frank sinatra has a cold

Ooops, i hit "publish post" before noon today and immediately walked out the front door & went to lunch, just got back to my house and realized the page didn't load. My apologies.. luckily it was saved!



Sitting at my usual spot in our oversized leather armchair in our living room, wrapped cozily in blankets, I read "Frank Sinatra has a Cold" with Sinatra simultaneously crooning a jazzy melody "There is nothing for me but to lovvvee you..... and the way you look tonight..." out of the surround sound speakers. I couldn't help but to feel like an insider in the late singer's close circle of luxurious confidantes while reading this piece. Sipping cranberry juice from one of our thrice used plastic cups, I imagined I was actually sipping Cabernet Sauvignon from an Austrian crystal wine glass at a jazz bar listening to Old Blue Eyes performing live.

Gay Talese wrote this piece so well, without ever having even talked to Sinatra. The sensory details were so delicious to read, and he revealed Sinatra's character to such an extent that I feel like i know him personally. I really like the writer's account of all the people that were lined up outside of the bar just to catch a glimpse of him "to pay their respects," As well as the scene where he's singing the song about his daughter Nancy, and is portrayed to be an emotional and sentimental person. It was a nice contrast after hearing about how big of an asshole he can be when he's in one of his moods.

I really like the angle the writer took on this piece. He was very much absent in the piece, an invisible observer. I liked that it wasn't a paparazzi account of Frank being rude and causing a scene in public every once in a while, or showing how nice of a guy he is to his house guests and friends, it captured so many sides of him, his relationship with his daughter, his ex-wife, his parents, his manager, and his closest friends. Like I said before it made me feel like I really knew him. Everyone gets colds and is miserable when they have a cold, but no one stops to think how much worse it would be to have a cold when you're a singer. And not just any singer, but Frank fucking Sinatra. His career is on the line, millions of dollars and other peoples jobs are on the line.... it's a pretty big deal when Frank Sinatra can't sing because he has a cold.