Sinatra fans swamp record shops

Record stores are resorting to emergency stocks

The death of Frank Sinatra has unleashed a record buying frenzy among the singer's millions of fans worldwide.

Young and old admirers have been swamping record stores and many traders have been resorting to emergency stocks.

Some warehouses have already be cleaned out of Sinatra stock while record companies are reported to be gearing up their pressing plants to meet the massive demand.

The response by fans has been similar to the sales rushes that followed the deaths of Elvis Presley in 1977 and John Lennon in 1980.

Stores in central London reported heavy demand for some of Ol' Blue Eyes' best-loved tracks. Strangers in the Night, My Way, New York, New York, Fly Me to the Moon and Are You Lonesome Tonight? have all proved mass sellers.

Martin Jezzard: "The demand has been tremendous"

As well as the greatest hits, fans are also clamouring for copies of Sinatra's early material.

The response to the legendary singer's death, at the age of 82, has sparked predictions of "Sinatra-mania".

Martin Jezzard, manager of the HMV store in Oxford Street, said: "People are being reminded of those Sinatra songs they loved and they are coming to buy them as a memento.

"The demand has been tremendous. We had a special delivery last night to make sure we had sufficient supplies and there has been a permanent crowd around the Sinatra section all day long."

A spokesman for Tower Records in Piccadilly said: "Many people rushed in to buy Sinatra's records on Friday because they wanted to be able to say they bought it on the day of his death."

Sales in the US are rocketing

Across the Atlantic it was a similar story.

A spokesman for the 530-store Trans World Entertainment Corp. said: "People are buying everything they can get and many are reserving the leather box set that retails for $495."

Todd Meehan, manager of Tower Records in Hollywood, said he placed orders for Sinatra records on Friday morning. "Over the weekend there'll be a mad rush," he said.

Old Catalogue

"Everybody's coming in," he said. "The die-hard fans are coming in for some of the old catalogue. He must have over 200 different titles."

The majority of Sinatra's more than 100 albums were released by Sony Music's Columbia Records, EMI Group Plc's Capitol Records and Reprise, part of Warner Music Group.

The President and Chief Executive Officer of Capitol Records, Gary Gersh, said: "Frank Sinatra was a cornerstone of Capitol Records as well as a friend. He is part of the fabric of America and will always be the musical icon to the world."