ARTS, CULTURE AND RECREATION 

FRANCIS ALBERT SINATRA

WHEREAS, Francis Albert Sinatra has been the incomparable voice of popular music for seven decades; and

WHEREAS, as the son of immigrants who settled in an American city, Hoboken, New Jersey, he went on to make enormous contributions to our society, symbolizing the special role of the city in American life in this century; and

WHEREAS, through his mastery of phrasing, his interpretation of lyrics, and his innovative approach to his art, Sinatra has made contributions to our musical heritage that have remained precious for three generations and will so for generations to come; and

WHEREAS, Sinatra enriched and embellished the world’s appreciation of great cities with such timeless works as "Chicago," "My Kind of Town," "New York, New York," "A Foggy Day in London Town," "April in Paris," and may others; and

WHEREAS, every song he sang underscored the excitement, the possibilities, the joy and the challenges of urban life; and

WHEREAS, there is a "Sinatra Song" for virtually every mood, moment and emotion to be encountered in the fullness of our lives, from the deep despair of "One for My Baby," to the sunny optimism of "High Hopes" and the stirring romance of "Night and Day;" and

WHEREAS, Sinatra worked for civil rights and religious tolerance, winning an Oscar for his short film on racial and religious tolerance "The House I Live In" and receiving numerous tributes over a lifetime for work in this and other charitable and humanitarian areas; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors thanks Francis Albert Sinatra for bringing music and understanding to America’s cities for over 60 years; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors, for 66 years advocating the interests of U.S. cities, expresses our profound sympathy and love for the Sinatra family and we thank them for sharing their father’s and husband’s precious time with this one and only America treasure; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we thank Francis Albert Sinatra – one more time – for his contribution to the world and his seven decades of music and the arts that he has left us to be with us forever and ever; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we encourage the Sinatra family and our governments to memorialize Sinatra’s contribution through an international, national, state and local and neighborhood effort to teach young people his music so they will in turn develop their talents and contribute as he did so much for our cities and this nation.