From the Saturday, Dec. 19, editions of The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …
The WISCH LIST
By Dave Wischnowsky
On Dec. 12, 1915, inside a ramshackle upstairs tenement in Hoboken, N.J., Francis Albert Sinatra entered the world weighing a whopping 13.5 pounds.
He then went on to become larger than life.
And throughout Sinatra’s extraordinary tenure as “Chairman of the Board” before his death in 1998 at the age of 82, there were few cities – save perhaps “New York, New York” – that Ol’ Blue Eyes was more closely associated with than Chicago, his kind of town.
Seven days ago, the world sung praises about Sinatra on what would have been his 100th birthday. And in the week since, I’ve come across so many interesting Windy City tidbits about the 20th century’s greatest singer that I thought we should belt those out too.
My kind of … show tune?
Throughout his life, Sinatra recorded multiple versions of his hit song “My Kind of Town,” but what you might not know is that the popular tune was originally part of the musical score for the 1964 film, “Robin and the 7 Hoods,” which starred several members of the legendary Rat Pack.
The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song (losing out to “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from “Mary Poppins”), and in its original context, the film’s mob boss Robbo (Sinatra), having just been acquitted of murdering the sheriff – a crime for which he had been framed – walks out of the courthouse and joyously sings the song in gratitude to the gathered crowd of Chicagoans, who start singing along with him.
Perhaps Rahm Emanuel should try writing a song.
St. Louis is what?
When singing “My Kind of Town,” Sinatra was known to occasionally alter the lyrics a bit. For example, in early versions, when the Union Stock Yards (closed in 1971) was still in existence, one of the final lines was “The Union Stock Yards, Chicago is.” In later versions, however, that line was replaced with “The Chicago Cubbies, Chicago is.”
In 1965, for a “Frank Sinatra Spectacular” benefit concert in St. Louis, went beyond a few tweaks when he altered the lyrics to reflect St. Louis as the town in his affections.
Talk about playing to the crowd.
Frank’s Chicago Anchor
Sinatra was known to frequent many restaurants during his visits to Chicago, but his favorite was Twin Anchors (1655 N. Sedgwick), where he loved the ribs (for very good reason).
Whenever Sinatra did pop in, he’d take his customary seat in the back of the restaurant near the pair of wooden anchors mounted on the wall. Then he would post one of his bodyguards at the pay phone to keep patrons from calling their friends and causing a frenzied mob scene.
Mixed up with the Mob
Not all of Sinatra’s Chicago ties were positive ones.
In 1960, for example, he allegedly worked with Chicago mobsters to buy votes for the John F. Kennedy campaign. And two years later in 1962, when the mafia came under investigation during JFK’s term, Sinatra paid the price as Chicago Outfit boss Sam Giancana reportedly forced him and the Rat Pack to play a week of shows at his glitzy, but ailing nightclub, the Villa Venice, then located near Northbrook.
His kind of music
New White Sox slugger Todd Frazier is apparently a huge fan of Sinatra, with the Chicago Tribune reporting that he has walked up to the plate to standards such as “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Come Fly with Me.”
Last summer, “My Way” blasted out from the Great American Ball Park sound system after Frazier’s blasts won him the Home Run Derby.
Sounds like U.S. Cellular Field needs to add a new playlist.