Tony Bennett

Through his dedication to excellence and his insistence on quality, he has become the keeper of the flame by extolling the virtues and values represented by the Great American Songbook. Tony Bennett has been on the front lines of every major issue impacting the cornerstones of this country's modern history. He has performed for eleven U.S. Presidents, is a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and participated in the liberation of a concentration camp, and marched side by side with Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma to support civil rights. Throughout his life, Tony has been a dedicated pacifist and proactive humanitarian selflessly supporting many causes whose goals benefit the lives of millions. His love for his country has earned him the distinction of national treasure and United Nations has named him a Citizen of the World as one of their foremost ambassadors. 

Through his music, Tony has connected in unprecedented fashion with all generations of audiences.  His commitment to humanitarian ideals has bridged our differences by highlighting what we have in common as citizens of the planet. He has fought for the hard issues when others have turned a blind eye and has remained true to the authenticity and creativity of his musical vision. Tony has achieved the Great American Dream but has never forgotten his own roots and is constantly working toward ensuring that others can achieve their dreams as well. His life story is compelling in the lessons and values that it teaches:  dedication, commitment, courage, and compassion.   

No one in popular American music has recorded for so long and at such a high level of excellence than Tony Bennett.  In the last ten years alone he has sold ten million records. The essence of his longevity and high artistic achievement was imbued in him in his loving childhood home in the Astoria section of Queens where he was born on August 3, 1926.  His father died when Tony was 10 and his mother, Anna, raised Tony and his older brother and sister, John and Mary, in a home surrounded by loving relatives who were Tony’s first fans filling him with encouragement and optimism.  He attended the High School of Industrial Arts in Manhattan, where he continued nurturing his two passions, singing and painting.  From the radio, he developed a love of music hearing Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and James Durante.


As a teenager, Tony sang while waiting on tables and then enlisted in the Army during World War II and while in Europe he performed with military bands.  He later had vocal studies at the American Theatre Wing School.  The first-time Bennett sang in a nightclub was in 1946 when he sat in with trombonist Tyree Glenn at the Shangri-La in Astoria. Bennett’s big break came in 1949 when comedian Bob Hope noticed him working with Pearl Bailey in Greenwich Village in New York City.  As Bennett recalls, “Bob Hope came down to check out my act.  He liked my singing so much that after the show he came back to see me in my dressing room and said, 'Come on kid, you’re going to come to the Paramount and sing with me.'  But first he told me he didn’t care for my stage name (Joe Bari) and asked me what my real name was.  I told him, ‘My name is Anthony Dominick Benedetto’ and he said, ‘We’ll call you Tony Bennett.’ And that’s how it happened. A new Americanized name -- the start of a wonderful career and a glorious adventure that has continued for over 60 years.”


With millions of records sold world-wide and platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett has received nineteen Grammy Awards -- including a 1995 Grammy for Record of the Year for his “MTV Unplugged” CD which introduced this American master to a whole new generation -- and the Grammy Lifetime Award.  His initial successes came via a string of Columbia singles in the early 1950’s, including such chart-toppers as “Because of You," "Rags to Riches," and a remake of Hank Williams “Cold, Cold Heart.”  He had 24 songs in the Top 40, including “I Wanna Be Around," “The Good Life," “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” and his signature song,” I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” which garnered him two Grammy Awards.


Tony is one of a handful of artists to have new albums charting in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and now in the first two decades of the 21st century.  He has introduced a multitude of songs into the Great American Songbook that have since become standards for pop music.  He has toured the world to sold out audiences with rave reviews whenever he performs.  Bennett re-signed with Columbia Records in 1986 and released the critically acclaimed The Art of Excellence.  Since his 1991 show-stopping performance at the Grammy Awards of “When Do The Bells Ring For Me," from his Astoria album, he has received a string of Grammy Awards for releases including Stepping Out, Perfectly Frank and MTV Unplugged.


In the new millennium, Bennett’s artistry and popularity w