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65 Years Ago, Frank Sinatra Came Up Short at the First Grammys

Controversy over winners and losers has been part of the Grammy experience since the very first presentations, which took place on May 4, 1959—60 years ago tomorrow (Saturday). The biggest controversy that year had to do with a disappointing showing by Frank Sinatra, who was coming off one of the biggest years of his long career.

The many tools that people use today to quickly check facts didn’t exist back then, an era of rotary phones and 3 x 5 cards.) Perry Como ‘s silky “Catch a Falling Star” won best vocal performance, male, beating the two Sinatra entries. There were five double winners — Mancini, Modugno, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Ross Bagdasarian Sr., the creator of The Chipmunks.

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