him; accidents make the character of Paul I recognizing his power; chance conspires against him, not only not harming him, but asserting his power. An accident sends Enghien into his hands and inadvertently forces him to kill, thereby, stronger than all other means, convincing the crowd that he has the right, since he has the power. What makes it an accident is that he strains all his strength on an expedition to England, which, obviously, would destroy him, and never fulfills this intention, but accidentally attacks Mack with the Austrians, who surrender without a battle. Chance and genius give him victory at Austerlitz, and by chance all people, not only the French, but all of Europe, with the exception of England, which will not take part in the events that are about to take place, all people, despite the previous horror and disgust for his crimes, now they recognize his power, the name he gave himself, and his ideal of greatness and glory, which seems to everyone to be something beautiful and reasonable.
As if trying on and preparing for the upcoming movement, the forces of the West several times in the years 1805, 6, 7, 9 rush to the east, growing stronger and stronger. In 1811, the group of people that had formed in France merged into one huge group with the middle peoples. Together with an increasing group of people, the power of justification of the person at the head of the movement further develops. In the ten-year preparatory period preceding the great movement, this man is brought together with all the crowned heads of Europe. The exposed rulers of the world cannot oppose the Napoleonic ideal of glory and greatness, which has no meaning, with any reasonable ideal. One in front of the other, they strive to show him their insignificance. The King of Prussia sends his wife to curry favor with the great man; the Emperor of Austria considers it a mercy that this man accepts the daughter of the Caesars into his bed; the pope, guardian of the sacred things of the people, serves with his religion the exaltation of a great man. It is not so much that Napoleon himself prepares himself to fulfill his role, but rather that everything around him prepares him to take upon himself the full responsibility of what is happening and is about to happen. There is no act, no crime or petty deception that he has committed that is not immediately reflected in the mouths of those around him in the form of a great deed. The best holiday that the Germans can come up with for him is the celebration of Jena and Auerstätt. Not only is he great, but his ancestors, his brothers, his stepsons, his sons-in-law are great. Everything is done in order to deprive him of the last power of reason and prepare him for his terrible role. And when he is ready, so are the forces.
The invasion is heading east, reaching its final goal - Moscow. The capital is taken; The Russian army is more destroyed than enemy troops were ever destroyed in previous wars from Austerlitz to Wagram. But suddenly, instead of those accidents and genius that had so consistently led him so far in an unbroken series of successes towards his intended goal, there appears a countless number of reverse accidents, from a runny nose in Borodino to frost and the spark that lit Moscow; and instead of genius there are stupidity and meanness, which have no examples.
The invasion runs, comes back, runs again, and all the coincidences are now no longer for, but against it.
There is a counter-movement from east to west with remarkable similarity to the previous movement from west to east. The same attempts at movement from east to west in 1805 - 1807 - 1809 precede the great movement; the same clutch and group of huge sizes; the same pestering of the middle peoples to the movement; the same hesitation in the middle of the path and the same speed as you approach the goal.
Paris - the ultimate goal has been achieved. Napoleonic government and troops are destroyed. Napoleon himself no longer makes sense; all his actions are obviously pathetic and disgusting; but again an inexplicable accident occurs: the allies hate Napoleon, in whom they see the cause of their disasters; deprived of strength and power, convicted of villainy and deceit, he would have to appear to them as he appeared to them ten years ago and a year after - an outlaw robber. But by some strange chance no one sees this. His role is not over yet. A man who ten years ago and a year after was considered an outlaw robber is sent on a two-day journey from France to an island given to him in possession with a guard and millions who pay him for something.
The movement of peoples begins to settle into its shores. The waves of the great movement have subsided, and circles are formed on the calm sea, in which diplomats rush, imagining that they are the ones causing the lull in the movement.
But the calm sea suddenly rises. It seems to diplomats that they, their disagreements, are the reason for this new onslaught of forces; they expect war between their sovereigns; The situation seems insoluble to them. But the wave, the rise of which they feel, is not rushing from where they expect it. The same wave is rising, from the same starting point of movement - Paris. The last surge of movement from the west is taking place; a splash that should resolve the seemingly intractable diplomatic difficulties and put an end to the militant movement of this period.
The man who devastated France, alone, without a conspiracy, without soldiers, comes to France. Every watchman can take it; but, by a strange coincidence, not only does no one take it, but everyone greets with delight the man whom they cursed the day before and will curse in a month.
This person is also needed to justify the last collective action.
The action is completed. The last role has been played. The actor was ordered to undress and wash off the antimony and rouge: he would no longer be needed.
And several years pass in which this man, alone on his island, plays a pathetic comedy in front of himself, petty intrigues and lies, justifying his actions when this justification is no longer needed, and shows the whole world what it was like what people took for strength when an invisible hand guided them.
The manager, having finished the drama and undressed the actor, showed him to us.
- Look what you believed! Here he is! Do you see now that it was not he, but I who moved you?
But, blinded by the power of the movement, people did not understand this for a long time.
The life of Alexander I, the person who stood at the head of the countermovement from east to west, is even more consistent and necessary.
What is needed for that person who, overshadowing others, would stand at the head of this movement from east to west?
What is needed is a sense of justice, participation in European affairs, but distant, not obscured by petty interests; what is needed is a predominance of moral heights over one’s comrades—the sovereigns of that time; a meek and attractive personality is needed; a personal insult against Napoleon is needed. And all this is in Alexander I; all this was prepared by countless so-called accidents of his entire past life: and education, and liberal initiatives, and surrounding advisers, and Austerlitz, and Tilsit, and Erfurt.
During a people's war, this person is inactive, since he is not needed. But as soon as the need for a general European war appears, this face this moment is in its place and, connecting European peoples, leads them to the goal.
The goal has been achieved. After last war 1815 Alexander is at the pinnacle of possible human power. How does he use it?
Alexander I, the pacifier of Europe, a man who from his youth strove only for the good of his people, the first instigator of liberal innovations in his fatherland, now that he seems to have the greatest power and therefore the opportunity to do the good of his people, while Napoleon exile makes childish and deceitful plans about how he would make humanity happy if he had power, Alexander I, having fulfilled his calling and sensing the hand of God on himself, suddenly recognizes the insignificance of this imaginary power, turns away from it, transfers it into the hands of those despised by him and despised people and says only:
- “Not for us, not for us, but for your name!” I am a man too, just like you; leave me to live as a human being and think about my soul and God.
Just as the sun and each atom of the ether is a ball, complete in itself and at the same time only an atom of a whole inaccessible to man due to the enormity of the whole, so each personality carries within itself its own goals and, at the same time, carries them in order to serve common goals inaccessible to man. .
A bee sitting on a flower stung a child. And the child is afraid of bees and says that the purpose of a bee is to sting people. The poet admires a bee digging into the calyx of a flower and says that the bee’s goal is to absorb the aroma of flowers. The beekeeper, noticing that the bee collects flower dust and brings it to the hive, says that the bee's goal is to collect honey. Another beekeeper, having studied the life of a swarm more closely, says that the bee collects dust to feed young bees and breed the queen, and that its goal is to procreate. The botanist notices that, by flying with the dust of a dioecious flower onto the pistil, the bee fertilizes it, and the botanist sees the bee’s purpose in this. Another, observing the migration of plants, sees that the bee promotes this migration, and this new observer can say that this is the purpose of the bee. But the final goal of the bee is not exhausted by either one, or the other, or the third goal, which the human mind is able to discover. The higher the human mind rises in the discovery of these goals, the more obvious to it is the inaccessibility of the final goal.
Man can only observe the correspondence between the life of a bee and other phenomena of life. The same goes for the goals of historical figures and peoples.
The wedding of Natasha, who married Bezukhov in 13, was the last joyful event in the old Rostov family. That same year, Count Ilya Andreevich died, and, as always happens, with his death the old family fell apart.
Events last year: the fire of Moscow and the flight from it, the death of Prince Andrei and Natasha’s despair, the death of Petya, the grief of the countess - all this, like blow after blow, fell on the head of the old count. He did not seem to understand and felt unable to understand the meaning of all these events and, morally bending his old head, as if he was expecting and asking for new blows that would finish him off. He seemed either frightened and confused, or unnaturally animated and adventurous.
Natasha's wedding occupied him for a while with its external side. He ordered lunches and dinners and, apparently, wanted to appear cheerful; but his joy was not communicated as before, but, on the contrary, aroused compassion in the people who knew and loved him.
After Pierre and his wife left, he became quiet and began to complain of melancholy. A few days later he fell ill and went to bed. From the first days of his illness, despite the doctors' consolations, he realized that he would not get up. The Countess, without undressing, spent two weeks in a chair at his head. Every time she gave him medicine, he sobbed and silently kissed her hand. On the last day, he sobbed and asked for forgiveness from his wife and in absentia from his son for the ruin of his estate - the main guilt that he felt for himself. Having received communion and special rites, he died quietly, and the next day a crowd of acquaintances who had come to pay their last respects to the deceased filled the Rostovs’ rented apartment. All these acquaintances, who had dined and danced with him so many times, who had laughed at him so many times, now all with the same feeling of inner reproach and tenderness, as if making excuses for someone, said: “Yes, whatever it was, there was a most wonderful Human. You won’t meet such people these days... And who doesn’t have their own weaknesses?..”
It was at a time when the count’s affairs were so confused that it was impossible to imagine how it would all end if it continued for another year, he unexpectedly died.
Nicholas was with the Russian troops in Paris when news of his father's death came to him. He immediately resigned and, without waiting for it, took a vacation and came to Moscow. The state of financial affairs a month after the count's death became completely clear, surprising everyone with the enormity of the amount of various small debts, the existence of which no one suspected. There were twice as many debts as estates.
Relatives and friends advised Nikolai to refuse the inheritance. But Nikolai saw the refusal of the inheritance as an expression of reproach to the sacred memory of his father and therefore did not want to hear about the refusal and accepted the inheritance with the obligation to pay debts.
The creditors, who had been silent for so long, being bound during the count's lifetime by the vague but powerful influence that his dissolute kindness had on them, suddenly filed for collection. A competition arose, as always happens, to see who would get it first, and the very people who, like Mitenka and others, had non-cash bills of exchange - gifts, now became the most demanding creditors. Nicholas was given neither time nor rest, and those who, apparently, pitied the old man, who was the culprit of their loss (if there were losses), now mercilessly attacked the young heir, who was obviously innocent before them, who voluntarily took upon himself to pay.
None of Nikolai's proposed turns succeeded; the estate was auctioned off at half price, and half of the debts still remained unpaid. Nikolai took the thirty thousand offered to him by his son-in-law Bezukhov to pay that part of the debts that he recognized as monetary, real debts. And in order not to be thrown into a hole for the remaining debts, which the creditors threatened him with, he again entered the service.
It was impossible to go to the army, where he was in the first vacancy of a regimental commander, because the mother was now holding on to her son as the last bait of life; and therefore, despite the reluctance to remain in Moscow in the circle of people who knew him before, despite his aversion to civil service, he took a position in the civil service in Moscow and, taking off his beloved uniform, settled with his mother and Sonya in a small apartment, on Sivtsev Vrazhek.
Natasha and Pierre lived at this time in St. Petersburg, without a clear idea of Nicholas' situation. Nikolai, having borrowed money from his son-in-law, tried to hide his plight from him. Nikolai's position was especially bad because with his one thousand two hundred rubles salary he not only had to support himself, Sonya and his mother, but he had to support his mother so that she would not notice that they were poor. The countess could not understand the possibility of life without the conditions of luxury familiar to her from childhood and constantly, not understanding how difficult it was for her son, she demanded either a carriage, which they did not have, in order to send for a friend, or expensive food for herself and wine for son, then money to give a surprise gift to Natasha, Sonya and the same Nikolai.
Sonya ran the household, looked after her aunt, read aloud to her, endured her whims and hidden dislike, and helped Nikolai hide from the old countess the state of need in which they were. Nikolai felt an unpaid debt of gratitude to Sonya for everything she did for his mother, admired her patience and devotion, but tried to distance himself from her.
In his soul he seemed to reproach her for the fact that she was too perfect, and for the fact that there was nothing to reproach her for. She had everything for which people are valued; but there was little that would make him love her. And he felt that the more he appreciated, the less he loved her. He took her at her word, in her letter, with which she gave him freedom, and now he behaved with her as if everything that had happened between them had long been forgotten and could not in any case be repeated.
Nikolai's situation became worse and worse. The idea of saving from my salary turned out to be a dream. Not only did he not put it off, but, while satisfying his mother’s demands, he owed little things. He saw no way out of his situation. The thought of marrying a rich heiress, who was offered to him by his relatives, was disgusting to him. Another way out of his situation - the death of his mother - never occurred to him. He wanted nothing, hoped for nothing; and in the very depths of his soul he experienced a gloomy and stern pleasure in uncomplainingly enduring his situation. He tried to avoid former acquaintances with their condolences and offers of insulting help, avoided all distraction and entertainment, even at home he did nothing except lay out cards with his mother, silently walk around the room and smoke pipe after pipe. He seemed to diligently maintain within himself that gloomy mood of spirit in which alone he felt able to bear his situation.
At the beginning of winter, Princess Marya arrived in Moscow. From city rumors, she learned about the position of the Rostovs and how “the son sacrificed himself for his mother,” as they said in the city.
“I didn’t expect anything else from him,” Princess Marya said to herself, feeling a joyful confirmation of her love for him. Remembering her friendly and almost family relations with the whole family, she considered it her duty to go to them. But, remembering her relationship with Nikolai in Voronezh, she was afraid of this. Having made a great effort on herself, however, a few weeks after her arrival in the city, she came to the Rostovs.
