Rest in peace, Tony Bennett. This tribute episode is in honor of one of music's greatest legends. From humble beginnings as a grocer's son in Astoria, Queens, Anthony Benedetto extensively studied voice and painting. This diligence resulted in his rise to stardom after serving in the army during World War II. Actor Bob Hope was impressed by this young singer's talent in a night club and helped him propel his career forward. Known as "Joe Bari" at the time, this youthful vocalist changed his name to "Tony Bennett" and signed on with Columbia Records in 1951. Several of his hits topped the charts including "Rags to Riches", "Cold Cold Heart" and "Just In Time." In 1962 his single "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" topped the charts. His popularity decreased in the late 1960s. With the help of his marketing expert son, Danny Bennett, he was rebranded for a wider audience in the mid-1980s. Newer generations embraced him as he made an appearance on MTV's unplugged. In 1998 his autobiography "The Good Life" was published. Also an extremely talented painter, he signed all his works as "Anthony Benedetto." The Dixie Chicks, Michael Buble, Amy Winehouse and Lady GaGa were more recent artists he has collaborated with on music ventures. In 2021 he announced that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Despite his illness, he continued to tour and release albums. He passed away just a few days shy of his ninety-seventh birthday. My husband Joe and I team up for a soulful memorial podcast episode that commemorates this giant of the music industry.
