Fridays Are For Frank: “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” — Sinatra Idol 2016

It was a beautiful night in Sinatra Park last night—only made better by the sounds of Frank in the air, as the City of Hoboken hosted its annual Sinatra Idol competition.

In total, 16 contestants poured their hearts and souls into stirring renditions of Sinatra classics, entertaining the hundreds who had gathered along the scenic Hoboken Waterfront for a show befitting our celebrated native son.

After some spirited competition, the judges had the unenviable task of selecting a winner from all of the evocative, highly skilled tributes to “The Voice,” who biographer James Kaplan referred to as “a man with musical talents of a Mozartian level.”

In the end, it was 20-year old Zachary Alexander from Red Bank NJ, scoring a top 5 points from all 5 judges for a grand total of the highest possible score – 25 points.

“He gave a flawless performance of the Sinatra favorite ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin,'” says Barbara Simon, of the BJ Simon Singing Studio/author of the book Singing – Body and Soul: A Medley of Fresh Ideas about Musical Theater.  “Not only were his vocals rich and expressive, but his authentic Sinatra look, moves, and youthful style seemed to come straight from the Rat Pack era.”

With June 9th being songwriter Cole Porter‘s birthday, it only seems fitting that his song take it all…

Congrats to Zachary—reigning Chairman, leader of the “Zach Pack”—and the most sincere gratitude to all the contestants for an amazing night. It’s humbling to have such talented individuals travel from far and wide to celebrate Hoboken, our culture and our beloved Frank Sinatra.

“I’ve got you under my skin
I’ve got you deep in the heart of me
So deep in my heart that you’re really a part of me
I’ve got you under my skin…”

Here’s Frank at his Rat Pack peak, performing “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” at the Sands Hotel in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada with the Count Basie Orchestra: