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It is New Year’s Eve, 1942, and a skinny 27-year-old Italian American singer is about to step onto the stage of New York’s Paramount Theatre and give a performance that will change music history. As Frank Sinatra’s careersuddenly skyrockets, he struggles with balancing the love of his wife,Nancy, againstthe demands and temptations of being the most popularsinger in America. But when he begins a torrid affair with movie goddess AvaGardner, his recordsstop selling and the pressturns against him, sending his career into a tailspin. Driven by his devotion to his family, Sinatra employs his peerless artistry and dogged determination to stage the greatest comeback in showbiz history.
As Sinatra The Musical prepares to arrive at the Aldwych Theatre in June this year, it’s the perfect moment to look beyond the legend and discover some lesser-known facts about the man who changed music forever. Written by Tony Award-winning Joe DiPietro and directed and choreographed by Olivier and Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall, the musical charts Sinatra’s rise, fall and extraordinary comeback. Here are ten things you might not know about Frank Sinatra.
1. He was born with significant birth complications
Frank Sinatra’s birth in 1915 was so traumatic that he almost didn’t survive it. Born weighing over 13 pounds, doctors used forceps that injured his cheek, neck and ear, leaving him not breathing at birth. As doctors focused on his mother, it was Sinatra’s grandmother who intervened, holding the newborn under cold water until he began to breathe — a moment that ultimately saved his life.
2. He never learned to read music
Despite becoming one of the most influential singers of all time, Sinatra couldn’t read or write musical notation. He learned songs by listening and relied on phrasing and instinct rather than technical theory — luckily he had such a brilliant natural musicality.
3. His early career was almost derailed by vocal problems
In the early 1950s, Sinatra suffered severe vocal haemorrhaging that temporarily damaged his voice and nearly ended his career — a low point explored in Sinatra The Musical.
4. He was obsessed with phrasing, not power
Sinatra revolutionised popular singing by treating songs as emotional narratives. He studied horn players, especially trombonists, to shape his breathing and legato style.
2 Feb, 2026 | By Hay Brunsdon
Sinatra: The Musical is set to light up London’s Aldwych Theatre this summer, bringing the extraordinary life of Frank Sinatra to the West End in a stylish new production.
Previews begin on 3 June 2026, with the press night taking place on 24 June 2026.
Set against the backdrop of New Year’s Eve, 1942, the musical follows a young Frank Sinatra as he steps onto the stage of New York’s Paramount Theatre for the performance that changed everything. As his fame explodes, Sinatra battles to balance marriage, fatherhood and the overwhelming pressures of becoming America’s most adored singer. His affair with Hollywood star Ava Gardner sends both his personal life and career spiraling, but with his unwavering commitment to family and a voice unlike any other, Sinatra fights his way back to deliver one of the greatest comebacks in entertainment history
20 Jan, 2026 | By Hay Brunsdon
Opens 03 June 2026