February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The occasion was the granting of a lifetime achievement award to ol’ Blue Eyes, and Bono was tapped to talk because . . . because . . . hmmmm. Why was he picked, anyway?
Thinking.
Thinking.
Thinking.
Oh, yes! Ostensibly, he was chosen thanks to his guest appearance on Frank’s phenomenally popular “Duets” album, crooning off-key on “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” But most people would agree that the real reason was his penchant for giving entertainingly screwy speeches. A few excerpts:
“He’s big on attitude, serious attitude, bad attitude. Frank’s “Chairman of the Bad.”
“Rock and roll plays at being tough, but this guy, well, he’s the boss. The boss of bosses. The man. The big bang of pop.”
And, our favorite:
“This singer who makes other men poets, boxing clever with every word, talking like America: fast, straight-up, in headlines, coming through with the big schtick, the asides, the quiet compliments, good cop/bad cop all in the same breath.”
Anyway, what brought all this on was the news that Bono has covered another Sinatra classic, “That’s Life,” for the soundtrack of the upcoming Neil Jordan movie, “The Good Thief.” The film stars Nick Nolte, Ralph Fiennes and Ryan Phillippe.
Speaking of Bono, the globetrotting singer will appear on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” this week to discuss his role in African relief efforts. The show will air Friday, Sept. 20 (check local listings).