Wednesday, December 9 at 7:30 p.m. on WPBT2

– Program Features Frank Sinatra’s June 1980 Carnegie Hall Performance –

Frank Sinatra may have been born in Hoboken, New Jersey, but the “Chairman of the Board” always held a special place in his heart for the city that never sleeps — New York or “The Apple,” as he called it. With a legendary career spanning more than six decades, Sinatra was truly “The Entertainer of the 20th Century.” WPBT2 presents the television debut of SINATRA AT CARNEGIE HALL.

The program, a live performance from June 25, 1980, captures the singer at his best, reminding listeners why Sinatra’s celebrated baritone has been hailed as the “The Voice.” At the time, the two-week engagement set a record for Carnegie Hall by selling out in just one day. The show followed the release of 1980’s Trilogy, Sinatra’s ambitious triple-album that featured “The Theme From New York, New York.” Sinatra mixes “Summer Me, Winter Me” from that album with his hits “I’ve Got the World on a String” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” Foreshadowing the follow-up to Trilogyis “The Gal That Got Away”/“It Never Entered My Mind,” a medley that would appear on She Shot Me Down in 1981.

With record-breaking successes in both music and film, Sinatra’s achievements earned him three Oscars, two Golden Globes, 10 personal Grammys (and a total of 21 including those for his albums), an Emmy, a Cecil B. DeMille Award, a Peabody, the Presidential Medal of Honor and the Congressional Gold Medal (Congress’ highest civilian award); he was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983.

Also known as “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” Sinatra has sold more than 150 million albums around the world; he is the only artist to chart in Billboard’s Top Ten for seven consecutive decades. A generous charitable contributor, he was the recipient in 1971 of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, a prestigious award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Hoboken’s post office was renamed in Sinatra’s honor in 2002. Born in 1915, he died in Los Angeles in 1998.