Frank Sinatra Was Absolutely In Love With This Candy

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Frank Sinatra died in 1998, leaving behind a rich and diverse body of work encompassing hit movies like "From Here to Eternity" and ubiquitous songs including "My Way" and "Strangers in the Night." When he was laid to rest, Sinatra's loved ones included some mementos in his coffin that were meaningful to the actor and singer. These included a bottle of bourbon (which is different from other sorts of whiskey), a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and a roll of change so that he could call his loved ones if there were payphones on the other side. Old Blue Eyes was also buried with a pack of cherry Lifesavers ... wait, huh?

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay may gravitate towards an upscale chocolate candy bar, but Frank Sinatra's favorite candy was an oldie but goodie — the man loved Lifesavers, and especially the cherry flavor. According to an tour rider from 1992, Sinatra requested no fewer than 24 rolls of this inner-tube shaped hard candy in his dressing room before he performed. Half had to be cherry, while the other half were to be assorted flavors. His other demands included Campbell's chicken soup, Luden's cough drops, and a couple of egg salad sandwiches. Perhaps this all was to keep his voice in good shape, provide fuel for a long show, and maybe a treat for a job well done. Industry insiders say that starring acts like Sinatra typically spend only about 20 minutes in their dressing rooms before a performance, so Sinatra was clearly intending to sock away some Lifesavers!

Lifesavers have dipped in popularity in the 21st century, but remain extremely well-known. The fact that Frank Sinatra loved him some Lifesavers is only one curious fact that you probably didn't know about this candy. The first Lifesavers rolled out in 1912 (the same year the Titanic sank) in the Pep-O-Mint flavor. Like a swim in a pool with a life preserver, the minty Lifesavers were meant to help you cool off on muggy days. It took until 1935 for the whole quintet of flavors in a classic Lifesavers Five Flavors roll to appear: lemon, lime, orange, cherry, and pineapple. In 1992, the company unveiled Lifesavers Gummies, which may be more recognizable to young people today.

Some social media reports have reckoned that it's getting hard to buy Lifesavers by the roll anymore, the way that children of the 1980s and 1990s were probably used to seeing them in stores. It's easy, however, to source bags of individually-wrapped Lifesavers on Amazon, where you can even purchase 6.25-ounce pouches of the criminally underrated Butter Rum flavor. The world has come a long way, however, from the days when your grandma always had a roll of these at the ready in her handbag. Candies tend to wax and wane in popularity — just take a look at this lengthy list of discontinued candy bars — but we're rooting for Lifesavers to hang on. After all, it's what Frank Sinatra would have wanted!