10 Things to Know About Frank Sinatra, Who Died 25 Years Ago Today

Sunday (May 14) marks 25 years since Frank Sinatra died at the age of 82. That’s hard to imagine, because he remains an icon and a cultural force. His compilation Nothing but the Best reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in May 2008, a decade after his death. Jay-Z gave him a shout-out in “Empire State of Mind,” his 2009 smash with Alicia Keys: “I’m the new Sinatra, and since I made it here/ I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere.”

Sinatra had major hits spanning 40 years, from “I’ll Never Smile Again” in 1940, which he recorded with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, to “Theme From New York, New York” in 1980, in which he took a song Liza Minnelli had introduced three years earlier in the film of the same name and simply took it to another level. It became his final top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Sinatra had four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 (which originated in 1956): Come Fly With Me (1958), Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely (1958), Nice ‘N’ Easy (1960) and Strangers in the Night (1966).

He topped the Billboard Hot 100 (which originated in 1958) twice — with “Strangers in the Night” (1966) and “Somethin’ Stupid,” a duet with his daughter, Nancy Sinatra (1967).

Sinatra won nine Grammys and an Oscar. His classic 1965 TV special Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music won an Emmy for outstanding musical program, but he didn’t personally win for it and never officially won an Emmy. (I hate it when that happens!)

Here are 10 facts you should know about Sinatra.