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 | What is the Major Bowes show, and why is it significant to Frank Sinatra? |
From the book, Sinatra by Arnold Shaw, we have this background information:
"There is no question that on September 8, 1935, the quartet with Frank Sinatra as lead singer appeared on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour, broadcasting from the stage of the Capitol Theatre in New York. A giant audiometer was used in the theater to measure audience applause, while at home listeners voted by calling MUrray Hill 8-9933. The total tally gave first prize to the group, who then became part of a Major Bowes traveling unit. While on tour, each member of the Hoboken Four received fifty dollars a week plus meals. The quartet remained on the road for several months, eventually travelling as far as Hollywood, where mounting dissension and a fight let to Frank's abruptly leaving the group and returning to New Jersey."Major Bowes' introduction of The Hoboken Four, with Frank Sinatra, has been preserved on bootleg sources for many years and as part of the special CD that accompanies Nancy Sinatra's An American Legend book.
 | Did Sinatra appear on any other radio shows before becoming a recording star? |
These shows enabled Sinatra to be heard in the important New York area market. Harry James, while listening to one of these early broadcasts, traveled to the Rustic Cabin to hear and signed Sinatra to his first major contract. Whilst appearing with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra appeared on many radio broadcasts from 1939 - 1942. Sinatra's farewell to the Tommy Dorsey orchestra is preserved and available on RCA's The Song Is You! box set.
 | What are the featured music-based radio shows of Frank Sinatra? |
| Radio Show | Network | Sponsor | Time slot and duration |
| Reflections | CBS | Sustaining | Twice weekly starting October 6, 1942-February 23, 1943 |
| Your Hit Parade | CBS | Lucky Strike | Saturday, 9:00 PM Feb 27, 1943-December 30, 1944 |
| Broadway Bandbox | CBS | Sustaining | Friday, 11:15PM-12:00am May 14, 1943 Monday, 9:30-10:00 PM July 19, 1943 Sunday, September 19, 1943 - October 17, 1943 |
| Songs By Sinatra | CBS | Sustaining | Sunday, 7:15-7:30pm October 24, 1943 - December 26, 1943 |
| Frank Sinatra Program | CBS | Vimms Vitamins | Wednesday, 9:00-9:30pm January 5, 1944 - June 14, 1944 |
| Frank Sinatra in Person | CBS | Vimms Vitamins | Wednesday, 9:00-9:30pm, August 16, 1944 - November 15, 1944 Monday, 8:30-9:00pm, November 20, 1944 - December 25, 1944 |
| The Frank Sinatra Show | CBS | Max Factor | Wednesday, 9:00-9:30pm January 3, 1945 - May 16, 1945 |
| Songs By Sinatra | CBS | Old Gold | Wednesday, 9:00-9:30pm September 12, 1945 - June 5, 1946 September 18, 1946 - June 4, 1947 |
| Your Hit Parade | NBC | Lucky Strike | Saturdays 9:00 PM September 6, 1947 - May 28, 1949 |
| Light Up Time | NBC | Lucky Strike | Monday-Friday, 8:00-8:15pm September 5, 1949 - June 21, 1950 |
| Meet Frank Sinatra | CBS | Tintair | Sunday, 5:00-6:00pm October 29, 1950 - July 22, 1951 |
| To Be Perfectly Frank | NBC | Tuesday and Friday, 8:15-8:30 PM November 3, 1953 - July 2, 1954 | |
| The Bobbi Show | NBC | Bobbi | Wednesday and Friday, 8:15-8:30 PM September 1, 1954 - July 1, 1955 |
 | What was The Sinatra Symphonette? |
To Be Perfectly Frank was a twice weekly feature on the NBC network, from late 1953 to the spring of 1955. While the original broadcasts were on Tuesday and Friday evenings, the shows were rebroadcast over the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Services.
While the Sinatra Symphonette was identified on AFRTS #18, consisting of Tony, Sunny, Mike, Johnny, and Graham; there are no complete records of the actual members of the quintet. The following musicians most likely appeared on all, many, or some of the special recordings:
Piano: Bill Miller and Graham Forbes
Drums: Johnny Blowers and Alvin Stoller
Bass: John Ryan and Joe Comfort
Guitar: Tony Mottola and Alan Reuss
Reeds and Flute: Sonny Salad and Abe Most
The typical format of the show consisted of the opening theme and introduction: Walking And Whistlin' Blues played by Les Paul, with Eddie King introducing the show and Frank Sinatra. Sinatra would then play the popular records of the day, as well as one or two of the "live" songs. There exists about 127 AFRTS versions of the show.
 | Did Sinatra appear in a regularly recurring dramatic role on radio? |
| Show title | Date Aired |
| Oyster Shucker | October 6, 1953 |
| Double Indemnity | October 13, 1953 |
| Luxury Liner Steward | October 20, 1953 |
| Missing Boy | October 27, 1953 |
| $100 per hour Messenger Boy | November 3, 1953 |
| Bass Player | November 10, 1953 |
| Bodyguard to a Drama Critic | November 17, 1953 |
| Artshop Handyman | November 24, 1953 |
| Carnival Worker | December 1, 1953 |
| Paid Companion to a Monkey | December 8, 1953 |
| Gondolfo The Prize Fighter | December 15, 1953 |
| Sister Ellie's Dead | December 22, 1953 |
| Bodyguard at a Rodeo | December 29, 1953 |
| Tour Guide at a Museum | January 5, 1954 |
| Nitroglycerine Truck Driver | January 12, 1954 |
| The Casey Affair (Football) | January 19, 1954 |
| Social Director at Catskills | January 26, 1954 |
| Too Many Husbands | February 2, 1954 |
| Grinder Escapes | February 9, 1954 |
| Process Server/Missing Drugs | February 16, 1954 |
| Actuary Friend/Fresh Corpse | February 23, 1954 |
| Witness To A Will | March 2, 1954 |
| Rocket To The Moon | March 9, 1954 |
| Rents A Room | March 16, 1954 |
 | What were Sinatra's regulary scheduled TV show? |
| Show | Network | Sponsor | Time slot and duration |
| The Frank Sinatra Show | CBS | Bulova | October 7, 1950 - May 12, 1951 |
| The Frank Sinatra Show | CBS | Ekco | October 9, 1951 - April 1, 1952 |
| The Frank Sinatra Show | ABC | October 18, 1957 - May 23, 1958 |
After the ABC series, the network signed him to a series of specials.
 | What were Sinatra's special TV shows? |
| Show | Network | Date | Available? |
| Timex Special: The Frank Sinatra Show | ABC | October 19,1958 | |
| Timex Special: The Frank Sinatra Show | ABC | October 19,1959 | |
| Timex Special: An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra | ABC | December 13, 1959 | |
| Timex Special: Here's To The Ladies | ABC | February 15, 1960 | |
| Timex Special: Welcome Home Elvis | ABC | May 12, 1960 | |
| A Man And His Music | NBC | November 24, 1965 |   |
| A Man And His Music Part II | CBS | December 7, 1966 | |
| A Man And His Music + Ella + Jobim | NBC | November 13, 1967 | |
| Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing | NBC | November 25, 1968 | |
| Sinatra | NBC | November 5, 1969 |  |
| Sinatra In Concert At Royal Festival Hall | NBC | November 16, 1970 | |
| Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back | NBC | November 18, 1973 | |
| Sinatra The Main Event | NBC | October 13, 1974 | |
| Frank Sinatra & Friends | ABC | April 21, 1977 | |
| Sinatra: The First 40 Years | ABC | January 3, 1980 | |
| Sinatra: The Man And His Music | NBC | November 22, 1981 | |
| Sinatra: The Best Is Yet To Come | CBS | December 17, 1990 | |
| Sinatra 80 Years My Way | ABC | December 14, 1995 |
 | What TV shows did Sinatra make guest appearances on? |
Burke's Law
11/15/1963: Who Killed Wade Walker? as a cameo
What's My Line
11/27/1966: as 'The Mystery Guest'
What's My Line
12/4/1966: as a Guest Panelist (The Mystery guest was his new bride, Mia)
Magnum P.I.
1986: Laura as Sgt. Michael Doheny
Who's the Boss?
1989: Party Double as himself
 | What Jerry Lewis MDA telethons did Sinatra appear on? |
Aug 31, 1975
Sinatra is in NY and appears three times:
1) You Are The Sushine Of My Life, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, In The Wee Small Hours, I Believe I'm Gonna Love You, They Can't Take That Away From Me, The Lady Is A Tramp
2) Nice and Easy, Let Me Try Again, I Believe I'm Gonna Love you (again), But Beautiful, Where or When, My Kind of Town
3) Something, I Believe I'm Gonna Love You (again!), This Love of Mine, Send In The Clowns, I've Got You Under My Skin
Sept 6, 1976
Sinatra is live at the Sahara (Las Vegas) with Jerry (the famous reunion with Dean Martin show)
Stargazer, Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
Dean Martin Medley (I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Too Marvelous For Words, Pennies From Heaven, A Foggy Day, Embraceable You, The Lady Is A Tramp, Where Or When, I've Got The World On A String, All Of Me, When You're Smiling)
Later appearance:
For Once In My Life, Embraceable You, Night And Day (disco arr)
Sept 4, 1977
All Or Nothing At All (disco arr), It Was A Very Good Year, Everybody Ought To Be In Love
Aug 31, 1980
My Kind Of Town, You And Me (We Wanted It All), (Theme From) New York New York
Sept 6, 1981
I've Got The World on a String, Come Rain or Come Shine, (Theme From) New York, New York
Sept 2, 1985
L. A. Is My Lady
Sept 6, 1987
What Now My Love, (Theme From) New York, New York, The Lady Is A Tramp
Sept 4, 1989
Mack the Knife, Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
