The biography doubts the myth that Sinatra built up his lung power, as Dorsey had, by swimming laps underwater. It also debunks another myth that blames Mitch Miller, Columbia Records’ head of artists and repertory, for sabotaging Sinatra’s career during its downswing. Sinatra was not forced to record novelties like “Mama Will Bark,” his notorious duet with the television personality Dagmar, in which he barked like a dog. Far from being Miller’s persecuted victim, Sinatra, in his desperate search for hits, eagerly went along with such stunts.
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