Download Free Tony Bennett * Songs

Tony Bennett music biography continued...

gig at age of ten at the opening of the Triborough Bridge in New York City. He served in the Army during World War II, and after his discharge returned to New York where he studied at the American Theater Wing and performed wherever possible, including while he was waiting tables at New York City restaurants. In 1949, Pearl Bailey spotted his talent and asked him to open for her in Greenwich Village. She had invited Bob Hope to the show. Hope decided to bring the young singer on the road with him, but suggested he use his real name simplified to Tony Bennett. In 1950, Bennett cut a demo of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and was signed to Columbia Records His first big hit was the ballad "Because of You" which reached #1 on the pop charts in 1951 and stayed there for 10 weeks, selling over a million copies. Several top hits such as "Rags to Riches" followed in the early 1950s, and then he further refined his approach to encompass jazz singing. He reached a creative pinnacle in the late 1950s with albums such as The Beat of My Heart and Basie Swings, Bennett Sings and in 1962 with his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". The album of the same title was a top 5 hit and both the single and album achieved gold record status. The song won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance, making Bennett a superstar.



Bennett's career and his personal life suffered an extended downturn during the height of the rock music era, but he made an incredible comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s, putting out gold record albums again and expanding his audience to include the young "MTV Generation" while maintaining his distinct musical style. He remains a popular and critically praised recording artist and concert performer in the 2000s and has sold over 50 million records worldwide. To mark his 80th birthday in 2006, he released Tony Bennett: Duets - An American Classic, recorded with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Elvis Costello and Bono—peers who are as in awe of his talent as his legions of fans.