This Saturday night 12/12/15 will be FRANK SINATRA’s 100th birthday and it will be celebrated far and wide! If you find yourself anywhere near ATLANTIC CITY this week–tune in as I host ATLANTIC CITY NIGHTS: STRICTLY SINATRA premiering on PBS this WEDNESDAY night 12/9! Here’s the whole swingin’ story!

Photo credit: Don Altobell

Photo credit: Don Altobell

Just in time for Frank Sinatra’s centennial birthday, a new half-hour program offers unique perspective from those who knew him best!

“The Voice.” “Swoon-atra.” “Old Blue Eyes.” Frank Sinatra was, for a lot of people, the undisputed American male vocalist of the 20th century. NJTV, New Jersey’s public television network, presents a special program timed with the 100th year of Old Blue Eyes’ birth in New Jersey, ATLANTIC CITY NIGHTS: Strictly Sinatra on Wednesday, December 9 at 8:30PM (check local listings). Check out a promo here.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning entertainment journalist Joyce Kulhawik ATLANTIC CITY NIGHTS: Strictly Sinatra gives viewers some “frank” stories about Sinatra from a close family member, and some close friends about the man, the music and his lifelong connections to his home state, from a modest start in Hoboken, to his singing-waiter days in Englewood Cliffs, to his triumphs in Atlantic City.

ATLANTIC CITY NIGHTS: STRICTLY SINATRA premieres Wednesday, December 9 at 8:30pm on NJTV, with a daytime encore Sunday, December 13 at 5:30 pm. ATLANTIC CITY NIGHTS: Strictly Sinatra is produced by Public Producers and Riverview Studios. The series, ATLANTIC CITY NIGHTS, which will continue with new episodes on NJTV in 2016, spotlights top performers and venues both past and present in the Jersey Shore’s entertainment capital, Atlantic City.

SinatraJr_Joyce

Frank Sinatra, Jr. & Joyce Kulhawik

The dialogue starts in Atlantic City with singer-conductor Frank Sinatra, Jr. He talks about what audiences are learning from the “Sinatra at 100” show he’s performing on stages worldwide and shares colorful anecdotes of the Hollywood short his father appeared in on ethnic inc lusiveness, and how the communist witch-hunt of the 1950s came back to haunt him years later. The program also features vivid stories from Paulajane D’Amato, daughter of Atlantic City’s legendary 500 Club owner Skinny D’Amato, and reflection from former Resorts International entertainment executive Richard Helfant. Also appearing in the program is long-time friend of Sinatra and WPHT radio host Sid Mark.  Mark, a native of Camden, NJ, has hosted a Sinatra-only radio show for 59-years in South Jersey and Philadelphia.  He adds a unique perspective on Sinatra’s life, as only someone from his inner circle could: “I always say his middle name wasn’t Albert, his middle name was loyalty. If you had Frank as a friend, that was it. You could call. Whatever you needed, he would be there for you,” he shares.