Francis Wayne Sinatra ( January 10, 1944 – March 16, 2016), professionally known as Frank Sinatra Jr., was an American singer, songwriter, and conductor.
Francis Wayne Sinatra was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, into the household of one of the most popular singers in the world, Frank Sinatra. The younger Sinatra was technically not a "junior" (his father's middle name was Albert) but was nonetheless known as Frank Jr. throughout his life. The younger Sinatra hardly saw his father, who was constantly on the road, either performing or working in films. However, Sinatra Jr. recalled wanting to become a pianist and songwriter from his earliest days.
By his early teens, Sinatra was performing at local clubs and venues. At age 19, he became the vocalist for Sam Donahue's band. He also spent considerable time with Duke Ellington, learning the music business. That years on December 8, 1963, he was kidnapped at Harrah's Lake Tahoe. He was released two days later after his father paid the $240,000 ransom demanded by the kidnappers (equivalent to $2,120,000 in 2021 terms). Barry Keenan, Johnny Irwin, and Joe Amsler were soon captured, prosecuted for kidnapping, convicted, and sentenced to long prison terms, of which they served only small portions.
Mastermind Keenan was later adjudged to have been legally insane at the time of the crime and hence not legally responsible for his actions. Famed attorney Gladys Root represented Irwin. The kidnappers demanded that all communication be conducted by payphone. During these conversations, Frank Sr. became concerned that he would not have enough coins, which prompted him to carry 10 dimes with him at all times for the rest of his life; he was even buried with 10 dimes in his pocket.
Sinatra Jr. spent most of his early career on the road. By 1968, he had performed in 47 states and 30 countries, had appeared as a guest on several television shows, including two episodes of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour with his sister Nancy, hosted a 10-week summer replacement series for The Dean Martin Show, had sung with his own band in Las Vegas casinos, and had been the opening act for bigger names at other casinos. During that time, he gained a reputation for rigorous rehearsals and demanding high standards for his musicians.
Sinatra appeared in the Sammy Davis Jr. drama A Man Called Adam in 1966. He also played a deputy district attorney, named Gino Bardi, on the television crime drama Adam-12, in three episodes, the last of which was titled "Clinic on 18th Street" (originally broadcast on March 13, 1974). This episode was an edited television pilot for a Mark VII Limited series that was not sold. His other acting credits included roles in Aru heishi no kake (1970) with Dale Robertson, Code Name Zebra (1987) opposite James Mitchum, and Hollywood Homicide (2003) with Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett. He had nearly two dozen television and feature film credits as an actor, including appearances on "The Love Boat" and "Marcus Welby, M.D.." he also provided his own voice for two television series episodes of "Family Guy."
When his father, the elder Sinatra, died of a heart attack May 14, 1998, at 82. Sinatra Jr. was able to provide a link to his music after his death, performing his father's songs and arrangements on tours and especially in Las Vegas. "Since my father's death, a lot of people have made it clear that they're not ready to give up his music," Sinatra Jr. told the AP interviewer. "For me, it's a big, fat gift to perform my dad's material. I get to sing with a big orchestra and get to sing orchestrations that will never be old."
In January 2006 Sinatra underwent surgery for prostate cancer. That same year he released the album That Face!, including the songs "You'll Never Know" and the self-penned song "Spice". Sinatra made a brief cameo appearance in the series premiere episode of the 2010 CBS legal comedy-drama The Defenders, as well as the show's series finale. On August 17, 2015, Sinatra sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Yankee Stadium. and sang the "Theme from New York, New York" at the 2014 Belmont Stakes.
On March 16, 2016, Sinatra was to do a concert at the Peabody Auditorium in Florida that evening, but he felt lightheaded and was admitted to Halifax Medical Center where he died after suffering a heart attack at the age of 72.
(Edited from Wikipedia & IMDB)