Rick Michel's Blog

When you are The Voice, it stands to reason that other singers will want to partner up to create something magical.  Through albums, concerts, television programs, and movies Frank Sinatra has sung more than his share of duets and, naturally, there were a few he really loved to work with.  Here’s a look at three of his favorite singing partners.

The great Ella Fitzgerald may have been at the top of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ pedestal.  He was known to say that he never heard her sing a single bad note.  It would appear the feeling was mutual; Pianist Paul Smith stated, “Ella loved working with . Sinatra gave her his dressing-room on A Man and His Music and couldn't do enough for her.”

Because of complex contractual conflicts the two never got to work together as much as they would have liked, but when you watch them interact, the fondness and respect for each other is very apparent and the combination of these huge vocals is something from another galaxy.

Talking about on-stage chemistry, an obvious choice is Judy Garland.  The former child star had a knockout voice and any performance with her and Frank never failed to leave ‘em wanting more.  They seemed to genuinely like each other and I’m certain it came as no surprise to learn about the love letter Judy wrote Frank that was recently up for auction.

The Chairman of the Board was also apparently a fan of the wholesome songstress-turned-actor Doris Day.  The fact that this pairing was a match made in music sales Heaven is obvious when they filmed Young at Heart in 1954 and the album was a success.  The song Young at Heart was considered Frank’s comeback single at the time.

It’s difficult to imagine anyone teamed with Frank not working out, but when you insert any of these fantastic voices into the formula, magic is bound to happen.