The Herald in Monterey reports that Joe Fitzpatrick, who for three decades wrote a column titled “My Bag” on the local social scene, died Saturday, May 29, of heart failure. The obit includes an anecdote about how one column that criticized the singing of Frank Sinatra Jr. provoked the ire of the singer’s famous father:

“He was less than complimentary about Junior’s singing, as I recall,” former Herald editor Tom Walton said from his home in Ohio. 

Walton said the older Sinatra wrote a letter to Fitzpatrick in defense of his son. Playing on the name of Fitzpatrick’s column, Sinatra concluded his reprimand with “Your bag is empty.” 

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Walton said. “If you get the attention of someone like Sinatra, I guess you’re doing something right.”

(Photo credit: Herald archives)