Remembering Frank Sinatra's Last Performance: His Meaningful Final Song in 1995
Remembering Frank Sinatra's Last Performance: His Meaningful Final Song in 1995
Jacqueline Burt CoteThu, February 26, 2026 at 1:32 AM UTC
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(Photo by Ray Fisher on Getty Images)
Long before farewell tours became commonplace for music icons, one of the most legendary singers of all time played his last ever concert...and the final song he sang couldn't have been more meaningful.
On February 25, 1995, Frank Sinatra performed for the last time at the Palm Springs Marriott Desert Spring Resort in front of just about 1,200 people as part of the Frank Sinatra Desert Classic golf tournament, per This Day in Music.
He was 79 years old at the time and had been dealing with a number of health challenges, but that didn't stop Ol' Blue Eyes from delivering a stellar performance. The setlist included many of the singer's most beloved classics, including "Fly Me to the Moon," “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “You Make Me Feel So Young,” and “My Kind of Town" — not to mention his signature closing song, 1964's "The Best Is Yet to Come," which was later etched on his tombstone.
As Esquire reported, Sinatra was “clear, tough, on the money” and “in absolute control" throughout the show, per PM Magazine. Just a couple of years later, in 1997, he stopped making public appearances following a heart attack; the next year, on May 14, 1998, he died after another heart attack at the age of 82.
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In the years after his death, Sinatra's final song choice took on even more weight.
As Far Out reported, "While Sinatra’s impact would exceed the walls of that blissful night in February 1995, ‘The Best Is Yet to Come’ might have become even more significant a final song choice considering its layered meanings, especially when applied in hindsight. Not only does it signal hope for the future, but it also enables an element of resignation, knowing that, despite his passing, everything will be alright — because Sinatra said so."
Related: Bob Dylan Recalls Surreal Moment Shared With Frank Sinatra at a Dinner Party
This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
