The hits just keep coming for the music business.
No, not hit records.
Deaths.
Frank Sinatra Jr. died Wednesday after suffering cardiac arrest while touring in Florida. He was 72.
Don't snicker.
Is he in the same stratosphere as David Bowie, Don Henley and the seemingly unending string of deaths that have "rocked" - if you'll pardon the expression - the music world? No.
But let me ask you a question: Did you ever hear his band? I have. And it's a sound you never forget.
Frank Sinatra Jr. was directing the orchestra on his father's Diamond Jubilee Tour.
A longtime Sinatra fan, I got tickets for the Chairman of the Board for my wife as an anniversary present. At our wedding, we danced to "All The Way."
At my daughter's wedding two summers ago, the bride, knowing her old man's affinity for Frank, chose one of my favorite songs, "The Summer Wind," for our dance.
I was wiping away the tears for most of our stroll on the dance floor.
Just as I was back on Nov. 9, 1991, when Sinatra hit the stage at the Spectrum.
It is simply one of those moments you don't ever forget.
After seeing dozens of rock shows there, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a Sinatra concert. Yes, the crowd was a little older, and a little dressier. But I was disappointed as the time of the show drew near that it looked like the place was only about half full.
Silly me, of course those who follow the king of cool would arrive fashionably late. Or maybe they were all just catching a smoke out in the corridor.
The lights went down, a spotlight hit the walkway where Francis Albert, resplendent in a black tux, walked toward the stage, and the place exploded. Suddenly, the joint was packed. To this day I have no idea how all those people got in their seats that fast.
When Sinatra hit the stage, it likely was one of the single most electric moments I have ever witnessed. The hair on my neck actually stood up.
Frank Sinatra Jr. was manning the orchestra that night. And if you know anything about Sinatra music, you know that the orchestra is almost as powerful as that voice. There is one point in each song where the band takes the lead, and one member usually stands up for a solo. Powerful stuff.
Today I salute Frank Sinatra Jr. Yes, he toiled a lifetime in his famous father's shadow.
But I thank him for carrying on the tradition. And for providing one of the truly great musical nights I've ever had the pleasure to experience.
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