Liza Minnelli Lifts the Lid on Frank Sinatra's Touring Demands
In an exclusive revelation from her new memoir, legendary entertainer Liza Minnelli has opened up about the most difficult aspects of touring with the iconic Frank Sinatra. The singer and actress, who knew Sinatra from infancy, describes a brilliant on-stage partnership that was often a nightmare behind the scenes.
The 'Cranky and Moody' Legend
Minnelli writes that Sinatra was "cranky and moody" and insisted that everything ran strictly to his own schedule. "Everything went according to his schedule. When the curtain went up; when the curtain went down. When the plane took off. When you could leave his dressing room," she explains in her book, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!
She recalls that when Sinatra became irritable, she would simply leave the room to avoid his unpredictable moods. "You didn't want to be around when he got into one of those moods. Even if it wasn't your fault," Minnelli admits.
Late-Night Lock-Ins and Exhaustion
The most startling revelation concerns Sinatra's habit of locking Minnelli and fellow performer Sammy Davis Jr. in his dressing room to prevent them from having an early night. "Frank would say, 'Okay, okay.' But he never let anybody go to bed! He'd lock the damn door to his room. You couldn't get out!" she writes.
This was not a playful gesture. Sinatra, who hated being alone after performances, demanded conversation and company until dawn. "We were seriously exhausted, but Frank hated being alone after a show. He needed conversation and people around him late, late into the night—until dawn, in fact—until you felt like you were literally ready to pass out," Minnelli recounts.
She and Davis Jr. eventually adapted by falling asleep in Sinatra's lavishly stocked dressing rooms, which were filled with alcohol and treats, as part of what she calls "The Ultimate Event."
A Lifelong Connection
Minnelli's relationship with Sinatra began when he first greeted her as a baby in the hospital. He was a lover of her mother, Judy Garland, in a relationship she describes as "much more" than an affair. Sinatra was a regular visitor at their home and later partied with Minnelli in Vegas when he married her friend Mia Farrow. He even offered to pay for Garland's funeral.
"He was always there for us, and for me," Minnelli writes, affectionately referring to him as "Uncle Frank."
The 1988 Ratpack Reunion Tour
Minnelli joined the 1988 Ratpack Reunion tour, replacing Dean Martin, who bowed out after a few shows. The public reason was illness, but Minnelli suggests the real story was that Martin "could no longer put up with the pressures, the all-night drinking, and the tensions he knew all too well."
The tour played to massive audiences in cities including Detroit, Milan, London, and Tokyo. While Minnelli speaks with delight about the on-stage performances, she confirms that off-stage, Sinatra was a lonely figure who insisted on having things done "my way."
Personal Struggles and Reflections
The timing of the tour was particularly challenging for Minnelli, as she was fighting a "tough and often losing battle" with alcohol at the time. She concludes her chapter on Sinatra, who died in 1998, with a poignant reflection: "A final thought about Uncle Frank: He'd give you the moon, but I don't know anyone besides his children who ever heard him apologize for anything."
More from the Memoir
Minnelli's book, published on her 80th birthday, also covers her stage and screen career, her four marriages, and other personal anecdotes. She details her disastrous 2002 wedding to the late David Gest, which featured Michael Jackson as best man and guests like Diana Ross and Elizabeth Taylor.
She knew the marriage was doomed from the start, recalling Gest's wedding-day kiss: "That appalling kiss went on forever. I was bent over in his arms, and we looked absurd in a video flashed around the world. Actually, David kissed me too soon, before he was supposed to, so I had to endure two long kisses. I was shocked and felt degraded."
She describes the kiss as "like a shark mangling a piece of meat" and says the marriage was over before it began due to Gest's "limp display of masculinity and testosterone."
In the acknowledgements, Minnelli thanks her doctor, Dr. Lawrence D. Piro, and her healthcare team for helping her since leaving rehab in 2015 by cutting down her medication and stopping her from self-prescribing.
"You wanna live to get old? Get yourself a good doctor! I've got a great one," she advises.
True to her showbiz roots, Minnelli ends the book with a theatrical flourish: "I'll see you at the Cabaret, old chum. All my love, Liza."
