PHOTOS OF THE DAY: ANOTHER CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS

 I hope everyone is having a cool Yule this year! I love these classic Hollywood Christmas pictures. It was truly a glamourous time in Hollywood...

Carole Lombard

Bob Hope & Doris Day

Jackie Gleason

Piper Laurie

Tony Bennett

Jack Benny

Other classic Hollywood Christmas:

2022

2014

THE BATTLE FOR TONY BENNETT'S ESTATE

The fight for the control of Tony Bennett's million dollar estate has The latest drama between intensified in recent daye. The 70-year-old son Danny, and his sisters unfolded when he requested more time to respond to a lawsuit filed by his sisters—a plea that was swiftly rejected by their legal team.

Antonia and Johanna, through their lawyer, firmly declined Danny's request for an extension, arguing that it would "delay the production of information to which they are entitled."

The sisters have been seeking a comprehensive accounting of the estate, but it seems their requests have gone unanswered. According to court documents Danny's attorney, who was only recently retained, cited the need for additional time. In his words:

"I am insufficiently familiar with the case to determine how best to respond to the Petition. In addition, I have planned vacation time during the last two weeks of August, as does my partner."

Despite these explanations, Antonia and Johanna's lawyer insisted that their clients are owed an accounting and would only agree to the extension if Danny provided the requested financial details within 45 days.

In the face of mounting pressure, Danny turned to the court for a decision, pleading for additional time to respond to the lawsuit.

Following the iconic singer's passing on July 21, 2023, at the age of 96, Danny was appointed as the trustee of Tony's trust—a role that has now become the center of a fierce family conflict.

In June, Antonia and Johanna reportedly accused their brother of mishandling their father's estate.

Their lawsuit states that Danny allegedly failed to provide them with the accounting of the estate's financial activities, particularly regarding the proceeds from the sale of Tony's music catalog and brand deals.

The sisters expressed their disbelief upon learning that their father's estate reportedly holds only $7 million, despite their belief that he had amassed over $100 million in earnings over the past 15 years.

Adding fuel to the fire, the lawsuit also highlighted a significant disparity in financial gifts within the family. Antonia and Johanna allege that Danny received $4.2 million in gifts from their father—an amount that far exceeds what the other three siblings have received.

The heartbreak of seeing the legendary singer's name drawn into a legal battle must be overwhelming for Susan Benedetto, who paid a moving tribute to Tony shortly after his passing in July last year.

At the time, The Blast noted that in a heartfelt statement shared on Instagram, Susan, alongside Tony's son Danny, expressed deep gratitude to all who supported him throughout his life and career.

"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," the joint statement read.

Reflecting on his extraordinary journey, Susan and Danny reminded followers of Tony's humble beginnings as a singing waiter in Queens, to his final, unforgettable performances at Radio City Music Hall in 2021. "Tony delighted in performing the songs he loved and making people happy," they shared.

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THE PASSING SCENE OF 2023

Another year has passed. Another year of losing wonderful entertainers that made our world a brighter place. Here is a look at some of the wonderful people we have lost in 2023. It is not a complete list, but it is a highlight of some of the amazing people that are no longer with us...

Norman Lear

Television icon NORMAN LEAR, died at the age of 101 on December 5th. He was a screenwriter and producer who produced, wrote, created or developed over 100 shows.Lear was known for creating and producing numerous popular 1970s sitcoms, including All in the Family (1971–1979), Maude (1972–1978), Sanford and Son (1972–1977), One Day at a Time (1975–1984), The Jeffersons (1975–1985), and Good Times (1974–1979). During his later years, he had continued to actively produce television, including the 2017 remake of One Day at a Time and the Netflix revival of Good Times in 2022. Lear received many awards, including six Primetime Emmys, two Peabody Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 1999, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017, and the Golden Globe Carol Burnett Award in 2021. Lear is spotlighted in the 2016 documentary Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You. On July 29, 2019, it was announced that Lear had teamed with Lin-Manuel Miranda to make an American Masters documentary about Rita Moreno's life, tentatively titled Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It. In 2020, it was announced that Lear and Act III Productions would executive produce a revival of Who's The Boss? Norman Lear worked until the end.

Singer LISA MARIE PRESLEY, died of a cardiac arrest on January 12th at the age of 54. She was the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley developed a career in the music business and issued three albums: To Whom It May Concern in 2003, Now What in 2005, and Storm & Grace in 2012. Her first album reached Gold certification with the Recording Industry Association of America. Presley also released non-album singles, including duets with her father using tracks he had released before he died.

Singer, DON WILLIAMS,  died at the age of 100 on January 6th. He was the last surviving member of The Williams Singing Group, which also included famous brother Andy Williams. The brothers scored a huge hit in 1944 singing with Bing Crosby on the Decca recording of "Swinging On A Star" The brothers subsequently split their band, but reunited annually – from 1962 until 1990 – for The Andy Williams Christmas Special.

Actress GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA, died on January 16th at the age of 95. She not only was a popular international actress, first catching the eye of Howard Hughes, but she was a photojournalist, and a politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. At the time of her death, she was among the last high-profile international actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

Actor and bandleader LES BROWN JR. passed away on January 9th at the age of 82. He acted on various TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s, but he is more widely known as the son of bandleader Les Brown. When Les Brown died in 2001, Les Jr took over the band and ran it for the next 20 years until covid curtailed most big band activities.

Tony Bennett

Singer TONY BENNETT died at the age of 96 on July 21st. He had many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Bennett was named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree and founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York. He sold more than 50 million records worldwide. His first hit was "Because Of You" in 1952 for Columbia, and his other mega hits included "Rags To Riches" in 1953 and "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" in 1962. He struggled with drugs and a faltering career in the 1970s, but he made a comeback in the 1990s. In 2016, Tony was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, and he made his last record, a duet album with Lady Gaga called "Love For Sale" in 2021. He retired from performing on August 5, 2021. In announcing Bennett's retirement in August 2021, son Danny Bennett stated that the Alzheimer's was mainly affecting his father's short-term memory and that he would often forget he had just performed after a concert; his long-term memory remained intact and he could still fully remember all the lyrics to his repertoire when performing.

Actress MELINDA DILLON, died at the age of 83 on January 9th. She received a 1963 Tony Award nomination for her Broadway debut in the original production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles as Jillian Guiler in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Teresa Perrone in Absence of Malice (1981). She is well known for her role as Mother Parker in the holiday classic A Christmas Story (1983). Her other film roles include: Harry and the Hendersons (1987), The Prince of Tides (1991), and Magnolia (1999). She retired from acting in 2007.

Actress STELLA STEVENS, died of Alzheimer's Disease on February 17th at the age of 84. She was a popular actress of the 1960s and 1970s who began her acting career in 1959 and starred in such popular films as Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), The Nutty Professor (1963), The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963), The Silencers (1966), Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows (1968), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), and The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Her last movie was made in 2010.

Singer TINA TURNER, died on May 24th at the age of 83. Tina was] Known as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before launching a successful career as a solo performer. Despite suffering from health problems for years like stroke and heart ailments, she continued to record through this year.

Composer BURT BACHARACH, died at the age of 94 on February 8th. He was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Grammy Award winner and three-time Academy Award winner, Bacharach's songs have been recorded by more than 1,000 different artists. Songs that he co-wrote which have topped the Billboard Hot 100 include "This Guy's in Love with You" (1968), "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (1969), "(They Long to Be) Close to You" (1970), "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (1981), and "That's What Friends Are For" (1986).

Harry Belafonte

Activsit and entertainer HARRY BELAFONTE, died on April 25th at the age of 96. Belafonte was best known for his recordings of "The Banana Boat Song", with its signature "Day-O" lyric, "Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)", "Jamaica Farewell", and "Mary's Boy Child". He recorded and performed in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. He also starred in several films, including Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), and Odds Against Tomorrow (1959). Belafonte considered the actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson a mentor, and he was a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Throughout his career, Belafonte was an advocate for political and humanitarian causes, such as the Anti-Apartheid Movement and USA for Africa. From 1987 until his death, he was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He made his last recordings in 2017, and his last movie in 2018.

Actress RAQUEL WELCH, died of heart failure and Alzheimer's Disease on February 15th at the age of 82. Welch first won attention for her role in Fantastic Voyage (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer Film Productions, for whom she made One Million Years B.C. (1966). Although Welch had only three lines of dialogue in the film, images of her in the doe-skin bikini became bestselling posters that turned her into an international sex symbol. She later starred in Bedazzled (1967), Bandolero! (1968), 100 Rifles (1969), Myra Breckinridge (1970), Hannie Caulder (1971), Kansas City Bomber (1972), The Last of Sheila (1973), The Wild Party (1975), and Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976). Her final film was How to Be a Latin Lover (2017).

Singer and actor ED AMES, died at the age of 95 on May 21st. He is known for playing Mingo in the television series Daniel Boone, and for his pop number #1 hits of the mid-to-late 1960s including "My Cup Runneth Over", "Time,Time", and "When the Snow Is on the Roses". He was also part of the popular 1950s singing group with his siblings, the Ames Brothers.

Actor ALAN ARKIN, died on June 29th at the age of 89. Arkin began his career with the sketch comedy group The Second City before acting on the Broadway stage, starring as David Kolowitz in the Joseph Stein play Enter Laughing in 1963, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. For his performance as a foul-mouthed grandfather in Little Miss Sunshine (2006), he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.Arkin gave his final two film-acting roles in 2020 and 2022. His starred alongside Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke in the 2020 Netflix film Spenser Confidential. His final performance was voicing the character Wild Knuckles in the animated film Minions: The Rise of Gru, which was released to critical and commercial success.

Actress JOSEPHINE CHAPLIN, died at the age of 74 on July 13th. Born the daughter of screen legend Charlie Chaplin, her first screen appearance came in 1952 when she appeared in her father's movie Limelight. In 1972, Chaplin began forging her own path with a prominent role in the Italian film adaptation of The Canterbury Tales. That same year, she starred in the politically charged Escape to the Sun, about a group of people attempting to flee oppression in the Soviet Union.

Paul Reubens

Actor PAUL REUBENS died of cancer at the age of 70 on July 30th. Best known for playing Pee Wee Herman in the 1980s and 1990s on film and television. Rubens made numerous appearances in film in movies such as Tim Burton's Batman Returns (Reubens portrayed the Penguin's father) and 1996's Matilda. One of his greatest roles was as a flamboyant hairdresser turned drug dealer in Ted Demme's 2001 drama Blow. His last performance was voice work on the animated series Bob's Burgers earlier this year.

TV host BOB BARKER, died on August 26th at the age of 99. Barker was an American television game show host. He hosted CBS's The Price Is Right, the longest-running game show in North American television history, from 1972 to 2007. He also hosted Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.

Actor MATTHEW PERRY, died at the age of 54 on October 28th of an apparent drowing. He starred as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom Friends from 1994 to 2004. He also received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances in The West Wing (2003) and The Ron Clark Story (2006). He gained a leading role in the NBC series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip which aired from 2006 to 2007. Perry also became known for his leading film roles in Fools Rush In (1997), Almost Heroes (1998), Three to Tango (1999), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), Serving Sara (2002), The Whole Ten Yards (2005), and 17 Again (2009).

Actor RICHARD MOLL, died on October 26th at the age of 80.He was best known for playing Aristotle Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon, a bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1984 to 1992 and voicing Harvey Dent/Two-Face in the DC Animated Universe series Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures. For a time he was also married to Milton Berle's daughter. Richard had some productions he was working on at the time of his death.

Actress CINDY WILLIAMS, died at the age of 75 on January 25th.She was known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcoms Happy Days (1975–1979), and Laverne & Shirley (1976–1982). She also appeared in American Graffiti (1973) and The Conversation (1974).She continued to make television appearances and movies through 2020.

Glenda Jackson

Actress GLENDA JACKSON, died on June 15, 2023 at the age of 87. Jackson won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for the romance films Women in Love (1970) and A Touch of Class (1973), but she did not appear in person to collect either due to work commitments.In February 2021, it was reported that Jackson would star with Michael Caine in The Great Escaper, a film telling the true story of Bernard Jordan's escape from his care home to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France. Caine would play Jordan, with Jackson as his wife Rene. Caine and Jackson previously starred together in The Romantic Englishwoman (1975). Jackson had completed filming on The Great Escaper in September 2022; it was to be her last film. It was released on October 6, 2023.

Stylist and radio personality RALPH CIRELLA, died of cancer on December 5th at the age of 58. Ralph was Howard Stern's stylist, and he became an on air personality associated with the Stern show for years. He had been associated with Stern since the mid 1980s and developed quite a following on social media. 

Actress SUZANNE SOMERS, died on October 15th - a day before her 77th birthday. She played the television roles of Chrissy Snow on Three's Company (1977–1981) and Carol Foster Lambert on Step by Step (1991–1998). Somers wrote more than 25 books, including two autobiographies, four diet books, and a book of poetry. She was also well known for advertising the ThighMaster, an exercise device. Her last acting role was in 2017.

Comedian TOM SMOTHERS, died at the age 86 on December 26th. He best known as half of the musical comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick. Smothers and John Lennon played acoustic guitar during the live recording of Lennon's 1969 song "Give Peace a Chance".  Tom largely retired in 2010, but he still continued to make appearances with his brother.

We lost a lot of wonderful stars in 2023, and I lost a dear friend with the passing of NICK NARDELLA of Chicago on November 19th at the age of 80. I had known him since 1999. His love of music was amazing, and he was a wonderful man. Like Nick Nardella, all of these stars that shared their talents with the world are gone, but they will never be forgotten...

RIP: TONY BENNETT

Tony Bennett, the legendary New York pop and jazz singer died on Friday aged 96.

A statement posted on his Twitter account said: "Tony left us today but he was still singing the other day at his piano and his last song was Because of You, his first #1 hit.

"Tony, because of you we have your songs in our heart forever."

Bennett's death was confirmed by his publicist Sylvia Weiner in a statement to the Associated Press.

She said he died in his hometown of New York. No specific cause of death was announced, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. Sir Elton John led the tributes on social media, writing in a statement posted on his Instagram that he was "so sad to hear of Tony's passing".

"Without doubt the classiest singer, man, and performer you will ever see," Sir Elton said. "He's irreplaceable. I loved and adored him. Condolences to Susan, Danny and the family."

The White House released a statement saying that "Tony Bennett didn't just sing the classics - he himself was an American classic" and praising his enduring contributions to American life.

Former US first lady Hillary Clinton described Bennett as a "true talent, a true gentleman, and a true friend". She tweeted: "We'll miss you, Tony, and thanks for all the memories."

Singer Carole King said: "RIP Tony Bennett. Such a big loss. Deepest sympathy to his family and the world."

In a statement to Rolling Stone, singer Billy Joel said: "Tony Bennett was the one of the most important interpreters of American popular song during the mid to late 20th Century. "He championed songwriters who might otherwise have remained unknown to many millions of music fans. His was a unique voice that made the transition from the era of Jazz into the age of Pop.

"I will always be grateful for his outstanding contribution to the art of contemporary music. He was a joy to work with. His energy and enthusiasm for the material he was performing was infectious. He was also one of the nicest human beings I've ever known."

Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, to a family of Italian immigrants, Bennett was just nine years old when his father died, plunging the family further into poverty. As a teenager he became a singing waiter before enrolling to study music and painting at New York's School of Industrial Art. He was drafted into the US army in 1944 to fight in France and Germany towards the end of World War Two. "It's legalised murder," he said of the scarring experience in an interview with the Guardian in 2013.

After returning home, his singing career continued - first under the name Joe Bari - and his breakthrough came in 1951 the song Because of You, which gave him first number one. He changed his name to the Americanised Tony Bennett on the say so of fellow entertainer Bob Hope. Bennett soon became a teenage icon, releasing his first album in 1952. The same year his wedding was besieged by female fans in mourning.

He went on to chart in the US in every subsequent decade of his life, building a reputation for making timeless swinging jazz-inflected pop hits - like Blue Velvet and Rags to Riches - and, later, show tunes and big band numbers.

His 1962 version of a song from the previous decade, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, sent his star into an even bigger orbit, winning him two Grammys. However, with the arrival of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones into the US, as the decade rolled on his relevance faded. Personal problems followed, including the end of two marriages and drug addiction. He performed through the pain, recording two records with pianist Bill Evans.

After hiring his son Danny to become his manager and reuniting with his pianist and musical director Ralph Sharon, his fortunes began to change. He enjoyed a revival in the 1980s and 1990s, when Grammy awards flooded in for the star, then in his sixties. His 1986 comeback album, The Art of Excellence, got the ball rolling again for the star who had returned to New York from Las Vegas.

He followed it with the chart-topping Perfectly Frank, a tribute to his musical hero Sinatra, before 1994's MTV Unplugged saw Bennett win the Grammy for album of the year. In an interview with the Independent in 2008, Bennett said he had not been surprised by his renewed success.

"Good music is good music," he said. "I'm not concerned with whether someone who listens to me is old or young. In fact, in many ways, I'm not interested in the young at all.

Bennett remained perpetually cool enough to win over new legions of fans. The Alzheimer's diagnosis from 2016 forced Bennett to finally retire in August of 2021...

HEALTHWATCH UPDATE: TONY BENNETT

Tony Bennett's wife, Susan Benedetto, is opening up more about the singer's health condition.

Bennett's family first revealed that he lives with Alzheimer's disease back in February, and the 95-year-old music legend took the stage one last time in August, with back-to-back shows at New York's Radio City Music Hall alongside frequent collaborator Lady Gaga.

During Sunday's episode of 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper sat down with Bennett and Benedetto following his final stage appearance.

"He recognizes me, thank goodness, his children, you know we are blessed in a lot of ways," Benedetto told the journalist. "He's very sweet."

"He doesn't know he has it," she added, referring to his Alzheimer's.

Previously, Benedetto said that Bennett was unable to understand what the disease is.

During the 60 Minutes broadcast, Bennett performed a song with his pianist — recalling each word and note without sheet music or lyrics in front of him.

 "Well that was really one of the great honors I've ever had," Cooper, 54, said, thanking Bennett for the song.

"Tony likes to say he's in the business of making people feel good, and he still is," Benedetto commented, to which Bennett confirmed, "That's it."

Dr. Gaytari Devi, who diagnosed Bennett with the disease in 2017, said in the 60 Minutes interview that the star "knows he's Tony Bennett and he knows how to behave like Tony Bennett."

"That's an area of the brain that's just so an innately hardwired part of his brain," she told Cooper. "And it's also an area of his brain that gives them real meaning and purpose in his life, and it's imbued with emotion."

 

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TONY BENNETT RETIRES

Tony Bennett has retired from performing. Bennett performed two sold-out shows with Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall in New York last week, but his son and manager Danny Bennett has revealed he’s now decided to cease his on-stage shows.

Danny Bennett – who has been his dad’s manager for more than four decades – told Variety: “There won’t be any additional concerts. This was a hard decision for us to make, as he is a capable performer. This is, however, doctors’ orders.”

Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, and his wife Susan implored Tony to step back from performing.

Danny explained: “His continued health is the most important part of this, and when we heard the doctors – when Tony’s wife, Susan heard them – she said, ‘Absolutely not.’

“He’ll be doing other things, but not those upcoming shows. It’s not the singing aspect but, rather, the travelling. Look, he gets tired. The decision is being made that doing concerts now is just too much for him.

“We don’t want him to fall on stage, for instance – something as simple as that.”

Danny insisted he’s not worried about his dad’s singing capabilities.

Instead, he’s concerned for Tony’s “physical” health.

He shared: “We’re not worried about him being able to sing. We are worried, from a physical stand poi … about human nature. Tony’s 95.”

Despite this, Danny has insisted that Tony’s illness hasn’t hindered his on-stage performances in recent years.

He said: “He has short-term memory loss. That, however, does not mean that he doesn’t still have all this stored up inside of him. He doesn’t use a Teleprompter. He never misses a line. He hits that stage, and goes.

“Tony may not remember every part of doing that show. But, when he stepped to the side of the stage, the first thing he told me was: ‘I love being a singer.'”

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HEALTHWATCH: TONY BENNETT

Legendary singer Tony Bennett has Alzheimer's disease and was diagnosed in 2016, according to a profile in AARP magazine.

At his neurologist's recommendation, the 94-year-old continued to tour and record music after his diagnosis, and because of music's "peculiar power" to rouse deep memories in dementia patients, "audiences and critics never suspected his condition."

Bennett continued to record and tour up until March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic ended live musical performances.

Since then, his condition has worsened, his caregivers told AARP.

"Just how therapeutically beneficial performing had been for Tony soon became obvious when his world shrank to the confines of his apartment," Dr. Gayatri Devi, Bennett's neurologist, told the magazine.

Describing him as free today from some of the condition's worst symptoms — anger, disorientation — the magazine noted that there is still "little doubt that the disease had progressed."

AARP reported that Bennett’s “increasingly rare moments of clarity” show how far the disease has advanced; at the time of reporting the story, a fork and a set of house keys were “utterly mysterious to him.”

Lady Gaga's forthcoming collaboration with Bennett, recorded between 2018 and 2020 and slated to be released this spring, was among projects that helped slow the progression of his condition, the magazine noted.

Bennett's son and wife, Danny Bennett and Susan Crow, said theydecided to share the news of Bennett's condition because they know he will be unable to do promotional interviews after the album's scheduled release this spring.

They are are reportedly eager for "as many ears as possible to hear and enjoy what may very well be the last Tony Bennett record."

HEALTHWATCH: TONY BENNETT

Tony Bennett is one of the last singers of a bygone generation. His peers included Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and other great crooners. Bennett, reaching 90, has maintained a pretty busy schedule. However, in the last few months his health has come into question. Tony was set to perform in my hometown of Pittsburgh on July 9.

Officials announced Thursday evening that singer Tony Bennett’s performance scheduled for this Saturday at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh has been canceled. According to a press release, Bennett, 89, has the flu, which has temporarily prevent him from touring for the next few days. However, sources say that age is finally catching up to the crooner. Many people say his health just is not what it used to be, and he should slow down his hectic pace.

The release said refunds are available at point of purchase, and that the performance would not be rescheduled, which is also a ref flag to more serious health issues...

TONY BENNETT AT 89

Tony Bennett, who has rarely missed an opportunity to celebrate the Great American Songbook, will release a new album in that vein this fall. “The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern” (RPM/Columbia), due out Sept. 25, will feature Mr. Bennett in close collaboration with Bill Charlap, a jazz pianist and diligent songbook steward.

The album will include 14 of the most canonical songs by Kern, who composed hundreds for the Broadway stage. On half of the album Mr. Bennett performs with Mr. Charlap’s longtime trio. Several tracks feature a piano duo, with Mr. Charlap and Renee Rosnes (who are also husband and wife).

And on a few tracks, including “The Way You Look Tonight,” Mr. Bennett and Mr. Charlap work as a duo, consciously evoking Mr. Bennett’s collaboration with Bill Evans, which yielded a pair of highly regarded albums in the 1970s. (This spring, Fantasy released “The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings,” a 4-LP boxed set, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their first release.)

Mr. Bennett, who turned 89 this month, has devoted just a handful of his many previous albums to the work of a single composer or songwriting team. His focus in recent years has been on high-profile collaborations: last fall he had a No. 1 album in “Cheek to Cheek” (Streamline/Columbia/Interscope), sharing the honor with Lady Gaga, with whom he also just finished a major tour. He hit No. 1 in 2011 with “Duets II,” which featured Lady Gaga among a glittery array of guests, including Amy Winehouse and Aretha Franklin.

“Cheek to Cheek” included the Jerome Kern tune “I Won’t Dance,” which Lady Gaga and Mr. Bennett turned into a coy stage routine...

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TONY BENNETT CELEBRATES 85TH BIRTHDAY WITH CONCERT

NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Bennett makes 85 look like the new 55.

The legendary crooner celebrated his milestone birthday with a star-studded concert at the Metropolitan Opera House on Sunday, looking youthful and spry as he performed for more than an hour without taking so much as a water break. He danced, told jokes, and sang duets with Aretha Franklin, Elton John and Alejandro Sanz for a capacity crowd that included Robert De Niro and Katie Couric.

"I think it is amazing. He is amazing. This just goes to tell you nobody under 85 can complain about jack," said Whoopi Goldberg, who was also in attendance. "Don't tell me you are tired. I don't want to hear it. Tony Bennett can sing a cappella in the Met."

Former President Bill Clinton kicked off the evening's festivities. He said he and his wife, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also in attendance, have been long time fans of Bennett's music and art (Bennett is a painter as well).

"Tony Bennett has become part of our lives. Something special. Something different. An artist in so many ways," Clinton said.

Bennett, whose actual birthday was Aug. 3, then took to the stage and performed hits such as "The Best is Yet to Come," ''Everybody Loves a Winner," and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

He dedicated "The Good Life" to his good friend, Lady Gaga.

"I've been singing 50 years — I will be honest, 60 years — and I love it," said Bennett...

SOURCE

TONY BENNETT AND HIS NEW ALBUM

Ask Tony Bennett what it’s like to be 85 and you can almost hear the smile in his voice.

“I just love it,” he says beaming. “I have very good health and everybody keeps saying I’m in top shape and that they’ve never heard me singing better. I’ll take that.”

At an age when most octogenarians would be taking life just a wee bit easier, Bennett, who celebrated the milestone birthday on Aug. 3, is moving forward at breakneck speed. In addition to his regular tour schedule — including a “birthday celebration concert” at Ravinia on Aug. 26 — he’ll be feted at the opening ceremonies of the U.S. Open on Aug. 29 (Bennett’s an avid tennis fan), making his concert debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House on Sept. 18, and headlining a benefit concert to end hunger on Sept. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Along with Carrie Underwood, Bennett guest stars on the second-season premiere of the CBS television series “Blue Bloods,” where the pair will perform “It Had to Be You.” And then there’s the Sept. 20 release of “Duets II” (Columbia Records), his second collaborative album effort in five years, with a who’s-who of singers. A behind-the-scenes “making of” documentary for the new album, filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe, is due out this fall.

None of it is work to Bennett, who looks at his career as a singer and museum-caliber painter as a labor of love.

“My whole life is a study of painting and singing,” says the Grammy-winning singer, “about finding truth and beauty in both, and learning, always learning.”

What’s the greatest thing he’s learned about making music after all these years?

“Less is more,” Bennett says without hesitation. “I’ve had such great collaborations with great musicians. They’re all there on my records. The greatest was probably my album with Bill Evans [1975] because it was just piano and voice. It was the most amazing experience of my life on an album, I think. He was just a genius on piano. Just the two of us. Less is more.”

But sometimes, more can be just as satisfying.

Bennett’s “Duets: An American Classic” with collaborators that included Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, John Legend and Elvis Costello, among others, hit the No. 3 spot on the Billboard charts in 2008, and wound up selling more than 3 million copies. “Duets II” boasts, among others, Mariah Carey (on “When Do the Bells Ring for Me”), John Mayer (on “One for My Baby, and One More for the Road”), Queen Latifah (on “Who Can I Turn To, When Nobody Needs Me”) Lady Gaga (on “The Lady is a Tramp”), and in what would be her final recording session, Amy Winehouse (on “Body and Soul”).

There is definite emotion in Bennett’s voice when he talks of Winehouse, who was found dead four months after their collaboration at London’s Abbey Road studios. (Proceeds from the release of that single will go to the newly established Amy Winehouse Foundation.)

“It was just tragic what happened,” Bennett says. “You can’t believe how wonderful she was during the recording. We have it all on film so it will be part of the documentary. I think it will surprise a lot of people. She started singing and I remember I said to her, ‘You must be influenced by Dinah Washington.’ And she said how do you know that? She’s my idol.’ It just changed everything between us when she knew that I knew where she was coming from musically.”

Bennett will lead a special tribute to Winehouse at the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28, which will feature video of their studio session.

Bennett’s mood is again sunny when asked about working with Gaga, whom he says showed up for the recording session with her parents and boyfriend in tow.

“Lady Gaga is the best performer I’ve ever run into,” Bennett says. “She’s completely creative and a bright, bright girl. She plays piano beautifully. The most professional, intuitive and spontaneous performer I’ve ever met. [Laughs] When she takes all her makeup off and wigs she’s just this sweet little Italian-American girl. But I think she’s going to become bigger than Elvis Presley.”

Bennett doled out praises for other collaborators calling Queen Latifah “a young Ella Fitzgerald”; Faith Hill “the female Frank Sinatra”; Willie Nelson “the master of simplicity who sings a song the way the composer had it in mind”; and Natalie Cole “a great jazz singer and a class act like her dad.”

“What I’ve learned from this second group of artists is that they’re coming out of schools like Berkeley and NYU and Juilliard as extremely competent musicians and singers,” Bennett said.

“What took Rosemary Clooney and I nine or 10 years to develop and become consummate performers, these singers and musicians are learning what it takes while they’re in school. That is such a wonderful thing.”

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TONY BENNETT: THE LAST CROONER

Tony Bennett came up during the glory days of standards singing, when the radio was filled with distinction. Performers such as Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby and Dinah Washington joined Bennett in defining an art form throughout the 1940s and '50s.

They gleefully tackled the Great American Songbook, which was bursting with classics and still growing. “In Other Words,” “My Funny Valentine,” “All of Me,” “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” “Someone to Watch Over Me” — legendary songs by writers whose celebrity rivaled that of the singers.

Now Bennett is the last man standing from those vibrant days, and at 84 he is a walking master class in the art of the song. And the man known for his generous spirit doesn't mind sharing what he's learned.

Bennett, who performs Friday at The Kentucky Center's Whitney Hall, is in the middle of recording “Duets 2,” a follow-up to 2006's “Duets: An American Classic,” the highest-charting album of Bennett's 62-year career.
He'll be joined by the likes of Josh Groban, Carrie Underwood, k.d. lang, Amy Winehouse and Michael Buble, and while Bennett would certainly never say so, they've all been the second-best singers in the studio. Not only does he retain a powerhouse voice that's instantly recognizable, but his performances are imbued with a mind-blowing joy.

“A lot of the artists ask me how I have been able to keep recording for so long,” Bennett said, “and I tell them to stay healthy and always remember to entertain the audience, which sounds simple but it's easy to forget that sometimes.”

Bennett has rarely strayed from the path he chose in 1949, when he recorded his first sides under the name Joe Bari. Bob Hope gave the singer an early break, taking him on the road as an opening act, and also suggested shortening his given name, Anthony Benedetto, to Tony Bennett.
Within a year, Bennett had his first No. 1 hit with “Because of You” and quickly became a strong rival to fellow Italian-American singers Perry Como, Jerry Vale, Martin and Sinatra, who once declared Bennett to be the best of them all.

Bennett ruled the pop charts, and when Elvis Presley changed the landscape he further embraced jazz, working with pianist Ralph Sharon and releasing the classic “The Beat of My Heart” to begin the second phase of his career. He was the first male pop singer to record with Count Basie, and he still managed to appear on the pop charts, scoring an international hit with 1962's “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

Even Bennett couldn't compete with changes wrought by the rise of The Beatles. By the latter part of the 1960s, he had become part of the establishment and had largely fallen out of favor. The sole attempt to update his song choices, “Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today!,” was such a bad idea that Bennett famously became ill at the recording sessions.

Bennett is today's most staunch proponent of the Great American Songbook, which began in the 1920s and includes work by Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter and Harold Arlen. Even when recording with younger singers from other genres, the GAS is Bennett's source code.

“The Great American Songbook is one of the finest contributions that our country has given to the world,” Bennett said. “It is a treasure trove of songs that were crafted by the masters … and it will eventually become our classical music.

Since Bennett's resurgence in the 1980s, following a string of bad investments and worse decisions, including a cocaine addiction, he has come to single-handedly represent one of the greatest eras of American popular music.

His concerts, most often performed with a small jazz combo, are marvels of warmth, technique and sweet-natured humor.

Bennett, who is also a celebrated painter and humanitarian with the nickname “Tony Benefit,” never fails to deliver at least a few astonishing moments during each show — which is remarkable when you consider that he's performed some songs for more than six decades.

“Each time I perform a song, I try to sing as if it's for the very first time, and I think working with a jazz quartet every night reinforces the spontaneity so that each performance is a little different,” he said. “With jazz musicians, they are always improvising so that as a singer you work with that approach as well, and I love it, as it keeps the shows very fresh, very immediate.”

And very Tony...

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