With funeral arrangements for Frank Sinatra finalized, the world continues to mourn the loss of the legendary singer, and to reflect on what his presence meant to modern culture and music.
Friends and family will say good-bye to Sinatra, a man many cite as the most influential entertainer of the 20th Century, at a private funeral Wednesday in Beverly Hills, while a public ceremony will be staged in his hometown of Hoboken, New Jersey on Monday afternoon.
Sinatra died of a heart attack last week at the age of 82 (see "Legendary Vocalist Frank Sinatra Dead At 82"), and the performer's enduring legacy has been evidenced by the outpouring of emotion from an array of entertainers and world leaders that has followed.
While speaking with our colleagues in MTV Europe on Friday, Mariah Carey said of Sinatra,
"Frank Sinatra was the 20th Century," U2 frontman Bono said in a statement issued late on Friday. The Irish rocker, who sang with Sinatra on his 1993 "Duets" album went on to observe, "He was modern, he was complex, he had swing and he had attitude. He was the boss but he was always Frank Sinatra. We won't see the likes of him again. He was the big bang of pop... the man invented pop music."
Billy Joel also weighed in on Sinatra's loss, saying, "Frank Sinatra's voice expresses more eloquence that I can ever say in mere words."
"One of Sinatra's favorite toasts to make with a glass in hand was, 'May you live to be 100 and may the last voice you hear be mine,'" singer Tony Bennett recalled. "The master is gone but his voice will live forever."
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese also sounded off, noting, "There will never be another him. You know, he's the idol. He was the original."
Sinatra's voice also touched heads of state, as British Prime Minister Tony Blair said, "Frank Sinatra is one of the greatest performers of this century... I have grown up with Frank Sinatra and he will be deeply missed."
"He of course had his talent, his charisma and his voice, but he also had his personality, warm, passionate," French President Jacques Chirac said echoing the sentiment. "I had the chance to meet him and there was immediate sympathy between us. He will not be replaced."
President Clinton even chimed in, saying, "I think every American would have to smile and say he really did do it his way."
