Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

David Patrone Tips His Hat Toward Sinatra

David Patrone: Ski instructor, Marine aviation explosives technician, Sinatra buff.
David Patrone: Ski instructor, Marine aviation explosives technician, Sinatra buff.

“I never really knew much about Frank Sinatra as a kid,” says crooner David Patrone, whose decade in the United States Marine Corps was spent as a fan of classical and blues music. That is, until the day he was shopping at a record store and spotted the leader of the Rat Rack on the cover of Reprise’s Very Best of Frank Sinatra collection, tipping his hat toward Patrone.

“I thought, I should check this guy out. He’s got the right kind of hat, I’ve heard his name all my life, and I have ten bucks burning a hole in my pocket.” Thus began Patrone’s fascination with sophisticated Vegas-style jazz and lounge music.

“Sinatra did it all. His life, his music, an Oscar, eleven Grammys, two Golden Globes, uncountable other awards, his philanthropy, his ups, his downs, his pain, his love, his luck both good and bad, and his success tell an amazing story…you could learn a lot about living from Frank Sinatra. He climbed to the top and landed at the bottom and pulled it back up to the top again, several times, in global proportion.”

These days, Patrone covers an even wider array of music than the Chairman of the Board himself, incorporating jazz, lounge, bebop, swing, blues, and even a pinch of comedy. “I’m sort of like a male version of Ella Fitzgerald. Besides Sinatra, I’ve been compared to the likes of Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Bublé, and Bobby Darin. I like to mix up genres and make up songs on the spot. I also like to crack jokes and tell stories in the middle of my performances. I feel like it’s a party, and I’m the host, so music isn’t my only bag.”

Patrone won Best Jazz at the San Diego Music Awards in 2009. On Tuesday, December 6, he headlines the Waterfront’s annual Prohibition Party — “to celebrate being the first bar in San Diego to get a liquor permit after Prohibition ended.”

FOUR CDs THAT INSPIRED YOU?

Sponsored
Sponsored

1) Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here. “For chill awesomeness.”

2) Miles Davis, Kind of Blue. “For understanding. A great beginner jazz album.”

3) Chet Baker, Sings. “For broken hearts and healing.”

4) Kurt Elling, The Messenger. “For humility.”

EVER BEEN FIRED?

“No, but I’ve quit in such a way that I should’ve been arrested.”

FAVORITE FREE HANGOUT?

“Twelve-step meetings; you just can’t beat that. I recommend cocaine anonymous. Those cats are cool.”

EVER BEEN ROBBED?

“My house in Oceanside was broken into in 1997, and the bastards got away with my Grandfather Patrone’s family ring and my step-grandfather’s Zippo, which he had with him on Normandy Beach on D-Day. Whenever I see a pawn shop, I drop in and check for those two things.”

WHO SHOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE?

“I would say Robert Downey Jr. or Johnny Depp. Not out of vanity; I don’t think I need to have such charismatic actors to portray me. It’s more that they seem to have the required dexterity to recreate all of the clumsy accidents that have almost killed me. A movie about me would probably be safer to produce in animation.”

WHAT REMAINS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?

1) “Heli-skiing in Alaska.”

2) “Carnival in Rio.”

3) “Teaching skiing in a foreign country such as Chile.”

4) “Singing the dissonant harmony from ‘Tanya Jean’ in a duet with Kurt Elling. At the Grammys.”

TWO THINGS WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

1) “I’m a nationally certified professional ski instructor.”

2) “I’m a former Marine aviation explosives technician.” ■

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Fiesta de Reyes Dia de los Muertos, Summer Salt and The Symposium, Scream Diego

Events October 10-October 12, 2024
David Patrone: Ski instructor, Marine aviation explosives technician, Sinatra buff.
David Patrone: Ski instructor, Marine aviation explosives technician, Sinatra buff.

“I never really knew much about Frank Sinatra as a kid,” says crooner David Patrone, whose decade in the United States Marine Corps was spent as a fan of classical and blues music. That is, until the day he was shopping at a record store and spotted the leader of the Rat Rack on the cover of Reprise’s Very Best of Frank Sinatra collection, tipping his hat toward Patrone.

“I thought, I should check this guy out. He’s got the right kind of hat, I’ve heard his name all my life, and I have ten bucks burning a hole in my pocket.” Thus began Patrone’s fascination with sophisticated Vegas-style jazz and lounge music.

“Sinatra did it all. His life, his music, an Oscar, eleven Grammys, two Golden Globes, uncountable other awards, his philanthropy, his ups, his downs, his pain, his love, his luck both good and bad, and his success tell an amazing story…you could learn a lot about living from Frank Sinatra. He climbed to the top and landed at the bottom and pulled it back up to the top again, several times, in global proportion.”

These days, Patrone covers an even wider array of music than the Chairman of the Board himself, incorporating jazz, lounge, bebop, swing, blues, and even a pinch of comedy. “I’m sort of like a male version of Ella Fitzgerald. Besides Sinatra, I’ve been compared to the likes of Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Bublé, and Bobby Darin. I like to mix up genres and make up songs on the spot. I also like to crack jokes and tell stories in the middle of my performances. I feel like it’s a party, and I’m the host, so music isn’t my only bag.”

Patrone won Best Jazz at the San Diego Music Awards in 2009. On Tuesday, December 6, he headlines the Waterfront’s annual Prohibition Party — “to celebrate being the first bar in San Diego to get a liquor permit after Prohibition ended.”

FOUR CDs THAT INSPIRED YOU?

Sponsored
Sponsored

1) Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here. “For chill awesomeness.”

2) Miles Davis, Kind of Blue. “For understanding. A great beginner jazz album.”

3) Chet Baker, Sings. “For broken hearts and healing.”

4) Kurt Elling, The Messenger. “For humility.”

EVER BEEN FIRED?

“No, but I’ve quit in such a way that I should’ve been arrested.”

FAVORITE FREE HANGOUT?

“Twelve-step meetings; you just can’t beat that. I recommend cocaine anonymous. Those cats are cool.”

EVER BEEN ROBBED?

“My house in Oceanside was broken into in 1997, and the bastards got away with my Grandfather Patrone’s family ring and my step-grandfather’s Zippo, which he had with him on Normandy Beach on D-Day. Whenever I see a pawn shop, I drop in and check for those two things.”

WHO SHOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE?

“I would say Robert Downey Jr. or Johnny Depp. Not out of vanity; I don’t think I need to have such charismatic actors to portray me. It’s more that they seem to have the required dexterity to recreate all of the clumsy accidents that have almost killed me. A movie about me would probably be safer to produce in animation.”

WHAT REMAINS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?

1) “Heli-skiing in Alaska.”

2) “Carnival in Rio.”

3) “Teaching skiing in a foreign country such as Chile.”

4) “Singing the dissonant harmony from ‘Tanya Jean’ in a duet with Kurt Elling. At the Grammys.”

TWO THINGS WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

1) “I’m a nationally certified professional ski instructor.”

2) “I’m a former Marine aviation explosives technician.” ■

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The ups and downs of Cel Cerro on a bike

Best outdoors times
Next Article

Vista imagines car-free downtown

Following Encinitas and Pacific Beach
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader