My first awareness of Tony Bennett came in 1962, when his famous recording of I Left My Heart in San Francisco was ubiquitous. It didn't actually make a huge dent on the radio -- Wikipedia says it topped out at no. 19 on the Billboard charts -- but, back then, there was still a separate lane for "grown-up music", and the song was so successful there that it won the Record of the Year Grammy.
It was only later that I learned (largely from The Last Picture Show soundtrack) that Bennett had been around and a star far longer. He, in fact, had had number one records the year before I was born.
Anyway, by then, he was a legend, and his legend only seemed to grow as his life went on. He was the rare senior citizen (along with Betty White, maybe) who became more beloved by the younger generation the older he got. His voice was, to put it nicely, something of a memory in later years (true of Sinatra, as well), but contemporary pop stars lined up to sing duets with him. It no doubt helped that he was universally seen as a good guy, who courageously stood up for political causes at times when they weren't in fashion.
He also belongs to the select group of Celebrities I've Passed on the Street. The perks of living in NYC.
Nobody lives forever, and it's nice we got nearly a century of someone as fine as Mr. Benedetto.
R.I.P. Tony Bennett
-
Mister Tee
- Tenured Laureate
- Posts: 8648
- Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 2:57 pm
- Location: NYC
- Contact:
Re: R.I.P. Tony Bennett
Just a great, great (and incredibly long!) career. It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t like Tony Bennet. Rest in Peace.
-
Big Magilla
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19338
- Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 3:22 pm
- Location: Jersey Shore