Barbara Sinatra: “Pavarotti was one of his favorite singers. He’d wanted to meet him for a long time, and the feeling was mutual; on several occasions, the Maestro stated that he considered Frank the best singer in the world. When Frank was in New York performing at Carnegie Hall once, Pavarotti called Frank’s secretary, Dorothy, to ask a favor. In his broken English, he told her that he desperately wanted to go to the concert but had called the box office to discover the show had sold out. He asked if there was any way she could get him in. Dorothy said, ‘I think Barbara has a spare seat in her box, Maestro. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you sat there.’ I didn’t mind one little bit, so Pavarotti came alone and sat next to me, and we smiled and exchanged a kiss, but we couldn’t converse because we didn’t speak the same language.

Frank appeared onstage and after a couple of songs peered up at our box and said, ‘Where’s my girl? There she is. Say hello to Barbara, everybody.’ A spotlight dazzled me, but I smiled and waved. Frank said, ‘I love you. Do you love me?’ I nodded. ‘Then I love you twice,’ he announced. A great romantic, Pavarotti thought that absolutely marvelous and applauded enthusiastically. He remained riveted through the rest of the performance. By the time Frank took his final bow, Pavarotti’s face was wet with tears. Having composed himself he used gestures and hand signals to let me know that he’d like to go backstage. ‘Down,’ he said, pointing and smiling. ‘Frank. Down.’

I waited in the wings with this giant among singers for Frank to emerge from his dressing room. I knew my husband would be nervous to meet one of his heroes too, but I could hardly believe what happened next. In a surprisingly agile motion for such a large man, Pavarotti dropped to his knees, took Frank’s hand, and kissed it. Frank looked at me and I looked at him and we both thought, Surely this should be the other way around?

At the Radio City benefit for Sloan-Kettering a year or so later, Pavarotti sang his arias so movingly, mopping the perspiration from his brow throughout with his trademark white handkerchief. Frank was due onstage for the next few numbers, which would include their riveting finale of ‘Santa Lucia’ and ‘O Sole Mio.’ There was a momentary delay before Frank walked out, looking like a toothpick compared to Pavarotti. In his hand he was carrying a large white tablecloth with which he pretended to mop his brow. Pavarotti cracked up, and then those two musical legends embraced in a scene of extraordinary warmth. In front of a crowd of six thousand they laughed at each other like two schoolboys in the corner of a playground, oblivious to all those around them. It was the most charming sight to see.

After the show they chatted animatedly in half English, half Italian and bonded somewhere in between. Finally, Pavarotti asked Frank, ‘Is there anything I can do to help you?’

Frank nodded and frowned. ‘Yes, Maestro,’ he replied, suddenly serious. ‘I’ve been having trouble with how to end a crescendo, especially a long one. I’d really like to know the proper way to finish.’

Pavarotti looked at Frank and placed a bear of a hand on his shoulder. ”That’s easy, Francis,’ he told him with that twinkly smile of his. ‘You just shut up your mouth!'”

Luciano Pavarotti: “The reason I and other Italian opera singers admire Frank Sinatra is not just for his star quality and the beauty of his voice,but because his phrasing is very close to Italian bel canto.”

Luciano Pavarotti: “Frank Sinatra is the biggest star in the universe of stars in the singing business of yesterday, of today, of always. And the Mozart of popular music.”

This ❤️:

I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself then he has naught
Not to say the things that he truly feels
And not the words of someone who kneels
Let the record shows I took all the blows and did it my way

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