News

UK Update: 27th April 2010
Not only will Tony be playing to packed houses during his UK concert dates which start in London at the Royal Albert Hall on June 30th and July 1st, but he will also be one of the headline acts at this year's iTunes Festival at the Roundhouse in London's Camden Town. Appearing on July 2nd in the spectacular 2,000 capacity venue, Tony's fans will have the chance to see him perform in a truly unique and intimate environment with all tickets going to enthusiastic competition winners. Tony today said: "I'm thrilled that after playing two nights at London's famous Royal Albert Hall, where I've appeared so many times over the years, I'll be making my first appearance at the iTunes Festival at Camden's Roundhouse. I love performing my favourite music, the Great American Songbook, to audiences of every age - so playing to the iTunes crowd in such an intimate setting will be great fun. The audiences of Britain have been so warm and welcoming and I always look forward to coming here to perform." This is the festival's 4th year since it's inception and it is already a major date in the UK musical calendar and runs from July 1 - 31st. Tickets: Free for competition winners - further details at http://www.ituneslive.co.uk. Listen again: Each performance will be recorded and sold exclusively on all 23 iTunes Stores worldwide.
'The Ultimate American Songbook' Available April 19th in the UK
On April 19th, 15 Grammy Award winner Tony Bennett will release The Ultimate American Songbook on Sony Music in the UK to celebrate his 60th anniversary as a recording artist. The 21-track album is a personal collection of many of his all-time favorites from some of America's greatest songwriters, composers, Broadway musicals and film soundtracks and has taken him over a decade to compile. The album is a showcase for some the greatest writers/composers of all time and is a musical atlas of many of his songs and releases spanning from the 1930s - 1990s. The album will also include a unique feature, Ultimate Access, which will allow fans via their computer to access a world of extras which will be continually updated including additional tracks. TRACKLISTING: 1. Begin The Beguine 2. Smile 3. Don't Get Around Much Anymore 4. Our Love Is Here To Stay 5. Steppin' Out With My Baby 6. Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered 7. The Lady's In Love With You 8. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars 9. Anything Goes 10. The Very Thought Of You 11. The Way You Look Tonight 12. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye 13. That Old Black Magic 14. A Foggy Day 15. Ain't Misbehavin' 16. It Had To Be You 17. Moonglow 18. She's Funny That Way 19. You Go To My Head 20. They Can't Take That Away From Me 21. Taking A Chance On Love Ultimate Access I Left My Heart In San Francisco I Thought About You Night and Day The Shadow of Your Smile Just In Time Emily Available at: Amazon.uk Play.com HMV
Tony Bennett 2010 Live Dates - UK and Ireland
As part of his 60th anniversary year, UK and Irish audiences will have the chance to see Tony performing in a series of special live dates. Starting in style at London's Royal Albert Hall on June 30th and July 1st, Tony will then bring his unique magic to fans across the UK and Ireland with shows in Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Cork, Liverpool and Nottingham, where he will be performing many of his all-time favorite songs in his own inimitable style. The shows will be his first live dates in the UK since 2007 and will underline yet again his prolific career as both a recording and live artist. Dates are: June 30th, July 1st - London: Royal Albert Hall July 3rd - Birmingham: Symphony Hall July 4th - Glasgow: Royal Concert Hall July 6th - Manchester: Bridgewater Hall July 8th - Cork: The Marquee July 12th - Liverpool: Royal Philharmonic Hall July 13th - Nottingham: Royal Centre
UK Update: Tony Bennett Presents The Great American Songbook Ep. 1/4 on Tue., April 6th
Tony Bennett presents The Great American Songbook exclusively to Radio 2 from the 6th April at 10 PM - 11PM. Tony Bennett, a legend from the American swing era, guides the BBC Radio 2 audience through his selection of the 40 defining songs from the Great American Songbook in this new four-part series. Tony has lived the songs, sung the songs and now, in his 60th year as a performer, he offers his personal thoughts, insights and an insider's view on the greatest compositions ever written. Sir Michael Parkinson leads the way through the 10 songs covered each week, as each program features Tony's anecdotes about the people who created them, the pantheon of singers who have interpreted them and his views about what makes each one special. The Great American Songbook is an informal phrase, originally coined by Tony himself, which describes the interrelated music of Broadway musical theatre, the Hollywood musical and Tin Pan Alley, in a period that begins in the Twenties. Aside from the enduring popularity of this music in its original context, it also became the central repertoire for jazz musicians. In the first episode, Tony illustrates the musical and lyrical sophistication in a line-up that includes Billie Holiday's "Autumn In New York," Nat King Cole's "It's Only A Paper Moon" and Judy Garland's "Over The Rainbow." Tony says: "No one will ever sound as good as Judy Garland as far as I am concerned. Just listen to The Man That Got Away that she made for A Star Is Born and you'll believe it." Presenter/Sir Michael Parkinson, Producer/Phil Critchlow
Performing on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien Tomorrow, Dec. 11th
Tony will be singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" from his "A Swingin' Christmas" album on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien tomorrow, December 11th. This marks Tony's first appearance on the show since Conan's move to Los Angeles, but Tony has made an annual appearance to perform a holiday song on The Late Show since 1993 when Conan became the host. Tony Bennett's appearance on Friday continues that holiday tradition. The Tonight Show airs at 11:35 PM EST on NBC.
Welcome to the New Official Tony Bennett Website!
Welcome to the new official Tony Bennett website, the place to find all the latest announcements, tour info and sign up for his newsletter! You can also get updates on Facebook and MySpace.
The Nest Summer Concert Series
The Nest has recently launched their Summer Concert Series and is offering fans a chance to win tickets to see Tony Bennett live.  Visit The Nest now for a chance to win tickets and other Tony Bennett prizes.
Don't Miss 'Tony Bennett: An American Classic' Airing on APT
Tony Bennett: An American Classic is airing on APT beginning May 29 - June 30! Tony Bennett: An American Classic, created and directed by acclaimed director Rob Marshall, is a ground-breaking television event - a contemporary reinvention of the variety special. The breathtaking stage productions take the viewer on an emotional musical journey of this legendary entertainer's life by re-creating the seminal venues of his career. Tony performs duets of his greatest hits with some of today's greatest artists - "Smile" with Barbra Streisand, "Rags to Riches" with Elton John, "The Shadow of Your Smile" with Juanes and "For Once in My Life" with Stevie Wonder, to name a few. Woven throughout the special are narratives by special guests such as Billy Crystal, John Travolta and Robert De Niro. The special ends with Tony's solo performance of his signature song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." For more information, please visit APTonline.org or check your TV Guide for local listings. A partial list of channels and airtimes can be found below. AIRTIMES: KVCR: San Bernadino/LA, CA - June 5 @ 9:30pm, June 7 @ 5:00pm VERMONT: June dates/airtimes TBD NORTH CAROLINA: June 7 @ 8pm MARYLAND/D.C.: May 31 @ 6:30pm, June 2 @ 7:30pm, June 5 @ 5pm KCPT: Kansas City, MO - June dates/airtimes TBD KLVX: Las Vegas - June 5 @ 10pm, June 6 @ 8pm WBGU: Bowling Green, OH - June 2 @ 10:00pm, June 6 @ 9:00pm, June 18 @ 9:00, June 21 @ 8:00 WGBH (channel 2): Boston - May 31 @ 6pm, June 4 @ 7:30 NEW HAMPSHIRE: June 7 WVIZ: Cleveland - June 6 @ 11pm, June 7 @ 8pm WXXI: Rochester - June 3 @ 10pm WGVU: Grand Rapids - May 29 @ 11pm
Chocolat au Vin with Tony Bennett for St. Jude Children's Hospital
A deliciously decadent evening of dancing, desserts and dreams with a featured performance by Tony Bennett will be held on May 28 at Capitale in New York City from 8-11 PM. Celebrity host, Kristin Davis will guiding guests through a night filled with socializing, dancing and tasting some of the most unique wine, chocolates and cheeses, all for a worthy cause. Please join us to help make this historic event memorable and help support St. Jude's effort to save children's lives. A special VIP pre-event will begin at 7PM. VIP ticket holders will have special access to the celebrity reception cocktail and will enjoy the special wine tasting by Napa Valley and hors d'oeuvre by Daniel Boulud, renowned chef of New York's four-star Restaurant DANIEL, as well as Cafe Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne and Bar Boulud. Tickets can be purchased stjude.org/wineandchocolate. Limited Availability / RSVP Required / Black Tie
The Today Show
Tony was on The Today Show Last week, performing and hanging out with Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira. Just in case you missed it, or want to watch it again, here it is.
iTunes Holiday Single of the Week!
iTunes has selected "Winter Wonderland" from Tony Bennett's new album A Swingin' Christmas as the first Holiday Single Of The Week! The free download will only be available until Monday, so be sure to get it soon. Click here to download the track.
Win Tickets to See Tony at The Apollo
This contest is now over. Thanks to everyone who participated!
Holiday Show at The Apollo Theatre
The highlight of this holiday season will be Tony Bennett's one and only performance with the famed Count Basie Orchestra at the historic Apollo Theatre in New York City to be held on Tuesday, December 16 at 8  pm.  This night of swinging Bennett classics as well as holiday favorites from the singer's new CD, TONY BENNETT: A SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS Featuring the Count Basie Band," is sure to make for a night to remember.  Tickets for this performance are currently available exclusively through a pre- sale offering from American Express for their cardmembers running now through November 16.  Amex members can purchase tickets by calling 212-307-4100 or by visiting americanexpress.com/entertainment.
Be Tony's Friend on MySpace!
We just jazzed up Tony's MySpace page to celebrate the release of "A Swingin' Christmas". Please take a moment to check it out and add him as a friend! http://myspace.com/tonybennett
"A Swingin' Christmas" Available Now
Tony is back with his first holiday album in 40 years since his 1968 release of "Snowfall"! "A Swingin' Christmas" featuring the Count Basie Big Band will be available everywhere on October 14 on RPM/Columbia Records. "Tony Bennett: A Swingin' Christmas" was recorded live on the stage of Bergen Pac in Englewood, NJ, keeping with Bennett's mandate to embrace the live aspect of performing in the recording process. The Count Basie Orchestra joined Bennett for the sessions and jazz pianist Monty Alexander took on the role of Count Basie at piano. 2009 NEA Jazz Master recipient Toots Thielemans also makes a guest appearance on the recording.
Happy Birthday Tony!
On behalf of all of your fans, we would like to wish you a very happy 82nd birthday! (August 3rd)

Tour

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Tony Bennett is an artist who moves the hearts and touches the souls of audiences. He’s not just the singer’s singer but also an international treasure honored by the United Nations with its Citizen of the World award, which aptly describes the scope of his accomplishments.

The son of a grocer and Italian-born immigrant, Anthony Dominick Benedetto was born on August 3, 1926, in the Astoria section of Queens, New York. He attended the High School of Industrial Arts in Manhattan, where he nurtured his dual passions, singing and painting. His boyhood idols included Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole, both big influences on Bennett’s easy, natural singing style. Tony sang while waiting tables as a teenager then performed with military bands throughout his overseas Army duty during World War II. After the war, the GI Bill enabled him to study vocal technique at the American Theatre Wing School. The first time he sang in a nightclub was 1946 when he sat in with trombonist Tyree Glenn at the Shangri-La in Astoria.

Tony’s big break came in 1949 when comedian Bob Hope noticed him working with Pearl Bailey in Greenwich Village. As he 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 sixty years.”

With worldwide record sales in the millions, and dozens of platinum and gold albums to his credit, Tony has received fifteen Grammy Awards including the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The MTV generation first took Tony Bennett to heart during his appearance with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the 1993 MTV Video Awards. He appeared on MTV Unplugged and the resulting recording of the same name garnered him the top Grammy Award for Album of the Year. “Tony Bennett has not just bridged the generation gap,” observed The New York Times, “he has demolished it. He has solidly connected with a younger crowd weaned on rock. And there have been no compromises.” Bennett credits his eldest son and manager, Danny, for his success in capturing a whole new generation of listeners. His most recent CD release, was the holiday recording,
Tony Bennett: A Swingin’ Christmas Featuring the Count Basie Orchestra, that is destined to become a seasonal favorite year after year.  In 2009 he re-signed to Columbia Records, continuing his status as the artist signed for the greatest period of time in the label’s history.

His initial fame came via a string of Columbia singles in the early 1950s, including such chart-toppers as “Because of You,” “Rags To Riches” and a cover of Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart.” He has placed two-dozen 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 hit, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” which earned him two Grammy Awards. Tony Bennett is one of a handful of artists to have new albums chart in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and into the new millennium. He introduced a multitude of songs into the Great American Songbook that have since become pop music standards. He has toured the world to sold out audiences, winning rave reviews whenever he performs. Tony re-signed with Columbia Records in 1986 and released the critically acclaimed The Art Of Excellence. Since his show-stopping performance of “When Do the Bells Ring for Me,” from his Astoria album, at the 1991 Grammy Awards, he has been awarded Grammys for Steppin’ Out, Perfectly Frank, MTV Unplugged, Playin’ with My Friends, The Art of Romance and Duets: An American Classic. In celebration of his unparalleled contributions to popular music, Columbia/Legacy assembled Forty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett. The four-CD boxed set, released in 1991, chronicled the singer’s stellar recording career and documents his growth as an artist inspiring Time magazine to call the collection “… the essence of why CD boxed sets are a blessing.” Recently, thanks to Tony’s remarkable career longevity, the set has been updated and expanded, with the title changed from Forty Years to Fifty Years.

Tony Bennett became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2005, and was named an NEA Jazz Master in January of 2006 and was also named the recipient of Billboard magazine’s elite Century Award, in honor of his outstanding contributions to music.

Tony has received the first of his two Emmy Awards to date and a Cable Ace Award for his groundbreaking television special, Live By Request...Tony Bennett, which featured a unique interactive format in which the viewing audience called in song requests during the program, a concept created by Bennett that evolved into a series the A&E network and was on the air for nine years. Tony has also authored three books: What My Heart Has Seen, a beautifully bound edition of his paintings published in 1996; The Good Life, his heartfelt autobiography released in 1998; and Tony Bennett In the Studio, a sumptuous salute to his dual career as singer and painter, published in 2007.

Tony is a dedicated painter whose interest in art began as a child. He continues to paint every day, even while touring internationally. He has exhibited his work in galleries around the world, and was chosen to be the official artist of the 2001 Kentucky Derby, creating two paintings in celebration of the iconic event. The United Nations has commissioned two paintings from him, including one for its 50th anniversary. His original painting “Homage to Hockney” is on permanent display at the Butler Institute of American Art, and the celebrated National Arts Club in New York is home to his “Boy on Sailboat, Sydney Bay.”  Tony’s portrait of Ella Fitzgerald is part of  the Ella Fitzgerald Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.  In 2005, his oil painting “Central Park” was accepted to the Smithsonian Institution’s American Art Museum’s permanent collection in Washington, DC, and most recently, his portrait painting of Duke Ellington was accepted by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, marking the third of Bennett’s paintings in Smithsonian collections.  This year,
he was asked to create a portrait of  New Orleans native, Louis Prima that was used as the image for the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival’s art poster, in honor of the centennial of Prima’s birth.

Throughout his career, Tony Bennett has always put his heart and time into humanitarian concerns. He has raised millions of dollars for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, which established a research fund in his name. His original paintings each year grace the cover of the American Cancer Society’s holiday greeting card, proceeds from which are earmarked for cancer research. He is active in environmental concerns and has performed at fundraisers for both the Walden Woods Foundation and the Save the Rainforest Foundation. The Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta bestowed upon him their “Salute to Greatness Award” for his efforts to fight discrimination. The United Nations presented him with their 2007 Humanitarian Award.

 In honor of one of his greatest friends and staunchest supporters, Tony conceived and spearheaded the establishment of the Frank Sinatra School for the Arts, which opened its doors as a New York City public high school, offering an extensive arts curriculum, in September of 2001.  A permanent site for the school, designed by famed architects Polshek Partners, opened in Fall, 2009 in Bennett’s hometown of Astoria, Queens, adjacent to the Kaufman Astoria Studios complex.  With his wife Susan, they founded Exploring the Arts, which supports the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts and provides support to arts education in public schools.

In the 1950s, thousands of screaming bobbysoxers surrounded the Paramount Theatre in New York, held back only by police barricades, to see their singing idol Tony Bennett. Today the children and grandchildren of those fans are providing equally ardent in their worship of him. Perhaps what sums up Tony’s legacy and longevity best is an observation made in The New York Times’ review of MTV Unplugged: “What accounts for the Bennett magic? Artistry certainly. The repertory is indeed classic…. But perhaps more important is his ability to convey a sense of joy, of utter satisfaction, in what he is doing.”

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Tony Bennett turned 80 on August 3, 2006, an event which has generated a wide range of tributes and celebrations. In addition to the release of Duets: An American Classic, RPM Records/Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings launched a monumental and definitive reissue project, The Tony Bennett Master Series. Executive produced by Tony Bennett and Danny Bennett, the first five releases in The Tony Bennett Master Series included expanded editions of three Grammy winning titles — I Left My Heart In San Francisco (1962), Perfectly Frank (1992), and MTV Unplugged (1994) — as well as two brand-new 16-song collections: Tony Bennett’s Greatest Hits of the ’50s and Tony Bennett’s Greatest Hits of the ’60s.

Tony has been the subject of both a filmed biography produced by Clint Eastwood and a major television special, Tony Bennett: An American Classic, which aired on NBC in autumn 2006 and won 8 Emmy Awards making it the most honored television program at the 2007 Emmy Awards ceremony.  It garnered Bennett his second Emmy Award to his credit.

Conceived and directed by Rob Marshall, executive produced by Danny Bennett, John DeLuca and Rob Marshall and produced by Jodi Hurwitz, Tony Bennett: An American Classic featured musical guests Elton John, Michael Bublé, John Legend, k.d. lang, Diana Krall, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand and Chris Botti. Segment hosts for the program included Robert DeNiro, Bruce Willis, Billy Crystal and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Notables from the worlds of music, stage, screen and politics were on-hand to help Tony celebrated his 80th birthday at a star-studded party at the Museum of Natural History in New York. The evening included heartfelt tributes from Harry Belafonte, Bruce Willis, Katie Couric and former President Bill Clinton.

“As you know, I’ve always admired your singing and your ability to bring millions of people together across the generations through your music,” said Clinton, who sent along taped greetings when he was unable to personally attend Bennett’s birthday festivity due to a prior commitment. “But you haven’t stopped at your musical success. You’ve spent so much time working to bring people together through public service. I’ll never forget your special performance at my First Inaugural, and I can’t thank you enough for the support of the Clinton Global Initiative, even auctioning off one of your beautiful paintings for an enormous amount of money that will help to keep children around the world alive. I’ve valued our friendship so much over the years. You’re still young, your ear is still pitch-perfect, you’ve got a light in your eye, and I hope this special day is just the beginning of many, many more happy birthdays to a very good man.”

“Everything’s all happening at once,” said Bennett. “It’s the biggest amount of recognition I’ve ever received--almost like a payoff for all the years of traveling on the road.”

As the world’s most boyish octogenarian, a vital musical artist at the peak of his powers, Tony Bennett is living proof that, to steal a line from Sinatra, fairy tales can come true if you’re young at heart.

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tonybennett.net
benedettoarts.com
exploringthearts.org