Nancy Sinatra, a crooner's confidante, dies at age 101

Nancy Sinatra, first wife of singer Frank Sinatra, died on Friday night at age 101.

Her daughter, also named Nancy Sinatra, confirmed on Twitter that Sinatra died "peacefully," calling her a "blessing and the light of my life." Sinatra, born Nancy Barbato, was Frank Sinatra's childhood sweetheart, marrying the singer in 1939, reports The Associated Press. She had three children with him before they divorced in 1951, but remained friendly with him for years, dining together as a family and talking on the phone until the singer's death in 1998.

Sinatra was a longtime resident of Beverly Hills, California, reports The New York Times, where she moved when her husband's singing career took off in the 1940s. There, Sinatra raised her children and did charitable work as all three of them entered show business. Her daughters Nancy and Tina survive her, while her son Frank Jr. died in 2016 while on tour in Florida. Read more about Sinatra's life at The New York Times.

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