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Three Sinatra Amazing Facts You May Not Have Known

Rick Michel’s versatility – singing, dancing, writing, impersonating, modeling, sculpting, to name just a few - is often lauded, so let’s look at a few of Sinatra’s many talents of which you may not be aware.

Photography – When Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1971 as undefeated heavyweight champions for the “Fight of the Century,” LIFE magazine sent Sinatra to photograph the event. One of Frank’s photographs appeared on the cover, an intense glimpse at an almost relaxed looking Frazier pummelling Ali, who is against the ropes, his back to the viewer.

Painting – Frank Sinatra was serious about his painting, a skill most wouldn’t normally attribute to him because he remained private about this particular art until the release of his book in 1991, Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Art. He started with clowns, went on the other realist subjects and evolved into abstracts. His works tend to capture emotion, often an almost introspective sadness, and he doesn’t shy away from color.

Civil Rights Activism – This is a talent that displays character and resolve. Sinatra played at benefit shows for Martin Luther King, Jr. and headed boycotts on Las Vegas casinos and hotels that refused African-American patrons and performers. His popularity and star-power accelerated racial equality in the state of Nevada.

“Variety is the spice of life,” is a mantra Sinatra clearly followed and has been one Rick Michel has fully embraced his whole life. This malleability lends dimension to a performer and their performance, which is invaluable when putting on a show.

You’re invited to come see for yourself as Rick visits Evans, GA to play at the Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center on August 29, 2013, then travels, for the first time, to Franklin, NC and the Smokey Mountain Center for the Performing Arts on August 31, 2013.