Frank Sinatra picked up more nicknames than almost any entertainer of the twentieth century, and unlike a lot of celebrity nicknames, most of his actually have a clear, documented story behind them. Some came from his physical appearance, some from his business decisions, and at least one came from an old childhood scar he’d rather people forgot about.
Here’s where his most famous nicknames actually came from.
Ol’ Blue Eyes
This is Sinatra’s most recognizable nickname, and it’s exactly as literal as it sounds. Sinatra had strikingly bright blue eyes that became one of his defining physical features, especially during his years as a heartthrob crooner in the 1940s and 50s. Less well known is that Sinatra essentially made the nickname official himself. When he came out of a brief retirement in 1973, he titled his comeback album Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back, cementing the nickname permanently in the public imagination.
The Chairman Of The Board
Unlike Ol’ Blue Eyes, this nickname has nothing to do with his looks and everything to do with a business decision. In 1960, Sinatra co-founded his own record label, Reprise Records, giving him far more creative control over his music than most artists of the era had. Radio personality William B. Williams reportedly coined the nickname to compare Sinatra’s commanding presence in the industry to the authority of a corporate chairman. Interestingly, Sinatra reportedly disliked the nickname, and Reprise itself wasn’t especially profitable during his time running it, but the name stuck permanently regardless.
The Voice
Long before he gained his more famous nicknames, people simply called Sinatra The Voice, a nickname that dates to his early years as a band singer in the late 1930s and early 1940s. It reflected his smooth, emotionally expressive singing style, which stood out immediately from other vocalists of the swing era and helped him become one of the first solo singers to draw the kind of screaming, obsessive fan reaction usually associated with later pop stars.
Swoonatra And The Sultan Of Swoon
Both of these nicknames point to the same phenomenon, the intense, almost frantic reaction Sinatra’s young female fans had to his live performances during the 1940s. Swoonatra combined his surname with the word swoon, while The Sultan of Swoon leaned into the same idea with a more theatrical title. Neither nickname gets much use today, but entertainment coverage often used both during the height of what some called Sinatramania.
Scarface And Slacksey
Before he was famous at all, Sinatra picked up two nicknames as a kid growing up in Hoboken, New Jersey. Scarface came from scarring on his face caused by a difficult forceps delivery at birth. As he got older and became known for dressing sharply, his neighborhood nickname reportedly shifted to Slacksey, a nod to his well tailored trousers. Neither nickname followed him into his professional career, but both show up in biographical accounts of his early life.
Nicknames From Marlon Brando
Sinatra and Marlon Brando famously did not get along, especially after both competed for the same role in the 1955 film Guys and Dolls, which Brando ultimately won. According to reporting on their long running feud, Sinatra referred to Brando privately as Mr. Mumbles, mocking his mumbling acting style, while Brando reportedly shot back with the nickname Mr. Baldy, a jab at Sinatra’s thinning hair and reliance on toupees later in his career. Unlike his more famous nicknames, these were personal jabs rather than anything used publicly by fans or the press.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Frank Sinatra’s most famous nickname?
Ol’ Blue Eyes is generally considered his most iconic nickname, especially after he used it as the title of his 1973 comeback album.
Why was Frank Sinatra called The Chairman of the Board?
The nickname came from his role founding Reprise Records in 1960, which gave him unusual creative and business control over his own music.
Did Frank Sinatra like being called The Chairman of the Board?
No. According to accounts from his family, Sinatra reportedly disliked the nickname despite it becoming one of the most enduring names associated with him.
What nickname did Frank Sinatra have as a child?
He earned the nickname Scarface because a difficult birth left him with facial scars. Later, people called him Slacksey because of his sharp teenage style.
What did Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando call each other?
Sinatra reportedly nicknamed Brando Mr. Mumbles, while Brando called Sinatra Mr. Baldy, reflecting their well documented rivalry.
Final Thoughts
Frank Sinatra’s nicknames trace almost his entire life story, from a rough childhood nickname tied to a birth injury, through the swooning fan reactions of his early singing career, all the way to a business title he never actually liked. Few entertainers have accumulated as many well documented nicknames, and even fewer have had one become so closely tied to their identity that they named an entire album after it.
