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Frank Sinatra had connections with some of the most prominent women in entertainment throughout his impressive career. This includes his short-lived relationship with Mia Farrow which may or may not have resulted in the birth of acclaimed journalist Ronan Farrow. While the truth about Ronan Farrow's parentage remains a bit ambiguous, there's no doubt that Old Blue Eyes had a thing with his mother. And he had a thing with a lot of other famous women too, including a pretty toxic one with Eva Gardner.
While Sinatra may not have shared a romantic relationship with legendary singer Dionne Warwick, there's no doubt the two will forever be linked. This is due to their acclaimed 1986 "You & Me" duet on Paramount Television's hit series Solid Gold, where Warwick served as the original host. While Warwick has worked with so many other legendaries throughout her continuing career, her collaboration with Sinatra is one of the most memorable. While promoting her CNN documentary, Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over, the singer pulled the curtain back on her relationship with the Rat Pack crooner...
How Did Dionne Warwick Meet Frank Sinatra?
During her interview with Vulture about her career and her CNN documentary, Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over, Warwick pulled the curtain back on her relationship with Frank Sinatra. And it all started when she was working as a performer in Las Vegas during the 1960s and 1970s. For those who know anything about Frank Sinatra and the history of The Rat Pack, this was a period where he was enjoying the tail end of the height of his fame.
She explained that during the early part of her career working as a performer in Las Vegas, she became more than aware of Frank Sinatra's power.
"It was absolutely wonderful," Dionne Warwick said to Vulture of working in Las Vegas. "Jack Entratter, who ran the Sands Hotel, used to work at the Copacabana in New York City. So I knew Jack from there. That was my first Las Vegas job, the Sands. It was the most exciting. I mean, I was in a room where absolute icons had worked and played, and that was the aim of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go to perform."
Among these icons was the Rat Pack, which was led by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.
"The Rat Pack embraced me," Warwick continued in her interview with Vulture. "Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin — they just threw their arms around me and made me their baby. Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll, Ella Fitzgerald? Those were the ones that really said, 'Hey, new kid in town? Let’s take care of her.' They spoiled me rotten, and I loved every second of it. I still do. I’m still very spoiled."
Inside Dionne Warwick's Relationship With Frank Sinatra
Much of Dionne Warwick's relationship with Frank Sinatra came from her connection with Sammy Davis Jr. While Warwick and Davis Jr. never dated, they were exceptionally close.
During her December 2022 interview with Vulture, Dionne Warwick described Sammy Davis Jr. as a "wonderful, wonderful, wonderful man".
"[Sammy Davis Jr.] was a gentleman. He was funny as all get out. And he was a friend, and I don’t say that word very often," Dionne Warwick explained to Vulture. "I count my friends literally on one hand. When you say a friend, they’re true friends, and he was that to me. I miss him very, very much. We were born the same month, in December. And he would call me for my birthday, as I would call him for his."
But Sammy Davis Jr. wasn't the only person Dionne Warwick shared a birthday with.
"The same thing with Mr. Sinatra. We share the same birthday, December 12. So I heard from him every year. There was not a year that went by that I didn’t get flowers from him or a phone call. I referred to him as 'Poppy.' He would say to people, 'This is my daughter.' I said, 'Okay, Poppy!'"
But despite their connection, friendship, and the fact they both worked Las Vegas, Warwick and Sinatra rarely worked together.
"The only recording I have is with Frank Sinatra and it’s not really a recording, but it’s the first live duet that he ever did with anyone. And that was on Solid Gold, of all things."
What Advice Did Frank Sinatra Give To Dionne Warwick?
During an interview on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Dionne Warwick revealed a piece of advice that Frank Sinatra once gave to her.
"What's the best advice you received from your fatherly mentor Frank Sinatra?" Andy Cohen asked.
This was Dionne Warwick's response: "He and everyone else who mentored me [said], 'Be who you are, you can't be anyone other than that.'"