Unseen Images Of Tony Bennett

Humble Beginnings

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Real name Anthony Dominick Benedetto, Tony Bennett was born in Queens, New York City in 1926.  His dad was a grocer and his mother a seamstress. The family's humble beginnings did not stop Tony's passion for singing and he surprised everyone with his strong voice, at the age of 10. Word got around and he was gaining attention from the neighborhood.

Tony and his Mom

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Tony Bennett said that the most important lesson his mother taught him was to hold out for quality and she had high standards herself when she was sewing dresses.  This transferred to her son for when a producer or promotor told him to record a song he thought was silly or shoddy, he followed her ethos and insisted on only recording quality material.

Fighting For His Country

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When Bennett was only 18 years old he was drafted into the US Army. He hated the training back in 1944 as one of the officers disliked him and made life as difficult as he could for the young Tony. He was always picked on and not mentally well equipped enough to be on the front line. He did it though and endured very harsh winters. He said he even helped liberate a camp near Dachau.

Drop-Out ....but all came good in the end!

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Due to his love of art, Bennett enrolled at the School of Industrial Art in New York which was for singing and painting. He did not get round to completing the course as his family were struggling financially and he needed to help them, even though he was only 16 years old. He did, however, learn techniques from art lessons and he never forgot them.  He was happy to pick up a paint brush years later and showed his talent.

Honing His Craft

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As mentioned, an enthusiastic Tony Bennett attended the High School of Industrial Arts in Manhattan, nurturing his two passions which were singing and painting; but left to earn money for the family.  He did this by waiting on tables but when he enlisted in the Army during the Second World War, he performed with military bands after being posted to Europe. Even then, fellow soldiers were impressed with his voice.

Lucky Break

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Bennett’s first big break was thanks to Pearl Bailey, a successful singer at the time. Pearl noticed him and his amazing voice during the period that Tony was trying to get his foot in the door of the industry.  Bailey invited him to open for one of her shows and it so happened that the legendary Bob Hope was in the audience. Bob took him under his wing and got him to change his name to Tony Bennett!

Big Shoes To Fill

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Bennett often spoke about his early life, listening to Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Al Jolson and Judy Garland, all very inspirational to him. Once famous, Tony became good friends with Frank Sinatra and they loved to sing jazz together. Three years after Sinatra passed away, Tony founded The Frank Sinatra School of Performing Arts in his (Tony's) home borough of Queens.

The Heart Throb

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As the 1950s approached, Tony Bennett's career had taken off.  In fact it had catapulted him to stardom.  His ballad "Because of You" was played on jukeboxes all over America and Tony's chiselled good looks did no harm at all to his popularity!  Scores of girls would be screaming at his concerts, desperate to touch him and dream of being his wife.  These dreams were shattered though ....

It Was Love

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Bennett made a controversial decision that his many fans would be devastated over.  He had met a young, pretty woman, Patricia Beech, at the end of one of his nightclub shows. The following year he proposed to Patricia and that caused chaos.  The fans were devastated and two thousand of them gathered outside the church they were getting married in and they were wearing black to show they were in mourning!

All Was Not As It Seemed

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As they settled down to married life, Tony and Patricia were very happy and had two sons together.  Good things don't always last and the marriage crumbled.  They still loved each other but Bennett seemed to love his work more and spent too much time away from home.  He was used to "a rise and grind mentality" and was always on the road and for lengthy periods.

The Next Mrs Bennett?

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Apparently, seems that Bennett was not always a faithful husband when he was away from home.  He moved on fast after the breakdown of his marriage and began living with an upcoming actress, Sandra Grant.  He had met her when making the movie "The Oscar" and that was the same year his marriage fell apart.  Was Tony seeing Sandra while still married?

Yes .... and 2 more kids!

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A messy divorce from Patricia wasn't enough to put Tony off marriage and he didn't want time out for a quiet life.  The exact opposite was the case.  He tied the knot with Sandra Grant in 1971 and all was rosy yet again.  Two more children completed the family.  They were daughters Joanna and Antonia and their dad was besotted with them.  Everything was going well until ....

He Started His Own Record Company

Image source: The Guardian

There was no doubt that Bennett had an incredible singing talent but that did not follow on into his business acumen.  He decided, as he was at the top of his tree, that he would start his own record company.  It was the mid 1970s and he wanted to leave big studios behind him but being a studio executive was a hard job.  The label folded in 1977 and Bennett was left almost penniless.  He felt so desperate that he blotted it out, with terrible consequences.

Addiction

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During the mid to late 1970s, Tony Bennett was hiding a big secret from his family and friends.  Declining album sales, loss of popularity with his once adoring fans and the threat of bankruptcy meant he needed escapism.  He started using cocaine and partying with the "wrong" kind of people.  He became addicted to the drug and almost lost his life through overdosing.  The relationship with his wife was hanging by a thread.

Crumbling Second Marriage

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Tony Bennett's second wife Sandra had stayed with him through the absolute worst years of his life as he battled addiction.  It took its toll on the marriage and they agreed to separate and take time out.  They never rekindled their relationship and divorced in 1983.  Funnily enough, this was around the time his career was improving, thanks to a great decision by his son.

His (Manager) Son Saves Him

Image source: The New York Times

As mentioned, Tony's popularity diminished and so did the money.  Tony's son decided to take control by becoming his manager and got his dad to be more current.  He introduced him to a younger audience by getting him booked on "hip" shows and "Late Night With David Letterman."  The voice was still there and Tony drew in that next generation.  They loved him!

Third Time Lucky!

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In the late 1980s, Bennett met a retired school teacher from New York called Susan Crow.  They fell in love although Tony took it slow.  He had been bitten twice before and was desperate for it to be third time lucky.  It wasn't until 2007 when Bennett was in his late 80s that they married.  They described each other as soul mates and remained together for the rest of Tony's life.

He's On MTV!

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Bennett became a firm favourite with “Generation X”  due to his appearance in 1993 on the MTV show "Unplugged."  The album of this performance earned no less than two Grammy Awards and was at the top of the jazz charts for 35 weeks!  Tony had always loved jazz and was happy he did not need to compromise himself to fit in with the younger fans.  This was all part of his son's plan and it worked!

A Statue For The Gift of the Voice

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“I Left My Heart in San Francisco" is one of Tony Bennett’s most famous singles.  To honor the great man, the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco unveiled an eight foot tall statue of Bennett.  It coincided with his 90th birthday and also the anniversary of his performing that song.  Tony said he couldn't believe where all the years had gone and there was still plenty to come.  He wasn't wrong.

Talented Daughter

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Tony Bennett has four children, two each from his first two wives.  He remained very close to them all until his death. One of his daughters is Antonia and she inherited her dad's voice. Throughout the 2000s, Tony often brought her on as a guest voice or as an opening act.  In 2002, the critics compared Antonia's voice to Billie Holiday, praise indeed.

Artist And Writer

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If you are assuming that Tony Bennett became an accomplished artist due to his singing career, then you are mistaken.  Prestigious art institutions hold works by him and this includes the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  Bennett's artwork is popular and has sold well, especially now he is no longer around.  So do the two books he released about his passion for art.

A Gig With The Simpsons

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You will no doubt have heard Bennett's songs in various soundtracks and television shows where he appears as himself.  Get this though - he provided his voice for an episode of "The Simpsons."  It was called "Whiskey Business" and Tony appears as a jazz club singer alongside a hologram of Bleeding Gums Murphy!  You know you've made it when you're on "The Simpsons."

Late Bloomer

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Bennett had lots of success over the decades but one achievement that eluded him was that he didn't get a number one album.  That was until 2011 when "Duets II" was released.  It came out on his 85th birthday and contained collaborations with Willie Nelson, Norah Jones and the great Lady Gaga.  It DID make number 1 on the Billboard 200 and Tony was the oldest living recipient of the accolade.

He Supported New Talent

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In 2011, Bennett collaborated with Jackie Evancho.  She was the talented young girl who was runner up on "America's Got Talent."  They made a duet version of "When You Wish Upon A Star." This was the Tony Bennett who was still interested in new music and new talent.  Fun fact - Evancho was 73 years younger than Bennett at the time of the release!

Many Accolades

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During his lifetime, Tony Bennett won no less than 20 Grammy Awards.  These included a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.  He also won two Emmy Awards for his live performances on tv.  There have been another 14 nominations for him which he did not win.  Whenever he did win, his acceptance speech would show how much it still meant to him.

No Time To Retire

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Even in his 90s, Bennett refused to even think about retiring from both show business or the art world.  He said that neither Pablo Picasso or Jack Benny retired so why should he!  He still took regular vocal coaching lessons to keep that voice strong and smooth and he was lucky enough to retain it for many years more than other vocalists usually do.

Swan Song

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"Duets II" was the highly successful album that Tony Bennett released and the duets included some really iconic and relevant artists.  It's more than tragic that his duet with Amy Winehouse called "Body and Soul", which won a Grammy for the Best Pip Duo, was to be the last recording that Winehouse made before her far too early passing.  They sounded amazing together.

Ah .... Grandchildren

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Tony Bennett's son Danny has two daughters, Kelsey and Rémy and his son Dae has two sons called Jared and Austin.  It is not thought his two daughters with his second wife have any children of their own.  It was well known that Tony, as with most grandparents, doted on his grandchildren.  I wonder if they were blessed with the family gene of a wonderful singing voice like their grandfather.

A Scary Diagnosis

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Tony Bennett's work ethic was extreme and he continued performing well into his ninth decade.  Fans never knew he was hiding a secret - he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016.  His son Danny said that his dad had difficulty with his short term memory and sometimes did not realise he'd just played to a huge crowd.  He retired in 2021, at the age of 94.  HIS VOICE WAS STILL GREAT but his health was not.

Singing To The End

Image source: NY PostTony could keep performing until he retired because his long term memory was not affected by Alzheimer's, although he did use an autocue.  Come on, he was 94!  Tony Bennett was a crooner through and through.  His family reported that he was singing at the family home only days before he passed away.  The man was, and still is, a legend.  His songs will live on forever.