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Tony Bennett Biography (1926-)

Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, August 3, 1926, in Queens, NY; son of John (a grocer) and Ann (Suraci) Benedetto; married Patricia Beech, February 12, 1952 (divorced, 1971); married Sandra Grant, December 29, 1971 (divorced, 1979); children: Danny, Daegal (first marriage); Joanna, Antonia (second marriage). Addresses: OFFICE--Tony Bennett Enterprises, Inc., 101 W. 55th Street, New York, NY 10019.; AGENT--Roger Vorce, Agency for the Performing Arts, 888 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10106.

In addition to his career as a singer, Tony Bennett is also an accomplished painter who signs his art work with his birth name, Anthony Benedetto. Recalling his days as a student at New York City's High School of Industrial Art (now known as the High School of Art and Design), Bennett told Wayne Robbins ofNew York Newsday (May 9, 1986), "The students didn't have to come to school,but they said if you stayed away for four days, you had to come back with four days of art work." Although he has long been serious about his art work, itis only recently that his paintings have become available to the general public and have been showcased at prestigious galleries throughout the United States. In addition, Bennett has painted an official portrait of New York Governor Mario Cuomo that hangs in the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center in New York City and has also designed first day covers for the United Nations's flagstamp series.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

August 3, 1926

Queens, New York, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM APPEARANCES
• Hymie Kelly, The Oscar, Embassy, 1966.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; SERIES
• Regular, Songs for Sale, CBS, 1950.
• host, The Tony Bennett Show, NBC, 1956.
• host, Perry Presents, NBC, 1959.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; MINI-SERIES
• As himself, King, NBC, 1978.
• Credits; EPISODIC
• Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, CBS.
• Guide Right, Dumont.
• The Nat "King" Cole Show, NBC.
• Upbeat, CBS.
• Credits; ALBUMS; MORE THAN NINETY,INCLUDING
• The Rogers and Hammerstein Songbook, DRG, 1973.
• (with Marian and Jimmy McPartland) Make Magnificent Music, DRG, 1977.
• (with Bill Evans) Together Again, DRG, 1978.
• All Time Favorites, Pair, 1986.
• The Art of Excellence, Columbia, 1986.
• 16 Most Requested Songs, Columbia, 1986.
• The Special Magic of Tony Bennett, DRG, 1987.
• At Carnegie Hall, recorded in 1962, released by Columbia, 1987.
• Tony Bennett Jazz, Columbia, 1987.
• Bennett/Berlin, Columbia, 1987.
• also I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Columbia.
• All-Time Greatest Hits, Columbia.
• Tony Bennett Sings His All-Time Hall of Fame Hits, Columbia.
• Credits; SINGLES
• "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Because of You," "Just in Time," "Cold, Cold Heart," "Stranger in Paradise," "Rags to Riches," "I Left My Heart in SanFrancisco."

Recent Updates

February 8, 2004: Bennett shared the Grammy Award for best traditionalpop vocal album, for A Wonderful World with K. D. Lang. Source: 46th Grammy Awards, grammys.com/awards/grammy/46winners.aspx, February 8,2004.December 4, 2005: Bennett was named as a recipient of the 2005 KennedyCenter Honors in the Performing Arts. The award will be presented in a ceremony on December 4 that will be broadcast by CBS. Source: New York Times, www.nytimes.com, September 7, 2005.September 13, 2005: Bennett was named a member of the National Endowment for the Arts Class of 2006 Jazz Masters. Source: New York Times, www.nytimes.com, September 13, 2005.February 8, 2006: Bennett won a Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy Award for The Art of Romance. Source: New York Times, www.nytimes.com, February 9, 2006.