In response to Sherman's questions about the FrankFest event I will give some thoughts of my own.

The event was held in Atlantic City at the Quality Inn. A moderately priced hotel just off the boardwalk. It was a nice place and the staff seem so glad to have the Sinatra event there and were very helpful in every way.

The event was put together by Rick Apt, a collector and serious fan of Frank Sinatra. It brings together a bunch of collectors who display their stuff. It was impressive. A Display room with tables lined up around the room and in the middle, covered with tons of Sinatra memorabilia.

There was posters, sheet music, pictures, audio tapes, video tapes, albums, CD's, books (every book ever written about him), movie posters, concert posters, a lot of stuff.

If your interested in things about Sinatra or getting old records or books or whatever, this is the place to be.

Outside the display room was a room with a giant screen TV playing videos of Sinatra in every phrase of his career. Many I have never seen or heard about before. Some of the video's of Frank in a live event are priceless gems.

I was particularly impressed with:
1. Tom Rednour's new book on Sinatra and his songs. It lists every thing he has ever recorded and when and where it was recorded. a very impressive thing to have if your into Sinatra's recorded music. I got one myself. You can find out more at his Sinatra website.
2. The large Serigraph of Sinatra done by the artist Paul Blaine Henri. It captures that Sinatra "presence". Here in Vegas they sell a lot of the Neiman pictures of Sinatra but I feel they are more Neiman than Sinatra.
   This work by Henri has the same wonderful color and style of a Neiman painting but when you look at it, you see and feel Sinatra. I loved it and got one. You can contact Dick Davenport at or at MADSOFA@AOL.COM.
3. The very impressive collection of Rick Apt. He has everything. Just his CD's filled two tables. Everything Sinatra has ever done. And lots of stuff by other singers too. Sammy, Dean, Darin, Garland and so much more. He had stuff that Sammy recorded that I had heard about but never seen. Very impressive. His website is Blue-eyes.com

I met a lot of very nice people. Many were surprised how young I looked.

That is a problem I have dealt with for years. Now they will realize why Frank called me "kid" all the time. I was 21 years younger than him. When he was at the Sands and was around 50, I was around 30 and looked even younger. So I am used to it.

The display, on the second floor was open all day Saturday from around 9am till 6pm. Lots of people roaming around looking at the stuff and talking about their memories of Sinatra events they had seen.

Saturday night at 8pm was the dinner for those who purchased tickets to it. A very nice dinner was served. I had chicken and it was very good.

Around 9 or so London Lee came on and did his comedy act. I did not see much of it because the photographer from the New York Times wanted to do more pictures of me. The NY Times is doing a story for the magazine section on Sinatra and this event. I went to their room, which is a standard room converted into a photo studio. Lights and different colored paper taken up and down. The guys shooting all this is a long time Sinatra fan and he wanted to make sure that he and the guy writing the story finished in time to see my talk at the dinner.

The event was well covered. I was interviewed by NBC live to New York and again by NBC and another local station.

I got back to the dinner by 10 as promised and got introduced by Rick and started my talk to the 15 or 20 tables filled with people from both Sinatra Lists that I belong to and a large crowd of people who had driven in from the East and many who had flown in from different parts of the US and Europe.

A room full of people who admire and appreciate Mr Sinatra. A nice group to talk to.

If it's ok with you, I will finish this tomorrow.

*************

So, Rick introduced me to the crowd and I stated talking to the people.

I told them how it developed that I came here to talk and that I would be pleased to answer any questions they had. I told them that I get many questions sent to me here in Vegas but there were some I had never fully talked about because:

1 - I just didn't know how to write them in a way that said exactly what I wanted to say. I had written some things here at home, but it just doesn't look right.

2 - I didn't want some of the things I say to be used or become involved in the petty arguments that happen so often on the Temple list. The are some nice people on the List (I received some wonderful posts from them), but there is a small but persistent group that continue to get into silly, infantile and stupid arguments. These petty disputes go on and on.

3 - There were some things that I felt were just too sensitive to be put on any List.

Rick told me that these would be people who I could talk freely to and all were responsible and true fans of Sinatra. By the way, he was right.

So I started going into some of the questions I had not fully discussed before.

I talked about how the "Rat Pack" thing got started, as I remembered it.

I talked about the question I get a lot about whether Sinatra was in the mob or not. By the way the short answer is he was not. I went into how I would know. And I would know.

I talked about another question I get a lot: How is it feel to be around Sinatra. I told of times we both walked through the Sands lobby and the effect it created on people. And how it was different with Dean and then told of how it was to walk with both of them and how the people reacted.

I answered the question of why Sinatra would like to do only one take in his acting in movies. His different view of acting as compared to someone like DeNiro.

I answered the question about Sinatra and Dean and how they appeared to never need to rehearse.

I then told the crowd that I would now answer any question they had. Of course, as long as it had to to with Vegas and those times. The people in the room had more knowledge about his music and such than I had.

So for the next hour I answered their questions.

It was fun talking to the people and telling about how I got to know him and the special interest he took in me. I talked about some of the things Frank has done for others and especially for me. In telling one of those memories about something he did for me. I got very emotional and thought I was going to lose it. I hadn't realized how much I still missed him. Looking at the group, made me feel that I was not alone. Many of them were close to tears, too.

A little later we were all laughing at some of the crazy things Frank and the guys did in Vegas.

An emotional experience for all of us.

A lot of Interesting questions from some nice people.

Rick gave me the nod that we needed to start ending off. It was now getting past midnight. I had asked him earlier to do this because I wanted to end off the talk with some notes that I had written on the plane on the way in to A/C.

I wrote some things I wanted to say, especially to these people who I got to know through this magic of E-mail. So this was for them.

And of course for you who are reading this.

This is what I said:

So as I end this, I want to say some thing to you, I have made some notes.

I first joined the Sinatra - Temple list in 1997 to just see what records and CD's were the best to get. I had only two CD's at the time. Sinatra At The Sands and The Main Event. And there were gifts I had received.

On the List I learned about Ed O'Briens book. It has been so helpful to me.

I learned so much from all the others who are so knowledgeable about the music of Mr. Sinatra.

Later I was fortunate to be able to join The-Voice.

On these Lists I have gotten to know some really nice people. So I really want to thank you all for the help you have given me.

Rick has been especially helpful in tracking down some hard to find items.

So again I thank you all.

This is such a nice event, being held in a room filled with those who have great love and respect for what Frank Sinatra has given the world.

He has in some way, touched all of us.

You are the people he sang for, you are the ones who appreciated his music and what he did in his performances and in his records. For you he sang and sang and he kept on singing till there was no more.

He gave you all he had.

But I can tell you - you are the ones that made his life worthwhile.

For that reason, I love what you have done for him.

So for me, it has been my honor to have had this chance to talk with you.

You know I am asked a lot what kind of man he was when he was not on stage and just hanging around the casino. Well, since I got to know him in that way, I would say I don't look at him as the Vegas big shot or the movie star or the head of the Rat Pack.

I don't look at him in those terms. From all the talks I have had with him and the help he gave me, I fondly remember the quiet, dedicated man. The professional.

Oh yes, he could be hard to handle at times. He lived life to the fullest. But I got to know the sweet and gentle man.

When you go home in the next few days, I suggest you pull out the 2 CD pack of A Man And His Music and listen to him sing "The House I Live In".

You will hear his great love for America, his country and it's people - especially the people. He loves the people.

This is the man I know.

Let me leave you with this thought:

Do not ever give up that love you have for him. For I can tell you that he will never stop loving you.

I have enjoy talking with you, I hope you found it interesting.

Thank you and good night.

Everyone was getting up and applauding. Seeing their smiles I realized that they did enjoy it. A great moment for everyone.

Most stayed around and just talked and greeted each other. Some were dancing to the Sinatra music that was put on. This went on into the wee small hours of the morning.

Sunday I went down for breakfast and we all talked some more. A great group of people.

I spent the day walking on the Boardwalk and visiting some casino's and seeing some old friends of mine from Vegas.

Later that night, many of the crowd went to the Frank Sinatra Jr. show at the Sands. I didn't go as I had an appointment with some of my Vegas friends. I heard the show was great. Others could tell you more of that.

Monday morning, Tom Rednour was so kind to drive me into New York City and to my hotel.