01/08/2025
"If people saw Frank Sinatra in his dressing room prior to a performance, they would reconsider their belief that he was destined for the stage. When the stage lights were about to come up, I've seen lions in cages at the Beverly Hills Zoo that were more composed than Mr. S.
The room's door was secured. Mr. S would pace back and forth while keeping his hands in his pockets. He would occasionally hold a tumbler of Jack Daniel's, but other times he would just clench his hands till they were white. I would say to the employees, ""There, Mr. S is playing 'Caged Lion.'"" The sole distinction was that this lion was more terrified of the cage being completely open and the absence of outside cheers.
One close friend of mine once told me quite plainly, ""Frank is not afraid of the audience booing."" He fears silence from the crowd. Yes, booing is simple; you can sing louder or retort with a curse. But you can't overcome that emptiness by remaining silent.
Therefore, until Mr. S took the stage, the bottle of Jack Daniel's had little chance of surviving. However, Mr. S was standing there, looking dapper and grinning as though he had never experienced fear, when the lights turned on. The miracle was that. However, I was aware that a man was asking himself, ""Am I still Frank Sinatra today?"" behind that closed door."" - George Jacobs
