The Casino File
Musically speaking, a pretty wide gulf separates the modern-rock genre and Frank Sinatra. But Mark Tremonti, lead guitarist of both Creed and Alter Bridge, is thriving in both sonic universes.
Dec. 13, Tremonti hits the stage of the Music Box at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa with his holiday-themed program, “Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra – Christmas Special.” While the 51-year-old Detroit native grew up in a Sinatra-loving home, it was the one-two punch of the COVID-19 pandemic and the birth of his daughter, Stella, that launched this phase of his career.
During a recent phone chat, Tremonti, whose band includes musicians who toured and recorded with Ol’ Blue Eyes, explained that he had enjoyed singing Sinatra songs “for fun” prior to the worldwide viral outbreak of 2020. Then things took some dramatic turns.
“It was during the beginnings of COVID, and I had all the time in the world to do it. So, I was just practicing for hours and hours and hours a day having fun,” he offered. But with the fun came issues.
“The biggest challenge with Sinatra’s singing is, he sang like he was part of the band, he sang like a trombone player, like Tommy Dorsey played,” he noted, referencing the superstar swing bandleader who gave the young Sinatra his start in bigtime show business. “He’d watch how [Dorsey] breathed, and how he phrased; he phrased his vocals like a horn player.
“And, when you’re learning a Sinatra song, you pretty much have to learn one version of it, because every version’s gonna sound a little different because he sang it differently every time.
“So, I would choose my favorite versions, and then I would have to get into muscle memory and get into…the way he timed it, because he had such a unique way of timing his lines.”
At one point, however, Tremonti reached a crossroads with his Sinatra obsession.
“As I started feeling like I was improving and getting better at it, I was like, what am I gonna do with this? You know, spending all this time on it really makes no sense to me.
“And then, my wife and I went in for a doctor’s appointment when she was pregnant with our daughter. And before she was born [in 2021], we got the diagnosis that she was gonna be born with Down Syndrome.
“And the light bulb went off in my head immediately. I was like, you know what? All this was for something. There was a reason why all of a sudden, I’m obsessed with singing like Frank Sinatra.”
That reason would ultimately manifest itself in the establishment of the SMILE with Stella Down Syndrome Clinic in Orlando, whose operation is underwritten in large part by proceeds from his 2022 album, “Mark Tremonti Christmas Classics Old & New,” and Sinatra-focused performances.
“I can’t tell you how many stars have aligned since we started this project,” he said. “To get the [Sinatra] family’s approval to do this and to get [musicians who have backed Sinatra] to record on it and to get all these things happening that have happened, it’s the best thing.
“We partnered with the National Down Syndrome Society, and we’ve raised millions of dollars at this point, but I think the most significant money that we’ve raised went to opening up the very first Down Syndrome lifespan clinic in the southeastern United States. Within the first two years, we’ve had 400-plus families. We’re busting out of the seams in this clinic.
“When I’m an old man on my deathbed, that’s what I’ll be most proud of in my life.”
According to Tremonti, his dive into the Sinatra waters has yielded a bonus: kudos from some of his rock-royalty colleagues. He spoke of a phone call from his friend, a veteran rock ‘n’ roll-tour security specialist, that included some flattering news.
“He called me one day, and he said, ‘Hey, yesterday, I was driving [Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin fame] to [the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee], and I asked him if I could play him a record. And he said, “Of course.’ And he said [Plant] absolutely loved it.
“And I remember I was opening up for Judas Priest with my solo band, Tremonti, and I walked into catering and [Priest lead singer] Rob Halford sees me and he’s like ‘That record is beautiful!’ I said, ‘What record?’ And he says, ‘Your Sinatra record.’ And I’m like, ‘Rob Halford knows my Sinatra record?’”
Others who’ve signaled their approval of Tremonti’s Sinatra tribute include Guns N’ Roses’ guitarist Slash and KISS six-stringer Paul Stanley.
“This,” he said with obvious pride, “has been, I think in my entire career, the best response I’ve ever gotten for anything I’ve done.”
For tickets, go to ticketmaster.com. For more on the SMILE with Stella Down Syndrome Clinic, go to adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-children/our-services/down-syndrome-program.
Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.
