You may know Stan Pappas for a number or reasons.
Maybe as 'Mr. Shoe' selling shoes. You may have gotten a real-estate loan from him – or even bought a car from him. But there's one thing certain: his passion is Frank Sinatra. Sinatra had an influence on almost every aspect of his life and, in this year that would have been Sinatra's 100th birthday, Pappas has come out of semi-retirement and taken his Sinatra tribute act on the road again. You can catch him this Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Poseidon Tasting Room at Cornerstone in Carneros, kicking off at 3 p.m.
Many musicians in our generation cite the Beatles on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' as that moment when they knew music was what they wanted to do. What made you realize you wanted to be a musician?
Well, I knew long before the Beatles were around, I was 11 years old and I heard a Sinatra LP, 'Swing Easy' and became a fan for life. Picked it up at a Walgreens in Stonestown (shopping center in San Francisco) for $3.99. That was a lot of money back then.
That first instrument you owned. What was it and do you still have it?
It was a trumpet and I actually do still have it. In junior high I played in a dance band. The conductor played trombone and had actually been a member of Tommy Dorsey's band. He had a big influence on me.
Who are your primary influences?
Well, clearly Frank Sinatra, but many from the big-band generation: the Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin. I never really got into the rock and roll, for whatever reason. I always stuck to the music I fell in love with.
What CD or playlist is in your car right... now!
It's called 'Hit Parade of the '50s' but doesn't have a rock song on it, it's all big band stuff.
Tell us about your current acts.
I've brought my 'Sonoma Sinatra' act out of retirement for the 100th birthday of Sinatra. I had kind of enough of it, but once I realized the time of life it was, I had to bring it back. I'm not doing bars with it any longer, just wineries or nonprofit events.
If you could have written one song, what would it be?
'Don't Worry About Me' by who else? Frank Sinatra. I was going through a divorce several years back and those lyrics really helped me get through it. 'Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.'
(Editor's note: The song "Don't Worry About Me" was composed in 1938 by Rube Bloom, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler.)
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