“Oh! Look at Me Now”: Frank Sinatra’s Momentous Comeback in the 1970s
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“Timing was everything, and his was strictly original. He had a gift for it, along with that unique texture to his voice, which could be a powerhouse or soft and sexy when needed. Either way, that voice was God-given.” ~ Barbara Sinatra
In January of 1970, Frank Sinatra had just celebrated his fifty-fourth birthday, and he was well aware that he was no longer the thin, cool Italian crooner whom the girls fainted over at the Paramount Theatre during the Columbus Day Riot of 1944. Even with his mass appeal, he felt that he was not in tune with the younger generation, and he never fell prey to the rock n’ roll and country music craze. Even his three children, Nancy, Frank, Jr., and Tina, all in their twenties, could not persuade their father to acclimate to the changing times. Still, there was a desire to continue to release new albums, and in 1970, he released a brazen concept album called Watertown, which sold an underwhelming 30,000 copies.
After learning of the dismal sales records, Sinatra was forced to accept the notion that his career was waning, and he decided it was better to exit the stage rather than wait to be kicked off. In March 1971, the singer announced that his retirement concert would be held in June…
