Frank Sinatra - The Best Is Yet to Come | Live From The First 40 Years

Frank Sinatra performs “The Best Is Yet to Come” from The First 40 Years, delivering one of the songs most closely associated with his legacy. A timeless celebration of optimism, sophistication, and Sinatra’s unmatched command of the American Songbook. Recorded live on December 12, 1979, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, this broadcast-quality performance captures Sinatra celebrating his 64th birthday and four decades in entertainment. Performing before one of the most star-studded audiences in Hollywood history, Ol’ Blue Eyes takes the stage with the effortless charisma and vocal mastery that made him a cultural icon. 5 Fast Facts About the Show/Song: • The Milestone Birthday Special – Taped on Sinatra's actual 64th birthday, this television event celebrated exactly 40 years since his first professional studio recordings in 1939 with the Harry James Orchestra. The subsequent broadcast on CBS in January 1980 remains a legendary milestone in pop-culture history. • The Quincy Jones Blueprint – While performed live here under the brilliant baton of longtime collaborator Don Costa, the iconic swinging jazz arrangement was originally crafted by master producer Quincy Jones. Jones orchestrated the blueprint for Sinatra’s landmark 1964 collaborative studio album with the Count Basie Orchestra, It Might as Well Be Swing. • Originally Penned for Tony Bennett – Though universally associated with Frank Sinatra, "The Best Is Yet to Come" was originally composed by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh in 1959 and introduced to the world by Sinatra's lifelong friend, Tony Bennett. Bennett was actually sitting in the audience watching Frank swing through his track on this historic evening! • Performing to Hollywood Royalty – The audience for this gala served as a literal "who's who" of the Golden Age of cinema. As Frank effortlessly glided through the melody, the cameras cut to his closest peers cheering him on from the front rows, including Cary Grant, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, and Orson Welles. • An Epitaph of Eternal Optimism – This song held profound personal significance for Sinatra. Not only was it the final song he ever performed in public before his retirement (singing it at a private gala in February 1995), but his family also chose the title "The Best Is Yet to Come" to be permanently etched onto his original tombstone. Watch more Frank Sinatra Videos: Stream Frank Sinatra: Follow Frank Sinatra: #FrankSinatra #thebestisyettocome