Sinatra Still Has What It Takes to Draw a Crowd

Maybe they should reconsider that part about “Rest in Peace.”

Like rocker Jim Morrison’s grave in Paris, the desert grave site where Frank Sinatra was buried last month is becoming a much-traveled, must-see pilgrimage stop for fans, who sometimes gather at the gates of Cathedral City’s Desert Memorial Park even before they open at 7 a.m.

Sinatra’s granite grave marker is still being crafted. Sonny Bono’s, about 300 yards away, bears his name and a lyric from one of his songs, “And the Beat Goes On.”

The spare setting and lush landscaping take some visitors by surprise. “You see,” said cemetery spokeswoman Shirley Quake, “in Palm Springs, they want their cemetery to look like their golf course.”