Tony Bennett, singer and recording artiste, is a legend at 90 years of age. He has been performing until recently. His fourth book is titled ‘Life is a Gift’ published by Omnibus Press in 2012. It is a book of reflections on his life and times. There’s a subtitle ‘The Zen of Bennett’. It’s a rags to riches story. From humble beginnings he reached the top of his profession.
Bennett was born on 3 August 1926. He started performing in 1950 and made his first record in1951. He has won 17 Grammys and has had a most interesting life in music. Some of his recordings are still well known and often played.
Tony was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto (in Italian it means ‘the blessed one’) in Astoria, in the Borough of Queens, New York. Benedetto’s parents had come to New York from Italy. He grew up in an Italian environment which appreciated music and art. He is also an accomplished artist. He is one of the most successful singers and recording artistes of all time. I admire him for his endurance as a performer and his simple philosophy of life.
By the end of the 40s Tony had a manager and was singing at venues around New York. He got his big break when Bob Hope saw him performing in Greenwich Village and out him into his stage show. She also encouraged him to change his stage name to Tony Bennett. IN 1950 Columbia Records A&R director heard his demo recording of ‘The Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ and signed him to the label. His first big hit ‘Because of you’ topped the charts in 1951. That was followed by a number one by his cover of Hank Williams song ‘Cold Cold Heart.’. Over the next two years he had five more chart entries. In November 1953 he returned to number one with ‘Rags to riches’. The follow up, ‘Stranger in Paradise’ from the Broadway musical Kismet, was another chart –topper. In 1954 he reached the Top Ten with Hank Williams’ ‘There’ll be no teardrops tonight’ and ‘Cinnamon Sinner.’ He continued to enjoy chart success in the 1950s and turned more towards Jazz.
In 1962 he recorded ‘I left my Heart in San Francisco’, a ballad written by two unknown songwriters, George Cory ad Douglass Cross. It reached the Top Twenty and stayed in the charts for almost a year. It became Bennett’s signature tune. He has made dozens of records since then and has been until recently performing to full houses all over the world.
His commitment to quality and excellence explains why his music has endured. He has played with all the greats in music – Luciano Pavarotti, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, Willie Nelson, Lady Gaga, k.d.laing to name but a few.
This is how he described his life four years ago: “I love entertaining people; I strive to make them feel good and they make me feel wonderful. To explain it simply, I love what I do and my ambition is to get better as I get older. That’s really what I’m all about…My goal is to improve all the time. Here I am today at eighty six, and I’m even more passionate than ever before,, I’m proud to say that I feel I have never worked a day in my life-and I know that’s because I love what I do.” Here is one man who has coped with ‘celebrity’ very well.
I’m also a great admirer of Tony Bennett. Of course I enjoy the seemingly easy artistry of his jazz, but a great part of his appeal is his humanity and humility too….admirable qualities in anyone. You mentioned too that he is an excellent painter .He touches many of the cultural basis and somehow also transcends the idea of time and the neat little temporal package that too many place artists in.
Well said Paddykool. He would have made a good President.
I’d say he’d run a mile , if asked to do such a thing , Joe..