Though he is the son of one of the most iconic figures in music history, Frank Sinatra Jr. managed to step out of his father’s shadow and made a name for himself as a singer.
His family spread word about his untimely demise due to cardiac arrest while he was on tour in Daytona Beach, Florida.
He was 72 years old.
His father and namesake, Frank Sinatra, encouraged him to pursue music at a young age. While he was just in his teens, Frank Jr. began performing in clubs in his hometown of Jersey City, New Jersey as well as in other clubs in various cities.
photo: TIME
He went on to tour the world in the 60s, playing shows in more than 30 countries.
In 1963, when he was 19 years old, Frank Jr. was kidnapped while he was in Lake Tahoe. When his father agreed to pay a $240,000 ransom, he was released. He was held in captivity for two days. The kidnapping was both publicized and criticized, with many claiming it was a publicity ploy to further his popularity. But Frank Jr. denied this. His kidnappers were later identified and sentenced to prison.
In the decades that followed, he released several albums but also tried his hand at acting, appearing on the Love Boat and the Dean Martin Show.
During his father’s later years, the two collaborated in various projects: Frank Jr. became his father’s musical director and conductor in 1988. And in 1994, he was featured in a song on Duets II, his father’s last album.
Frank Jr. also became known for often singing his father’s song, “New York, New York” at New York Yankees baseball games.
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