Frank Sinatra Jr. dies at 72 from cardiac arrest

The son of a singing icon, Frank Sinatra Jr., died from a cardiac arrest on Wednesday. He was 72.

Sinatra Jr. continued his father's singing legacy, having a musical career of his own that lasted throughout his life. He died while on tour in Daytona, Florida, according to a short statement on the Sinatra family's website. He was due to perform on Wednesday at The Peabody in Daytona Beach as part of his "Sinatra Sings Sinatra" tour.

Frank Sinatra Jr. sings the national anthem before a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants on Sep. 22, 2014. Credit: AP

"The Sinatra family mourn the untimely passing of their son, brother, father, uncle, Frank Sinatra, Jr.," the statement read.

Frank Sinatra Jr. (center), son of the legend singer came for one night to Germany, where he performed with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra for a TV production in Saarbrucken, Feb. 20, 1964. Credit: AP

Born Francis Wayne Sinatra on Jan. 10, 1944, he was the middle child of father Frank Sinatra and first wife Nancy Barbato Sinatra, adopting the Sinatra Jr. name professionally. Sinatra Jr. has said he rarely saw his father who was always performing or in movies.

Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped and held for ransom at the age of 19 while on tour in 1963. His father Frank Sinatra reportedly paid close to $240,000 at the time for his release. 

Singer Frank Sinatra gets together with his son, Frank, Jr. Sep. 12, 1963 at the Americana Hotel in New York City, where the younger Sinatra is headlining the show at the hotel. Credit: AP

The stigma of allegations that it was a fake kidnapping haunted Sinatra Jr. for years, and rapidly gained him fame after the incident, he told The Guardian in 2002.

Celebrities took to Twitter to express their sorrow at the news of his death.

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Tweet may have been deleted

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Married in 1998 to Cynthia McMurrey, they divorced in 2000. Sinatra Jr. is survived by son Michael and sisters Nancy and Tina Sinatra.

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