Tony Bennett

Firefly is one of my all time favorite songs

We rag on Lady Gaga, but I do respect how good and respectful she was to him towards the end. It didn't seem exploitive and the family seemed to be fine with it.

He WAS Tony Bennett!

Of course, I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Aww, OP. Your words regarding Mr. Bennet are genuinely sweet.

He was an AMAZING singer, this is true.

R2 Yes, you could tell she actually cared about him as a person, not as money maker.

Christmas in Vienna: Angels We Have Heard on Hight (2000) featuring Vanessa Williams, Placido Domingo, and Tony Bennett

December 21, 2000

Gaga was wonderful and charming with him. Fuck her moronic haters. And Tony Bennett clearly adored her. He remembered who she was when he could barely recall anything except song lyrics.

The Charlie Rose Interview

I was forced to listen to Steve and Eydie

Tony Bennett and K.D. Lang were magical together and their pairing brought Tony to a whole new audience.

And Sinatra loved him because Tony Bennetts' wigs were worse than his.

R11 I guess you’re referring to a lesbian audience.

He was great with Gaga too

And Willie Nelson

Tony Bennett was strictly B List, if that. Could not compare to Sinatra. Longevity benefited his reputation.

No one is comparing him to anyone, stop with the straw manning.

But since you mention Frank. here's what he thinks of your B list swipe:

Sinatra said in a 1965 Life magazine interview: “For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business. He excites me when I watch him. He moves me.

Well done, R16.

So, also, did Barbra Streisand hold Bennett in very high esteem. But low-rents like R15 choose to believe their opinion is more valid than world-class singers.

R15 Bennett was in no way the B List. In the early 1960's, as a famous person you were either in one of four categories:

(1) The Las Vegas Rat Pack of Sinatra, Martin, Sammie Davis Jr., Angie Dickinson, etc.;

(2) The Chic New Yorker, like Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Lauren Bacall, etc.;

(3) The Detroit Motown like the Supremes, The Temptations, etc.; or

(4) You were Nat King Cole and hovered about it all

Actually 5 groups:

(5) You were Don Rickles and you made fun of all of them

Tony Bennett and Johnny Cash were the best men singers in my humble opinion.

Here he is singing Christmas In Herald Square, live in Letterman. Astounding.

I had the privilege of seeing him in concert twice. He was magnificent in the 1990s. In the 2000s, still absolutely captivating. That second show was in, of all places, Cleveland. In a 3,400 seat house. At one point, he put the microphone down and did an acapella “Fly Me To The Moon” — this was ostensibly to speak to acoustics of a house like that. But he held all 3,400 of us in rapt silence — it was a profoundly moving moment. And the cascade of applause from the rafters to the floor — and the extended ovation was met with humility and ….just a moment I’ll never forget. Goosebumps. He was in his 80s and at the top of his game.

Sinatra was right. Sinatra isn’t HALF the song stylist or even singer as Bennett. Bennett was on a different, higher echelon than Sinatra. Sinatra was great. But Bennett? Next level.

Reminiscing about Tony and thinking it somehow is fun?

Good fucking bastard baby of Bethlehem.

I think not.

R25 someone is bitchy today

Yes, she needs to take a Midol. She's cramping.

Tony at the Grammys. Those last notes. Live. No auto-tune bullshit.

Holy shit R28 that was AMAZING. Thank you.

Speed ahead to 56:50 and listen to an absolute master of song styling. And his thrilling finale. There simple was no better. A genuine artist at the top of his game. R29, you’ll continue to be blown away.

This is from an A&E Live By Request special. It was Tony Bennett Live on Valentine's Day. People were calling in requests. I believe he was at the Rainbow Room but I'm probably wrong on that.

I remember watching live. Unfortunately, it’s not the complete show — which included a surprise call from First Lady Hillary Clinton. Tony was quite surprised and deeply humbled and referred to her as Madam First Lady or Mrs. Clinton. It was so respectful that it was moving.

In addition, R1, an old woman called in (not included here, unfortunately, and told a story about seeing Tony on her honeymoon — she was a widow now and she requested Firefly because that was her husband’s favorite — Tonybsang it the night she and her husband saw him and it was Valentine’s Day and she missed him — dear, God. Everything but the hounds snapping the breaded, right? But Tony was so humbled and wished her a Happy Valentines Day and said he’d love to sing it for the two of them. I was a 20-something gayling in his first apartment, weeping. I’ll keep searching.

This video has sound issues — but if you’re really interested in seeing him do his stuff, this is a very fine example of his talent — but also gives a very nice glimpse into who he was. Throughout the show, he gives credit to Ralph Sharon and speaks with reverence about Judy garland, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday, Sinatra, Bing, Doris Day, Jack Jones. And he speaks about his son with deep affection.

A lot of people will dismiss him — but if you give him a genuine chance, you’ll find there is and was no better. He’s as humble as he is talented.

Classy guy

R25 is an ekdercunt who hasn’t been laid since 77.

So much drama!

R15, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Bennett could sing rings around Sinatra, and he was A list all the way in the genre. The reason he didn’t reach the tippy top was because there was no movie career. Tony was a horrible actor (The Oscar), and he couldn’t host a one he television show successfully.

Some of you youngsters think there was Sinatra and everything else was a copy. Commercially, Sinatra was the most versatile personality. But there were dozens of successful crooners who worked the nightclub circuit and made records. Just like in the 1960s, there were dozens of pop groups, it wasn’t just The Beatles. And may I remind you that commercial success doesn’t equate quantity.

But what about Perry Como?

R34 well said!

Favorite Bennett songs?

Bennett, who was a native of Astoria, Queens, spent many years later in his life working to found a public high school for arts education. He was successful, and he named it after his dear friend Frank. It's now the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts -- an absolutely gorgeous campus and high-quality free education for students aiming for a career in performing, fine, or industrial arts. He'll always have a spot in my heart for that, and for naming the school after Sinatra instead of himself.

Bennett and Sinatra were show biz friends, not buddies. Though Bennett knew Sinatra’s musical importance, there was nothing second class about Tony’s art when compared to him.