Tony Bennett
His music and his career are iconic and he’s bringing them both to Connecticut in May. Grammy and Emmy award-winning musician Tony Bennett will perform at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts on May 30. Bennett is known for his cool, classic sound, his showmanship and his timeless delivery when it comes to his signature song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and his classics, including “Rags to Riches,” “Who Can I Turn to” and “The Good Life.” An accomplished artist whose paintings have drawn critical acclaim, Bennett now often performs with daughter Antonia Bennett. On the light hearted side, Bennett recently joined in on the soundtrack of, and had a cameo in, Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” movie. Down-to-earth and funny, Bennett was unpretentious, enthused and a quintessential gentleman as he “Spilled the Beans” with Java.
Q: You have been called a music icon, the perfect singer, a miracle, a master of music, a living legend. What adjectives do you use to describe yourself?
A: A nice person. That’s about it. It’s not a heavy description because of everything that goes on life. But I’d like to be considered a nice guy. Yeah, that’s all.
Q: So even at 80-something, there are fans, old and young, who consider you a bit of a sex symbol. How does that sit and did you use that charm to woo your wife?
A: That’s a funny one. Actually, my wife and her mother were gigantic fans of mine and had all my records. So when I started going out with her, I couldn’t say, ‘Well did you ever hear of this song or that song,’ because she knew them all so there was no romancing her by singing to her. She is a great lover of music and a schoolteacher. We start a whole new thing together—schools dedicated to the arts. We have 17 now and our hopes are to have more.
Q: What is the secret to the longevity of your appeal, you or your music?
A: The music. I never compromise. I have learned that by staying with quality songs. I did something with Dave Brubeck 50-some years ago, an impromptu session at the White House for President Kennedy. It was spontaneous and Columbia released it recently. If you listen to that album, it sounds like we just did it. Good music is timeless. When you deal with quality it never goes out of style. Let me put it this way. Woolworth’s went out of business. Tiffany’s doors are still open.
Q: The story goes that it was a combination of Bob Hope, Pearl Bailey and Frank Sinatra who discovered you. How do you remember it?
A: Rosie Clooney and I did an early TV show in black and white and it was wonderful. Rosie was on first and I came on second. Pearl Bailey was doing a show in New York and she saw me on TV and told her people, ‘I have gotta have that boy on my show.’ She contacted me and told the bosses in a club in Greenwich Village, ‘If you don’t put him in the show then we aren’t doing the show.’ Bob Hope came down to see Pearlie Mae and he heard me and after I sang, he said said, ‘Come over here, son.’ I was performing under the name of Joe Bari then. He told me to change my name and he took me on the road with him and all of a sudden I was playing to packed houses. He gave me my start. It was a tremendous experience and to be on the road with him and Les Brown and his orchestra, it was unbelievable.
Q: I know everyone asks you this, but I just have to. You have done it all and so very successfully. When are you planning to retire?
A: I never take my success for granted. You are only as good as your next show. I am 87 and when I tell you I don’t plan to retire, it is hard for a lot of people to understand that. I feel like I am just starting out and will keep going. I could have retired 20 years ago but I really love entertaining people and it makes me feel good.
Q: Ok, so God asks you to arrange a concert, no strings attached. You can include anyone you want, dead or alive. Who do you choose?
A: Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Gentleman Louis Armstrong because he was the teacher to all musicians, Billie Holiday, Count Basie’s band and Duke Ellington’s band. I have always been influenced by the concept of jazz, one of New Orlean’s original inventions.
Q: You are old. Does it scare you?
A: Nope. It’s just natural. No one has ever beaten it. Everybody dies eventually. That’s the system. It’s how you spend your life that counts. It shouldn’t be a sad thing when someone passes away. They should be honored for an interesting life. There shouldn’t be sadness.
Q: What do you think of music and the performers of today?
A: My son put together an album and I sang with Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Michael Buble and others. The album went great. What we did was to have me travel to where they lived and then documented it for television. I could not believe the amount of professionalism all these performers had. They were prepared to work, they knew what they were doing and it was a great moment for both of us. I think it’s a matter of ‘the beat goes on.’ Q: Is there anyone you haven’t sung with yet that you would still like to?
A: K.D. Lang. I think she is a wonderful singer and performer. She is a joy to work with and I am hoping eventually do some Harry Warren songs with her.
Q: How’s the art thing going?
A: I had a show in New York in April and it was beautiful, in a private club. I really love painting. I study nature and people and my paintings are probably considered old-fashioned in this modern world. But I have great teachers, the greatest teachers from Connecticut, Ray Kinstler and Charles Reid.
Q: What do you think your legacy to music will be?
A: I have had so many wonderful moments. I guess being so valued throughout the world is a high compliment tome. I know I am leaving behind good music. I didn’t sing any trash.
Read Maryellen Fillo’s blog at www.courant.com/javablog, follow her on Twitter @maryellenfillo, on Facebook at Maryellen Fillo (Hartford Courant Java). Also you can watch her on FOXCT, Thursdays between 9 and 10 a.m., and listen to her on the Big D Morning show, “Mike and Kim In the Morning” on 102.9 DRC-FM and the Brad Davis Show at 1360WDRC-AM on Friday mornings at 8:20 and 8:35.