Seth MacFarlane’s Love for Sinatra: More Than Just Family Guy

Seth MacFarlane may be known to most as the quick-witted creator behind Family Guy, but there’s another side to him that fans might not expect: a deep and enduring love for classic jazz. Especially the music of Frank Sinatra. While his animated sitcom has been running strong for over two decades, behind the scenes, MacFarlane has been quietly living out his other dream—singing the Great American Songbook live and on record.

A Different Stage: From Griffin House to Jazz Clubs

Even if you’re not a regular viewer of Family Guy, you probably know the show’s jazzy theme song. It’s catchy, brassy, and feels like a throwback—and that’s no accident. MacFarlane has always had a soft spot for old-school orchestration. He even has a semi-regular gig at the Vibrato Grill Jazz Club in Bel Air, California, where he performs the very songs he grew up loving.

He might be a master behind animated comedy, but in front of a live audience? He’s surprisingly shy. “Oh, hell yeah. I don’t even wanna be here!” he joked during a CBS Sunday Morning segment. He even admitted to needing a few scotches before walking onstage to host the Oscars in 2013. As bold as his writing can be, MacFarlane is the kind of introvert who still gets nervous before the spotlight hits.

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From Cartoon Voices to Classic Crooners

You might know MacFarlane as the voice of Peter Griffin, Stewie, and Brian, but his roots run deeper than cartoons. Long before Family Guy made him one of the youngest and most successful showrunners in TV history, he had his sights set on a different stage entirely.

In college, singing was his first love. “My sister was going to the Boston Conservatory of Music,” he shared. “She has a beautiful voice, and I thought, maybe I’ll try for grad school in musical theater.” He was accepted—but then Hanna-Barbera came calling with a job offer for an animated short. That fork in the road changed everything. Instead of chasing Broadway, he moved to California and eventually created Family Guy in 1999.

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Keeping Music at the Center

Despite his career shift, music never left him. In fact, he’s brought it along for the ride. MacFarlane is one of the few showrunners who still insists on using live orchestras to score his shows. “There’s something magical about hearing a composer walk in and bring those notes to life,” he said. “It still eludes me.”

His fascination with film scores and live orchestration led him to his latest project—an album titled Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements. Teaming up with Family Guy composer Joel McNeely, the two searched through the Sinatra family archives for arrangements that were written for Frank but never fully recorded.

Breathing New Life into Forgotten Sinatra Charts

The album is more than a passion project. It’s a musical time capsule. Joel McNeely described opening up those old charts by legendary arrangers like Nelson Riddle. One song had never been heard before—just pencil marks on paper. “All this time later, these little black dots bring his voice back to life. It was chilling,” McNeely said.

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MacFarlane sees arrangers not just as musical technicians, but storytellers. “Take a song like ‘Fly Me to the Moon’—originally a ballad. But with a different arrangement, it becomes something completely new,” he explained. His mission with this album was to preserve that brilliance and remind people of the emotional power behind the arrangements themselves.

Comedy with Impact: Rethinking Family Guy

As someone who shaped the tone of American animated comedy for a generation, MacFarlane has begun to reflect on the cultural footprint of Family Guy. In the early years, he admits he didn’t overthink the impact of the jokes. “If it was funny, we just did it,” he said.

But times have changed. “Now I look back and think, it’s more complicated than that, isn’t it?” MacFarlane has grown more thoughtful about how humor can shape conversations. “I have to figure out how to keep the show what people love while also recognizing that I analyze it differently now.”

That tension between artistic freedom and social responsibility isn’t easy. But it’s part of why Family Guy remains relevant. It evolves as its creator evolves.

Keeping the American Songbook Alive

Through his albums, MacFarlane is also contributing to the ongoing life of classic American music. McNeely believes his work helps preserve the legacy of the American Songbook, whether it’s through full-length albums or the musical sequences in Family Guy.

MacFarlane doesn’t just do it for nostalgia. He believes in the craft, the history, and the emotion of this music. Every arrangement he sings and every album he releases serves as a love letter to an era when melody and lyrics meant everything.

A Big Somebody

Seth MacFarlane once joked, “You’re nobody ‘till somebody loves you.” Well, between legions of Family Guy fans and listeners who appreciate his jazz albums, it’s safe to say—he’s a very big somebody. Whether he’s making you laugh or bringing Sinatra back to life, MacFarlane’s voice continues to leave a mark in more ways than one.