OL’ BLUE EYES ON THE RADIO
Arguably the most popular singer of the 20th century, Frank Sinatra became the first pop culture icon to exceed the likes of Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallée through the medium of radio. He became an idol to millions and was one of the most popular recording artists of the era.Young women swamped the studio to catch a glimpse of “Frankie,” and both CBS and NBC were forced to hire security to maintain discipline among the screaming females. Within a year of his rise to fame, radio producers sought out other singers in the hopes of cashing in on the same success. Regardless of their talent, there was never another Sinatra.
Shortly after Sinatra left Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra in 1942, he became the star of his own radio program, becoming the idol of “bobby-soxers,” trendy young women (who often wore ankle socks) who were zealous music fans. Industry heads were at a loss to explain his popularity, beyond the vocal gift he was born with, but radio was still in its infancy and was defining pop culture.
On radio, applying
Bing Crosby’s light and fluffy speaking style, Sinatra kidded aside in a manner that suggested he broke away from the script to rub elbows with celebrity guests. But Sinatra did not need celebrities to boost his image, just a vocal warmup. His boyish manner was later mimicked by those who followed, and within a year many radio comedians employed their own crooners in the hopes of establishing the next Sinatra.
Like many radio performers before him, Sinatra aided the war effort by touring cross-country to perform in various auditoriums, requiring fans to purchase a war bond to attend. Celebrity guests provided drawing room comedy in between musical performances.
Sinatra’s venture into Hollywood earned him an honorary Oscar when he spoke against religious intolerance in the short film The House I Live In (1945), and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in From Here to Eternity (1953). Always one to explore a nonmusical performance and thus avoid typecasting, Sinatra starred in such films as The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and The Detective (1968).
Under a number of varied formats and titles, Sinatra was the star of numerous weekly radio programs including Songs by Sinatra, Broadway Bandbox, Light-UpTime, Meet Frank Sinatra, To Be Perfectly
Frank and The Frank Sinatra Show, with every broadcast highlighting Sinatra’s vocal talents, regardless of who the celebrity guest was on the program.
Ironic, when you consider the fact that Sinatra has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for music, one for film and one for television. He never earned one for radio.