Frank Sinatra Jr.

While studying music at the University of Southern California, Frank Jr. originally planned a career as a pianist and conductor. Show promoters, however, had different ideas, and he eventually made his professional show business debut as a singer with the Elliott Brothers Band. On the evening of September 8, 1963, the Royal Box of the Americana Hotel in Manhattan re-opened for the fall season. Other hotels featured such established performers as Sheila and Gordon MacRae Waldorf), Peter Duchin (St. Regis), and Xavier Cugat and Abbe Lane (Plaza).

The Royal Box presented a newcomer: backed by the Tommy Dorsey Band. At 21, Frank Jr. made his debut into the big time.Abel Green, editor of “Variety” at the time, heralded Frank Jr.’s debut with a “thumbs-up” verdict: “Frank Jr. clicked, packing his 20-minute stint with commendable professionalism.” He eventually joined the Sam Donahue Orchestra, an experience he described as being one of the most rewarding in his career. “I learned the bulk of what I know about singing with a band from Sam Donahue and the other musicians I met in that band,” Frank Jr. said. “The best way to learn about something is to be around the experts. Pilots hang around with other pilots; mechanics hang around with other mechanics. I stayed around musicians. Formal education is important, of course, but you can’t learn a profession by just sitting in a classroom. You have to go out there and do it.”

Frank Jr. has performed in major clubs and showrooms throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil and England. He has appeared on stage with such showbiz greats as George Burns, Phil Harris, and Flip Wilson, as well as guest starring on popular television shows including “Laugh In” and “The Golddiggers.” A favorite of variety and talk show audiences, Frank Jr. frequently appeared on programs hosted by legends such as Red Skeleton, Jack Benny, Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin, Merv Griffin, and Johnny Carson. In 1970, he shifted to the big screen alongside Dale Robertson, Dina Merrill, and Toshiro Mifune in “The Walking Major,” a feature movie filmed on location in Japan.