Known as the leader of the Rat Pack and as being one of the most iconic singers of our time, Frank Sinatra was a popular man. Just how popular was Sinatra ? Well, the person who just bought Sinatra’s little black book could probably tell you.
According to Page Six , Sinatra’s address book from the 1970s through the 1990s sold at auction for $8,960 recently. Frank Sinatra, or Ol’ Blue Eyes’, address book “ included personal information for his high-flying friends from John Wayne and Sidney Poitier to the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom under Ronald Reagan, Charles H. Price II.”
Despite being known as an address book, Man of the World magazine describes it better as an “ oxblood leather social bible that reads like a who’s who of the jet set’s gilded age.”
On the front of Sinatra’s little black book was a fortune cookie that read, “Beware of friends who are false and deceitful.” And the inside of it was completely and totally packed with Sinatra’s friends and acquaintances.
Within its pages, Sinatra includes ” ‘annotated contacts’ of industry insiders like Sinatra and Elvis Presley’s promoter, Jerry Weintraub, Hollywood kingpin Lew Wasserman, and songwriter Jimmy Webb.”
George Harrison’s electric guitar & Frank Sinatra’s address book are just a few of the items expected to be auctioned http://t.co/rZzqT7A2is
— The People’s Station (@V103Atlanta) March 14, 2015
Frank Sinatra, who was once married to beautiful actresses like Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow, died in May of 1998 at the age of 82. The crooner was such a legend that even his 1944 license was bought for $15,757 at auction just last year.
Also, a letter from Sinatra to his ex-wife, Farrow, is currently being auctioned at the online auction house, Paddle8 , and is “ estimated to sell for $3,000 to $4,000 ,” says the Guardian .
All of this comes as plans are made to celebrate Sinatra’s centennial this year. The New York Public Library will have an exhibition dedicated to the “Fly Me to the Moon” singer, and HBO is planning the release of a documentary in time for what would have been Sinatra’s 100th birthday.
Also, to honor the one and only Frank Sinatra, Capitol, Sony, and Universal will be releasing “newly launched collections of music.”
So as his centennial approaches, many are celebrating all the best parts of Frank Sinatra, from his music and movies to his life, and even to his little black book.
[Photo Courtesy of Classic Movie Hub ]