# Frank Sinatra Jr. dead at 72 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2016, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242 "2016-03-17T04:47:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/1 "2016-03-17T04:47:31Z")
[Frank Sinatra Jr.](http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-dies-1201732092/) Heart attack. We watched all of _The Sopranos_ not long ago. That’s the last time we saw him. He played himself in two or three episodes at a continuing poker game. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/2 "2016-03-17T09:59:02Z")
I’m not very familiar with his work but I didn’t see a thread on this: [Frank Sinatra Jr. dies while on tour in Florida](http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/16/entertainment/frank-sinatra-jr-dies/index.html) > [@CNN](#): > > Frank Sinatra Jr., the son of the legendary entertainer who had a long musical career of his own, died Wednesday, said manager Andrea Kauffman. > > He was 72. > > Kauffman said Sinatra died at a Daytona Beach, Florida, hospital. Singer Nancy Sinatra said on her Facebook page that her brother died of cardiac arrest. RIP, Frankie. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/3 "2016-03-17T11:17:23Z")
[Frankie Jr. Dead at 72.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=787337) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/4 "2016-03-17T11:36:24Z")
A current generation may actually remember him in the last decade, from his animated appearances on _ **"Family Guy"** _. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/5 "2016-03-17T14:55:32Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > A current generation may actually remember him in the last decade, from his animated appearances on _ **“Family Guy”** _. That’s what I immediately thought of. Wherever he is, I hope they have enough rye. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/6 "2016-03-17T15:40:14Z")
Literally my first thought as well. He did rather well on FG and sang a song with Brian. Brian, voiced by Seth McFarland, whose singing coach was the lady who taught Frank Sr. (and presumably Jr. as well). So I bet they knew each other ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/7 "2016-03-17T16:08:57Z")
…yet another minor celebrity I know only through the work of Drew and Josh Friedman… > **[Any Similarity to Persons Living or Dead is Purely Coincidental: Friedman, Drew,...](https://www.amazon.com/Similarity-Persons-Living-Purely-Coincidental/dp/1606995219)** > > Any Similarity to Persons Living or Dead is Purely Coincidental \[Friedman, Drew, Friedman, Josh Alan, O'Daniel, Chester Chappy \] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Any Similarity to Persons Living or Dead is Purely Coincidental ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/8 "2016-03-17T16:18:29Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > [Frank Sinatra Jr.](http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-dies-1201732092/) Heart attack. > > We watched all of _The Sopranos_ not long ago. That’s the last time we saw him. He played himself in two or three episodes at a continuing poker game. Funny. _The Sopranos_ was the _first_ (and only) time I saw him. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/9 "2016-03-17T16:21:32Z")
Mostly I’m familiar with him from his “appearances” on _Family Guy_. That, and the kidnap story. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/10 "2016-03-17T16:27:32Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/11 "2016-03-17T17:15:02Z")
I knew him as an actor from Adam-12. He has two episodes as a patrol officer, plus the backdoor pilot episode “Clinic on 18th Street”. Though one episode “The Late Baby” was creepily weird - there’s a new summer temp that everyone has the hots for, and at the end Frank jr’s character is seen going on a date with her. Trouble was, she was played by his sister Tina Sinatra! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/12 "2016-03-17T17:17:45Z")
I always felt very sorry for him, BUT, he did inherit millions so that’s something. And he could have chosen a field outside of show biz. Lee Andrews, an 80 year old doo-wop singer from the '50s, also died today and is survived by his son Questlove from The Roots. Having a _ **son** _ whose career outshines your own by far is probably far happier. (Though I recall Jerry Lewis saying his father hated his success, so, who knows.) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/13 "2016-03-17T17:34:54Z")
Didn’t he mostly cover his dad’s old songs in concerts? IIRC he could really nail some of them. Great nostalgia act for Sinatra fans. I think he did try recording his own stuff in the 60’s, but his best success came covering the Sinatra hits. He was a good musician but his name limited his career. Nancy and Tina are the only ones left now. Quite a family and legacy. RIP Frank jr. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/14 "2016-03-17T17:40:46Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Nancy and Tina are the only ones left now. And maybe Ronan Farrow. 😉 Their mother is still alive as well- Nancy Barbato Sinatra. She’s 98. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/15 "2016-03-17T18:16:12Z")
I have vague memories of a possibly faked kidnapping. (Of him, I mean, not me.) ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/16 "2016-03-17T20:42:52Z")
Merged two threads. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/17 "2016-03-17T22:22:11Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I always felt very sorry for him, BUT, he did inherit millions so that’s something. And he could have chosen a field outside of show biz. > > Lee Andrews, an 80 year old doo-wop singer from the '50s, also died today and is survived by his son Questlove from The Roots. Having a _ **son** _ whose career outshines your own by far is probably far happier. > > (Though I recall Jerry Lewis saying his father hated his success, so, who knows.) Why’d you feel sorry for him? (Sincere question; I’m not too familiar with his biography.) Just because of living in his father’s shadow…? Anyway, RIP. And for anyone reading this who was a fan of his father’s (most of you, I assume), do yourself a favor and read Mark Steyn’s [Sinatra Century](http://www.steynonline.com/7395/sinatra-century-at-steynonline) series of articles. It’s wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/18 "2016-03-17T22:45:47Z")
In memoriam: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rm6guzuLto) ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/19 "2016-03-18T02:47:07Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > I have vague memories of a possibly faked kidnapping. (Of him, I mean, not me.) The kidnapping definitely was not faked. It happened in December 1963 by a drug addled broke stockbroker who had gone to school with Nancy Sinatra. He bizarrely figured that it would help bring the father and son together, and he would get rich. What happened was at the trial the defense attorney encouraged the “faked kidnapping publicity stunt” story and despite the conviction of the kidnappers, a lot of people think Sinatra Jr. was in on the plot. > **[Frank Sinatra Jr. released by kidnappers | December 11, 1963 | HISTORY](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/frank-sinatra-jr-endures-a-frightening-ordeal)** > > On December 11, kidnappers release Frank Sinatra, Jr., after abducting him in Lake Tahoe, California, three days earlier. The 19‑year‑old man, who was trying to follow in his father’s footsteps by pursuing a singing career, had been blindfolded and... ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242/20 "2016-03-18T03:04:34Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > Why’d you feel sorry for him? (Sincere question; I’m not too familiar with his biography.) Just because of living in his father’s shadow…? Sinatra, Sr. was very hard on him for most of his life. He doted on and spoiled the girls but his sense of manliness dictated he be hard on his son, who never measured up to the old man. Even in middle-age, when working as his father’s musical arranger and orchestra conductor, Frank, Sr. was hard on him, bossing him around and treating him like a flunky. I don’t think lots of money was particularly important to him either. I remember a friend of the family saying of the kids’ inheritance after Frank, Sr. died, that as long as Frank, Jr. could write a check and not have it bounce he was happy. I think Frank, Jr. eventually came to terms with his lot in life and managed to be fairly happy. I wouldn’t have wanted to be him though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-sinatra-jr-dead-at-72/749242.md?page=2)