Sometimes though, I see things that make no sense to me.
We always make it a point to visit Palm Springs when we are in this part of the desert. They have the BEST street fair I've ever seen. It takes place every Thursday night (except for two) of the year. Lots of art, food, produce, music and tons of great restaurants.
We all know that Sonny Bono was the mayor of Palm Springs. Yes, Sonny Bono of Sonny and Cher. Sonny died in a skiing accident 15 years ago and was buried in Desert Memorial Park. He has a nice little memorial and grave marker there. There are always flowers on and around his grave. I understand this and it isn't what makes me sad.
THIS IS WHAT MAKES ME SAD!
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
FRANCIS ALBERT SINATRA
1915 - 1998
BELOVED HUSBAND AND FATHER
Even as I type these words, it is hard for me to believe that Frank Sinatra gets nothing better than this. Okay, maybe he wanted a simple grave (I doubt that), but I'm pretty sure he didn't ask for this. Frank Sinatra was one of the main people who put this place on the map. He was and is bigger than life and in a few more years this marker will be unreadable. Yet, just about 100 yards away, Sonny Bono has a memorial and marker that are clearly well taken care of. By looking at Sinatra's marker, one would think that it had been there much longer. Nope, they both died in 1998.
I won't say anything bad about Sonny Bono, but he wasn't even in the same galaxy as Frank Sinatra. This is sad and it's just not right.
Or is it just me?
.
Wow, that's it for Sinatra?
ReplyDeleteWell Pat, I do appreciate Sinatra's technical skills, but you'd have to pay me a lot of money to listen to him singing. I'd say the same about Sonny and Cher though (not everything from the sixties was any good).
ReplyDeleteThat's all Frank Sinatra gets? That does seem wrong. You would think some fans would make sure it was well marked with fresh flowers all the time.
ReplyDeletesage - That's what I said!
ReplyDeletedennis hodgson - Not my kind of music either, but Sinatra was king in this country for quite a while.
Alex - It sure does seem wrong! Somebody should be doing something, that's for sure.
I NEVER would have thought Sinatra would have something like that- I wonder who was in charge of choosing that?
ReplyDeleteI'm going to play devil's advocate here and hope I don't piss anyone off. Your loved ones usually take care of these arrangements. While Frank was the King of the Crooners and a voice made of gold, he was a real prick they say. So my guess is you get what you give! Just sayin...
ReplyDeletewow. that is interesting! especially since they died the same year!
ReplyDeleteI think that Frank Sinatra has much more of an impact in general than Sonny Bono.
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone in your thinking..That's sad!
That is a crazy surprise. Not the kind of grave stone that I would have expected for a man of his talent and stature. Makes me wonder what his family thought of him to provide such a meager offering. I've seen more heartfelt offerings to people's pets.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think it wouldn't be that difficult to at least have a readable marker! I'm sure his estate could fix it, even if the cemetery won't.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad and amazing at the same time!! He certainly deserved more than that And, no, it's not just you, Pat!!
ReplyDeleteWasn't he a singer to the mob or something? :)
ReplyDeleteFrank was way too classy to have something like this.
ReplyDeleteI had to google this!
ReplyDeleteAfter dying at age 82 in 1998, he was buried in a cemetery near Palm Springs, Calif., with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a pack of Camel cigarettes — two regular companions — tucked into his suit. Other eternal residents of the Desert Memorial Park include Sinatra's friends Sonny Bono and songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen, who helped pen such Ol' Blue Eyes hallmarks as "Love and Marriage" and "Come Fly with Me." Lyrics from another classic are carved into his gravestone: "The best is yet to come."
wow, you should at least be able to read his name!
ReplyDeletewow, that's so surprising! I would never have guessed that was Sinatra's marker.
ReplyDeleteShelly - I felt the same way! I don't know who is in charge, but they clearly aren't doing anything.
ReplyDeleteBouncin Barb - A lot of famous folks aren't very popular behind the scenes, so you may be right. I'd still be surprised that the city doesn't keep it up.
TexWisGirl - Yep! Very interesting.
Icy BC - I totally agree with you. Even after he was elected mayor, a lot of people didn't take him seriously.
robin andrea - I sure was! Some of his family members are buried next to him and you can easily read their markers. I'm going to have dig some more.
Ms. A - I agree! It just doesn't make any sense.
Sylvia - Thanks Sylvia! He certainly deserves better.
ReplyDeleteDEZMOND - There was always rumors about the him and the mafia. I think it was just a few personal relationships. Who really knows at this point.
Wayne - I totally agree with you!
Jenny - I didn't know about the whiskey and cigarettes. Thanks! Another interesting thing is that hundreds of famous celebrities have lived there (or still due). Yet, I don't think many of them are buried there.
mshatch - I agree! That shouldn't be too much to ask.
Lynda - I wouldn't have either!
Well yes, that is odd. Randy Rhodes has a very well kept, majestic mausoleum out here in San Bernardino. Johnny Ramone has a great sculpture of him playing guitar at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. And we stopped at Graceland when we drove here from the east coast. You'd think Sinatra would rate as much fanfare. Anyway, in these cases, it was up to the family to memorialize their departed. For whatever reasons, his surviving family didn't/doesn't have the interest in making his grave site more memorable.
ReplyDeleteYes, the great voice deserved better!
ReplyDeleteI also like to be on a road and see many different places. You never know what you can discover.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that Sonny Bono was a mayor of Palm Springs. That surprised me.
I agree with you about Frank Sinatra. He didn't deserve this grave. I am very sad about it.
I think Barb makes a good point. Even though I think it's sad, too.
ReplyDeleteI think Barb makes a good point. Even though I think it's sad, too.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but think it must have been his choice ... what he told people he wanted (or didn't want).
ReplyDeleteSome year before too long I would imagine that cemeteries may become obsolete, since cremation is more and more the way people want to go. It will be the history of ordinary people that will be lost at that time and that's what I think is sad. (We will always have Frank's movies and records...)
Do you think they kept the marker simple so as to not incur vandalism (aka Jim Morrison's grave of The Doors) Seems odd that it is so simple, yet perhaps that is what he wanted or his family just doesn't give a damn now that he is gone.
ReplyDeleteI thought that maybe Sinatra died earlier than Bono, but it looks like that is not the case. Interesting...
ReplyDeleteI don't understand that, Pat. Was Sinatra estranged from his family? He had and still has so many fans. It doesn't make sense. Thanks for pointing this out. At least we can express our appreciation for Frank Sinatra's incredible talent.
ReplyDeletexoRobyn
I'm asking the same question as Sally.
ReplyDeleteI also would ask if it's not the policy of the cemetery to keep markers rather then headstones. And could the disappearance be attributed to people taking rubbings. Or poor quality of the marker itself....
btw: I knew an old timer in Hollywood. Won an Oscar for special effects. He knew them all from Streisand to Monroe to Garbo. Said Frank was a real prick. And I believe him.
Nope, not just you. I guess it's a clear indication of how greedy the hiers were...... I read the will on line years ago and it said something about if anyone contested his will no one would get anything so it looks like they were mre than a tad miffed. SAD.
ReplyDeleteWe have bigger headstones in our tiny cemetery in the backwoods of Alabama. I won't say one is more deserving than the other, but I do find it sad that even flowers were not on his grave.
ReplyDeleteGiven the level of hysteria people get these days, that little grave stone is remarkable!
ReplyDeleteI don't think its you!
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
That is sad.. You are so right, he was one of the original Rat Pack that helped put Palm Springs on the map.. Looks like Nancy's boots don't walk this way too much.. :-(
ReplyDeletewho knew? Well, Ole Frank had all his glory while he was still alive. Sonny not so much. I think the gazzillions of records, CDs and movies still circulating out there are testimonials enough for Frank Sinatra. He is NOT forgotten.
ReplyDeleteStickup Artist - His mom, dad and uncle are buried next to him. Maybe they were the only ones who liked him. I just don't get it.
ReplyDeleteLeovi - I agree!
Kaya - That is why I love the road! When he became mayor, it surprised a lot of people.
Al - I agree with your Al.
Sally - There are a lot of celebrities buried here and all of their graves are unassuming, but at least you can read the name of the others!
Carly - Very interesting! There are so many celebs buried in that area of the desert.
Robyn - I don't think he was, but who knows for sure.
Pasadena Adjacent - The marker part is a policy, but if nobody else, maybe the should buy a new one. He helped put them on the map.
Entre Nous - I think you just answered the question! I had no idea...
Laura - That is exactly what I'm talking about!
Stewart - Thanks Stewart! I agree!
sixdegreesphotography - HA! That was good Lynne! Now I have that song playing in my head. over and over and over...
Rosemary - I'm with you Rosemary! He was after all, "the chairman of the board!"
It is sad. I'm amazed that FS's family would neglect his grave like this.
ReplyDeletePam - I agree! He is an Icon and has one of the most recognizable names in the world. If nobody else does it, I'd think the city would. He helped put that place on the map.
ReplyDeleteThe marker may say more about Sinatra's family than it says about the man. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteEG CameraGirl - You are just sayin' and I think you are probably right!
ReplyDeleteMost definitely not just you. That's really sad. I love Frank, he's one of my favorites of the old-timers. Poor guy deserves a lot better than that.
ReplyDeleteNo Pat, not just you. This is just incredibly sad.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could lead the masses in a money collection to get him a proper (nicer) marker? How cool would that be? Kickstarter campaign woohoo!