Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Frank Sinatra will be the subject of a new stage musical scheduled for release in 2018.
(Photo: DownBeat Archive)In 2015 music fans around the world celebrated Frank Sinatra’s centennial anniversary. To begin its second century, the legacy of Ol’ Blue Eyes is taking to the stage.
The Ambassador Theatre Group, a major international theater organization with headquarters in New York, London and other cities, has announced that it will produce a stage musical based on the life of the legendary vocalist and DownBeat Hall of Fame inductee, in partnership with Frank Sinatra Enterprises and British producer Stewart Till.
The show, which is planned to open in 2018, will feature a number of hit songs from Sinatra’s illustrious career. Script development for the Sinatra musical is planned to start shortly.
Adam Speers of Ambassador Theatre Group said, “Frank Sinatra was the greatest singer of the 20th century and one of the world’s most iconic show business legends. I’m delighted to be working in partnership with Stewart and Frank Sinatra Enterprises to bring his incredible journey to the stage.”
In a statement, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, a joint venture between the Sinatra family and Warner Music Group, added, “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Ambassador Theatre Group to produce the musical dramatization of Mr. Sinatra’s life and art. Frank Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; he is timeless and his artistry continues to influence many of today’s music superstars.”
Throughout his career, Sinatra, who died in 1998 at age 82, performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded numerous platinum, double platinum and triple platinum albums by the Recording Industry Associated of America.
Last year, Capitol Records released Ultimate Sinatra, a deluxe four-CD box set spanning over six decades of the singer’s recorded output.
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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