Frank Sinatra was an artist.
Francis Albert Sinatra ( [ sᵻˈnɑːtrə ] [ siˈnaːtra ] ; December 12 , 1915 -- May 14 , 1998 ) was an American singer , actor , and producer who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century . He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time , having sold more than 150 million records worldwide . Sinatra retired for the first time in 1971 , but came out of retirement two years later and recorded several albums and resumed performing at Caesars Palace , and reached success in 1980 with `` New York , New York '' . From Here to Eternity . The picture deals with the tribulations of three U.S. Army soldiers , played by Burt Lancaster , Montgomery Clift , and Frank Sinatra , stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor . The film won eight Academy Awards out of 13 nominations , including awards for Best Picture , Best Director ( Fred Zinnemann ) , Adapted Screenplay , Supporting Actor ( Frank Sinatra ) and Supporting Actress ( Donna Reed ) .