L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS quently visited. In a 2012 interview with Vanity Fair Italia, he expressed, "I regard my Italian roots as the most p r o f o u n d g i f t I ' v e e v e r received. As children, the notion that our family origi- n a t e d f r o m t h e r e d e e p l y struck both my brother and me." He also clarified why he d i d n ' t s p e a k I t a l i a n : " M y f a t h e r h a d e m i g r a t e d t o America with a mere few dol- lars in his pocket. We were considerably poor. I distinctly recall all my relatives advis- ing, 'If you aim to secure a job, discard Italian and mas- ter English.' Survival hinged on this." In a 2017 discussion with the Italian agency Ansa, he added, "One doesn't have to be Italian to cherish Italy, but for me, it holds a special place to be able to return to the land where my family has its roots." He bowed out from the limelight just two years ago, h a v i n g b e e n b a t t l i n g A l z h e i m e r ' s d i s e a s e s i n c e 2016. A grand celebration was held for his 90th birth- day on August 3, 2016, fea- turing a star-studded guest list of singers and actors, including Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, John Travolta, and Bruce Willis. Another gift arrived on August 19, in front of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco: an imposing eight- meter statue in his likeness, an homage to his iconic I Left My Heart in San Francisco, first performed there in 1961. November brought a third tribute with the release of a commemorative live album, Tony Bennett Celebrates 90, featuring contributions from r e n o w n e d a r t i s t s s u c h a s Michael Bublé, Lady Gaga, Diana Krall, K.D. Lang, Rufus Wainwright, Leslie Odom Jr., S t e v i e W o n d e r , a n d t h e e s t e e m e d I t a l i a n t e n o r Andrea Bocelli. The album earned a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album". His journey into the record industry began in 1950 when h e s i g n e d w i t h C o l u m b i a Records. Columbia, having just let Frank Sinatra's con- tract expire, advised him not to mirror Sinatra's career path. His first taste of com- mercial success came with B e c a u s e o f Y o u , w h i c h became a jukebox sensation. The single clinched the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks in 1951 and sold over a million copies. His hits con- tinued with Cold, Cold Heart and Blue Velvet, both scaling the charts. As his star rose, h e p u t o n a n a s t o n i s h i n g seven shows a day to please his fans, performing from 10 i n t h e m o r n i n g u n t i l 3 a t night at the Paramount The- atre. His success only grew f r o m t h e r e . L i k e S i n a t r a before him, he carved out a r e p u t a t i o n a s a t o p - t i e r singer. His television debut came in the summer of 1956 on the Tony Bennett Show, replacing the Perry Como Show. H o w e v e r , a s t h e 1 9 5 0 s w e r e d r a w i n g t o a c l o s e , music tastes were shifting towards rock. U n f a z e d , B e n n e t t embraced jazz. Collaborat- ing with the likes of Herbie Mann, Nat Adderley, and the Count Basie Orchestra, he r e l e a s e d T h e B e a t o f M y Heart. Further collabora- tions with jazz pianist Bill Evans in 1975 and 1976 pro- duced the albums Tony Ben- nett/Bill Evans album and Together Again. His pivotal role in the jazz scene was cemented in 1997 when he was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame. I n t h e 1 9 6 0 s , B e n n e t t used his platform to address social issues. He took part in the US civil rights movement and publicly opposed the apartheid regime in South Africa. His commitment to equality harked back to his w a r y e a r s , a n d t h e s t a r k racial segregation he wit- nessed in the military. This experience, which included being demoted for dining w i t h a b l a c k f r i e n d w h i l e serving, profoundly impact- ed him. He reflected on these events in his memoir, The Good Life, stating, "This was another incredible example of the degree of prejudice so widespread in the army dur- ing the Second World War." The late '70s saw Bennett relocate to Las Vegas, but this turned into a dark chap- ter in his life. The heady mix of bright lights and perfor- mances masked a growing drug dependency that nearly cost him his life in 1979 fol- lowing a cocaine overdose. With the help of his eldest son, Danny, he made his way back to New York and began the long road to recovery. By December 1979, he was back on top and was the guest of honor at the ceremony com- memorating Frank Sinatra's 40-year career. Over the next decades, with Danny's sup- port as his manager and con- ductor, he shook off the stig- m a o f b e i n g a " c a s i n o singer." Bennett's career experi- enced a full resurgence in the '90s, a period dominated by disco, new wave, and punk rock. His timeless American classics struck a chord with the public, leading to appear- ances on the David Letter- man Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, MTV, and even a cameo on The Simp- sons. He released Astoria: Portrait of the Artist in 1990, followed by Perfectly Frank i n 1 9 9 2 , i n w h i c h h e p e r - f o r m e d s o m e o f S i n a t r a ' s greatest hits. In 1993, he paid tribute to Fred Astaire with S t e p p i n ' O u t , e a r n i n g y e t a n o t h e r G r a m m y . A l w a y s i n n o v a t i n g , h e s u r p r i s e d audiences by collaborating with a range of artists, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Elvis Costello and Plácido D o m i n g o . H e p e r f o r m e d memorable duets with many legends, including Christina Aguilera, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, P a u l M c C a r t n e y , B a r b r a Streisand, Stevie Wonder, J u d y G a r l a n d , M i c h a e l B u b l é , E l t o n J o h n , E l v i s Costello, and Céline Dion. On August 5, 2021, two days after his 95th birthday, T o n y B e n n e t t g a v e h i s farewell concert at the his- toric Radio City Music Hall in New York. Accompanied by the ever-evolving Lady Gaga, a devoted fan, he pre- sented One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, followed by his 103rd and final studio album, titled Love for Sale. With a perfect voice, he deliv- ered, as his final song, amid the tears of the audience wit- nessing the last performance o f t h e l a s t c r o o n e r , h i s poignant I Left My Heart In San Francisco: "The loveliness of Paris seems somehow sadly gay, The glory that was Rome is of another day, I've been terribly alone and forgotten in Manhattan, I'm going home to my city by the Bay, I l e f t m y h e a r t i n S a n Francisco, High on a hill, it calls to me, To be where little cable c a r s c l i m b h a l f w a y t o t h e stars. The morning fog may chill the air, I don't care My love waits there in San Francisco Above the blue and windy sea When I come home to you, San Francisco Your golden sun will shine for me." In a 1965 interview with Life magazine, Sinatra once proclaimed that Bennett was "the best singer in the business. I get excited just watching him. He touches me. He's the singer who can best translate the composer's intentions, and probably even a bit more" Continued from page 4 A smiling Tony Bennett. He was the last of the iconic Italian-American crooners (Photo: Starstock/Dreamstime)

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