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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - To mark the 25th anniversary of the death of "Ol' Blue Eyes," Frank Sinatra, Los Angeles City Hall will be illuminated in blue Sunday night.
The legendary singer -- who died May 14, 1998 at Cedars-Sinai hospital at age 82 -- will be honored through the efforts of the Little Italy of Los Angeles Association, the Consulate General of Italy and L.A. City Councilman Tim McOsker.
"Frank Sinatra was one of the greats," McOsker told City News Service.
"His voice had a rare ability to inspire and bring joy to those who heard him sing. He was a once in a generation type of talent and I'm happy we're able to honor him by lighting City Hall blue in honor of Ol' Blue Eyes."
In a statement, the Little Italy of Los Angeles Association said it was "immensely proud ... to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the passing of legendary Italian-American singer and motion-picture actor Frank Sinatra."
Sinatra was born Dec. 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey, but made his home for many years in Palm Springs.
Starting in the 1940s as a singer with the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey big-band orchestras, he went solo in 1943 and went on to record more than 1,400 songs and sell more than 150 million records -- from tunes that sent "bobby soxers" swooning to classic, jazz and swing interpretations of the America Songbook.
Among his many big hits were "My Way," "Strangers in the Night," "Theme from New York, New York" and "L.A. Is My Lady."
Sinatra also won acclaim on the big screen, appearing in 55 films and winning the best supporting actor Oscar in 1953 for his role as Angelo Maggio in "From Here to Eternity." In 2015, to mark the 100th anniversary of Sinatra's birth, USC held a three-day "Visions and Voices" centennial tribute to his film work.
He has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- for recording, movies and television.
Sinatra's last stage appearance was in 1995, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, where he came out at the end of a star-studded 80th birthday tribute to join an ensemble for the final few bars of "New York, New York."
Sunday night, L.A. City Hall will go blue starting at about 8 p.m. Organizers of the illumination will gather a few minutes before sunset to mark the occasion.