Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto, known professionally by his stage name Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. He is also a painter, having created works under the name Anthony Benedetto that are on permanent public display in several institutions. He is the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPop Singer
Date of Birth3 August 1926
CityQueens, NY
CountryUnited States of America
I have a simple life. I mean, you just give me a drum roll, they announce my name, and I come out and sing. In my job I have a contract that says I'm a singer. So I sing.
I'm the kid of baby boomers, and the baby boomers listened to rock-and-roll, not thinking that Sinatra and Bennett were cool. I discovered this music on my own, which is why I really adopted it as my own music.
This is amazing. I'm overwhelmed. It's music that I love so much from all of these magnificent artists.
Intimate singing had a wonderful style in the '30s and '40s. It came out of Broadway and the jazz of Louis Armstrong and Billie Holliday. But Sinatra created the best romantic era that we've ever had.
I still insist that American performers are the best performers in the world.
Just give a drum roll, announce my name & I come out & sing. I have a contract that says I'm a singer. So I sing.
I think one of the reasons I'm popular again is because I'm wearing a tie. You have to be different.
To work is to feel alive.
We used to do seven shows at day at the Capitol Theater in Washington and the Paramount in New York. The manager said you are doing the young crowd in the morning, the senior citizens in the afternoon, the engaged and married couples in the evening. And he said just sing good songs and everyone would like it. I stayed with that.
Believe it or not, it's my signature song, 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco,' because it's given me a license to sing all the great songs that I could sing.
We've got a good group of guys, and the character is strong. Whether we win or lose the game, I told them the best gift you can give him is to go all out and lay it on the line. I hope the next two or three games we go through will exhibit that.
My favorite song is "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" because it's become my signature song. I sang it for six American presidents and five command performances... it's made me a world citizen.
It gives the young men some assurance that things are going to be maintained,
He's a cult hero over here for doing it.