The Simple Sandwiches Frank Sinatra Always Requested Before Performing

While Frank Sinatra is a musical legend today, during his lifetime, he was a sensation; performing to packed houses and embarking on a world tour (sponsored by no less a brand than Chivas Regal whisky) when he was in his 70s. Like many performers, he had a list of requests for refreshment in his dressing room to give him some energy before going onstage. However, "Old Blue Eyes" had surprisingly simple taste when it came to what he wanted to snack on before a performance. Rather than asking for veal Milanese from his beloved Patsy's Restaurant in New York, he only requested a plate of assorted sandwiches.

A note posted to the r/Utterlyinteresting subreddit reveals Sinatra's dressing room requests. In addition to a television, an upright piano to rehearse with, Lifesavers candy, and cough drops to ensure his voice was in tip-top shape, Sinatra asked for a cheese tray, a fruit bowl, two chicken salad sandwiches, two egg salad sandwiches, and two ham and cheese sandwiches — with the final request being a last-minute replacement for two tuna salad sandwiches. No one knows why tuna was taken off the menu (it probably would have been simpler than the tuna salad Matthew McConaughey makes), but it's possible Sinatra was concerned about fishy breath which might be off-putting to his audience.

Sinatra had his sandwiches, but many celebrities have trademark snacks of their own. The classic rock band Van Halen made headlines for asking their dressing room be stocked with a bowl of M&Ms with the brown ones removed. This was apparently less about snacking and more about safety, since the bowl of M&Ms served as a quick visual shorthand for whether the venue had read the contract carefully; an important thing to know, given the band's tendency to use pyrotechnics with very specific safety requirements in their acts.

Other artists make their own requests. Megan Thee Stallion loves Kettle brand potato chips, specifically the jalapeno flavor, and asks they be stocked in any hotel she's staying in. Sabrina Carpenter has a sweet tooth. Apparently the artist known for her album "Short n' Sweet" loves chocolates in general and Reese's peanut butter cups in particular, which she confessed to keeping in her handbag during an interview with British Vogue.