Beech Tree News Network

In 1951, Tony Bennett’s first big hit, “Because of You” reached #1 on the pop charts and sold over 1 million copies.  Because of Tony Bennett, music lovers of all ages would fall in love with the classic standards of the pre-Rock & Roll era that have been interpreted and reinterpreted throughout his career.  “He didn’t bridge the generation gap.  He destroyed it”, says his son and manager Danny Bennett.  He said Friday that his father, who had lost much of his memory to Alzheimer’s, stayed connected to the songs he cherished until the very end. 

“I’ll share something typical with Alzheimer’s.  The person will cut in and out.  He would have times when he was alert and other times when he wasn’t.  He was with Susan, his wonderful wife.  He said “Susan, was I always popular”? She said “yeah, of course you were”.  He said, “good because I stayed with quality”.  

The son of Italian immigrants, Anthony Dominic Benedetto was born in the working-class neighborhood of Queens, New York, where he began singing at an early age.  He once said “To this day, I remember saying to myself if I never make it, I don’t care.  I’m gonna keep singing.  I just love to make a living singing”.  

Bennett served in the U.S. Army during World War II, seeing combat in France and Germany.  His son, on his time in the army: “I think he suffered PTSD like a lot of veterans did and didn’t talk about at the time.  All he said was “war is the worst, lowest common denominator in humanity. He came out a pacifist”.  

After the war, the singer, then known as Joe Bari, opened for Bob Hope.  Hope asked what Bennett’s real name was.  “I said Anthony Dominic Benedetto.  Well, that’s long.  Why don’t we call you Tony Bennett? Bob Hope gave me my name”.  Tony’s first review was harsh.  “Well, another Italian momma’s boy has come along”.  Sometimes critics get it wrong.

In 1962, Bennett recorded what would become his signature song, “I Left My Heart In San Fransico”.  NPR co-host Scott Simon, who co-wrote Bennett’s memoir “Just Getting Started”, said “he told me he’d barely seen a cable car.  At the time he saw the sheet music, he was on a 1961-night club tour.  He was in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Tony started to sing.  The bartender said “if you guys record that, I’ll buy your first copy”.  The song won him his first of 20 Grammy awards.  

Bennett also gave his voice to the civil rights movement.  In 1965, he joined the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.  Privately, he was equally committed to the cause.  Some of Bennett’s biggest fans were his fellow artists.  Frank Sinatra once told Life magazine “for my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business”.  

On whether Tony copied from other singers: “if you copy from one person, you’re a thief.  If you’re copying many, you’re doing research”.  Tony got his inspiration from instrumentals, saxophone players.  Tony took songs a lot of people knew and put personality in them.  He had a great voice but had a rasp in it that was almost like you could hear someone making train announcements.

In the ‘70’s, he tried covering songs like “Eleanor Rigby” that didn’t pan out.  He was into drugs.  Things were not going well.  He called his son Danny, who took over his career.  They decided that the songs from Tony’s past would be his way forward.  By the early 1990’s, Tony Bennett was in heavy rotation with groups like Pearl Jam and Nirvana. He did an episode of MTV Unplugged, believe it or not.  

“This is what he taught us: music has a transcendent quality.  Any great art has a transcendent quality.  And when you are true to art, that’s where the masterpieces are hanging in museums.  There’s no gimmick to Renoir.  When Bennett wasn’t holding a mic, he was handling a brush.  He loved to paint as much as he loved to sing.  

Tony Bennett’s own comeback may have explained his connection with the late British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse.  “He knew her well enough to understand her troubles.  He saw a future for Amy and wanted to put a reassuring hand on her.  He wanted to let her know if she let her talent speak up, he would be there to support her”.  They recorded a duet just two weeks before her death from alcohol poisoning at age 27, adding another member to the haunted “27 club”, artist who died at age 27 including Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.

H also recorded with Lady Gaga, who was in her own artistic rut when the two met.  Tony Bennett took his final bow, alongside Lady Gaga, at Radio City Music Hall in August 2021. Five years after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the performance was a smashing success.  However, the disease had already taken its toll, as CBS’ Anderson Cooper observed.  “A few days after that triumph, we met Tony and his wife Susan on their daily walk in Central Park.  Cooper: how do you feel about the concert the other night”? Bennett: “I don’t know what you mean”.  Tony had no memory of playing Radio City at all.  

Danny Bennett said his father never forgot those songs.  “He was singing up until a week ago.  Towards the end, he was immobile.   Put him next to a piano, *snaps finger*.  His last song, he sang “Because of You”, his first big hit”.  His last words were “thank you”.  

(CBS Sunday Morning, 7-23-23) Below are links to my podcast Blendertainment

https://open.spotify.com/show/61yTPt9wXdz37DZTbPUs16?si=w5jHghPVRmaTaP5ZEI-wzQ

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blendertainment/id1541097172