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Tony Bennett Quotes

Tony Bennett
  • Mini Bio
  • Name: Anthony Dominick Benedetto
  • Born: 3rd August 1926, Astoria, Queens, New York, U.S.
  • Died: 21st July 2023, New York, U.S.
  • Alma mater: New York School of Industrial Art
  • Occupation: Singer and painter
  • Genres: Jazz, swing and traditional pop
  • Nickname: Joe Bari
  • Stage name: Tony Bennett
  • Height: 5' 7½" (1.71 m)
  • Marriage resume: Patricia Beech (1952-1971 div), Sandra Grant (1971-2007 div) and Susan Crow (2007- present day)
  • Trivia: His original stage name was Joe Bari and it was Bob Hope who suggested he adopted the stage name Tony Bennett for its close association to his birth name

"When the uncreative tell the creative what to do, it stops being art"

Tony Bennett

"Of all the contemporary artists I've worked with, she has the most natural jazz voice. Her phrasing and tone - she's got it [about Amy Winehouse]"

Tony Bennett

"She was the very best there was. In our profession, no one could command an audience the way she did" [about Judy Garland]

Tony Bennett

"He called me the best he'd heard. And since then, I sold out around the world" [about Frank Sinatra]

Tony Bennett

"The more I learn, the less I know"

Tony Bennett

"I've been so fortunate because I never really had ups and downs as far as my career. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I've been sold out all over the world"

Tony Bennett

"I only met Bing Crosby once. He called me the best singer he'd ever heard"

Tony Bennett

"The war itself made me a pacifist; I just know that every gun in the world should melt somehow and as soon as possible"

Tony Bennett

"The audience is never cold. If they're cold that means you're cold. You gotta walk out there energized"

Tony Bennett

"I don't look down to an audience. I look up to them. They respond to quality"

Tony Bennett

"When she sings I actually see angels" [about K.D. Lang]

Tony Bennett

"My ambition is to actually sound better as I get older"

Tony Bennett

"If you follow your passion, you'll never work a day in your life"

Tony Bennett

"You're only as good as your next show"

Tony Bennett

"To work is to feel alive"

Tony Bennett
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Tony Bennett Biography

There are not many people that can boast a career that has lasted in excess of 70 years let alone be still performing to sell out crowds as a nonagenarian. Tony Bennett has done it all and seen it all in the entertainment industry in the 8 decades that have passed since he gallantly served the U.S. army where he fought in the European theatre during WWII.

The war had a lasting effect on Tony as the waste of human life he witnessed turned him into a life long pacifist with a disdain for rockets and guns. His singing career got underway after WWII under the stage name of Joe Bari until Bob Hope discovered him singing in New York's Greenwich Village.

Bob Hope took him under his wing and Bennett supported his act on the road. As the 1950's beckoned Tony's acclaim grew and it was not long until he cut his first record deal at Columbia with "Because of You" becoming an instant hit.

Throughout the 50's and the following 6 decades Tony was a relentless sensation who had albums charting in each of these 7 decades. He has the distinction of performing to 11 U.S. presidents and played to sold out audiences worldwide eagerly anticipating hits such as his signature tune "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" and "When Do The Bells Ring For Me".

Bennett has been awarded 19 Grammy's and has sold in excess of 50 million albums worldwide. Tony's other passion is painting, he is a renowned artist and his paintings have been exhibited in galleries around the world. As with most native New Yorkers he was always good for a one liner so here is my compilation of 15 of the best Tony Bennett quotes

Quotes About Tony Bennett

Singer Josh Groban made this observation: "Tony has that indescribable nuance, that pathos to his voice that always tells a story"

Gloria Estefan took inspiration from him by saying: "He gets up every day, happy to create and to do something new. He’s really someone to look up to"

Lady Gaga gushed about him with these meaningful words: "Tony, you are indeed an icon. But for me, you’re so much more than that"

Frank Sinatra summed him up thus: "For my money Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business. He gets across what the composer had in mind, and probably a little more"

Cary Grant shared this advice with Tony: "Just go and become a performer in front of audiences - you're alive, they're cheering you"


Tony Bennett image quote