The Popular Soda Frank Sinatra Always Demanded Backstage

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Frank Sinatra mesmerized audiences across the world with his beautiful voice and elegant charm. With songs such as "Fly Me to the Moon" and "That's Life," the beloved singer made the audience sway to his tunes, often leaving them craving for more. Yet behind the timeless live performances on stage, there was a lot of planning, effort, and Coca-Cola involved. Sinatra had an extensive rider, a list of requirements that a musician needs for a performance. Sinatra's rider requested 24 sodas to be present in his dressing room, the majority of which were the diet kind. Key among these was Coca-Cola. In fact, according to Sinatra's close friend, Tony Oppedisano, the iconic singer liked to have his Coke in a specific way — flat. Sinatra wasn't a big fan of carbonation and would often let his soda sit in the refrigerator to reduce it.

The rider had other varieties of soda, too, but Coke was one beverage that Sinatra always made sure was backstage before performing. The cola played such an important part in his life that once, during the early days of his romance with Ava Gardner, Sinatra reportedly arrived with an emerald necklace and six cases of Coca-Cola to woo her!

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Frank Sinatra wasn't alone in his enjoyment of Coke and diet sodas. Even pop star Dua Lipa likes sipping on Diet Cokes, though she prefers to spike hers with briny pickle juice. Nor was his penchant for flat soda that unusual. Some soda drinkers prefer their beverages flat because they don't love the tingling, burning bite at the back of the throat that fizzy drinks can have.

While Coke was a part of Sinatra's rider, there were many other items on it as well, from a television to a piano and a lot in between. The crooner's dressing room was always stocked with plenty of food and drink options for him to choose from. Warm soups were essential, and Sinatra's pre-show routine involved cans of Campbell's chicken and rice soup, along with a hot plate and a crock pot to heat it up.

Dressing room snacks included cheese trays, egg salad and chicken salad sandwiches, as well as a bowl of pretzels and chips, in case he felt like eating something more substantial. To wash it down? His trusty Coke, of course, but there were also tea bags and a kettle filled with spring water to make a hot brew. Sinatra also made it a point to have boxes of throat lozenges around. His rider featured an assortment of cough drops and lozenges of different flavors, a sensible request for a singer.