Frank Sinatra Wrote This Incredibly Touching Letter To George Michael

Death often calls for reflection, and in the case of George Michael, who passed away over the weekend, many are looking to the past to appreciate his life and the music he created. One especially touching memory is this open letter Frank Sinatra wrote to the musician after reading an interview in the LA Times, Mashable reports. It's filled with advice about fame and life, and it's especially poignant to read now. Back in 1990, just after his second album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 hit stores, Michael declared to the LA Times that he was swearing off fame. "I decided that the thing I really enjoy...the thing I really needed was my songwriting," he said. "I didn't need the celebrity." In fact, he found himself crumbling under the pressure, but there was one person who had something to say about it. "Swing, man," Frank Sinatra instructed in an open letter written in response to the interview. It's just been rediscovered on Twitter, and people can't stop sharing it.

Printed in the same magazine just a week after the interview, the letter somewhat admonishes Michael for his attitude. "Here's a kid who 'wanted to be a pop star since I was about 7 years old,'" the letter reads. "And now that he's a smash performer and songwriter at 27 he wants to quit doing what tons of gifted youngsters all over the world would shoot grandma for — just one crack at what he's complaining about." Sinatra's advice? Loosen up. Be grateful for these problems. Embrace the fame because it doesn't last forever. "The tragedy of fame is when no one shows up and you're singing to the cleaning lady in some empty joint that hasn't seen a paying customer since Saint Swithin's day," Sinatra continues. "And you're nowhere near that; you're top dog on the top rung of a tall ladder called Stardom, which in latin means thanks-to-the-fans who were there when it was lonely." When Frank Sinatra tells you to snap out of it, you listen.