Rather than post a traditional tribute to one of the most famous performers of all time, we thought we’d share some that have been posted already, along with some incredible clips about Mr. Bennett, a fantastic story by our very own Matt Zoller Seitz, and, finally, one of his last recordings, a perfect send-off for a perfect life.
Official Statement from Susan Benedetto and Danny Bennett:
Thank you to all the fans, friends and colleagues of Tony’s who celebrated his life and humanity and shared their love of him and his musical legacy. From his first performances as a singing waiter in Queens to his last performances in 2021 at Radio City Music Hall, Tony delighted in performing the songs he loved and making people happy. And as sad as today has been for all of us we can find joy in Tony’s legacy forever.
Matt Zoller Seitz on Tony Bennett:
In 1996, I was a critic and feature writer for the Star Ledger of New Jersey, and Tony Bennett was performing at a casino in Atlantic City. Bennett was also a painter, and a book of his paintings, What My Heart Has Seen, had come out the preceding year. Because I’d studied to be a visual artist and thought I had a better chance of an unusual piece if I asked him about the relationship between his singing and his painting.
I met him at a restaurant in Little Italy. He was charming, eloquent, and magnetic, and to my relief, he was not only game to talk about painting and music, we spent a good part of the conversation discussing Paul Gauguin, a major inspiration on his style. He was so curious and affable that he asked me questions about my life, and I ended up telling him that my wife Jennifer and I had just moved to New York from Dallas a few years earlier. He asked me how we liked the city so far (we loved it) and recommended that we visit Small’s jazz club (which would soon become a favorite). After a while, Bennett’s publicist popped in and said he had to go because he had another interview.
I went to the newspaper the next day and filed my piece. Bennett’s assistant called me later and said that Bennett had instructed her to invite me and Jennifer to come see him perform in Atlantic City, as his guests.
I froze for a second because, thinking about the cost of travel and hotel fare. I was also concerned that the price of Tony Bennett tickets exceeded the $20 limit on gifts we were allowed to accept from people we interviewed. I asked my editor, and he practically laughed in my face. “Just go!” he said. I discussed it with Jennifer, and we decided it would be foolish to turn down such a gesture, so we booked a room, packed our bags, and took the bus to Atlantic City that weekend.