Today is is Tony Bennett's birthday! Can you believe he is 90 years old?
My mom and I had the privilege of seeing Mr. Bennett perform two years ago at Binghamton University. He was absolutely phenomenal, and at 88 years old he even performed a number without the microphone! If that isn't legendary, I don't know what is.
After the show, we waited around near some black Escalades outside of the school. Miraculously, Mr. Bennett then appeared at the side door near the vans! He came over to chat with us, and I managed to snap a picture (which is very poor quality which is why I haven't uploaded it here, but what can you say?). He was so very gracious and incredibly kind. That night was one I will never ever forget.
Mr. Bennett has a beautiful way of drawing you in with his phrasing, and once you are drawn in it's like entering another world of extraordinary tranquility and bliss. His voice still retains a lot of its silkiness from youth with a bit more raspiness. I actually prefer his more mature voice now as it adds another dimension to the music. You really have to love the music to sing it for as long as Mr. Bennett has, and it's quite apparent once you listen to him perform that he truly does love the music and adores the fans he is performing for.
To close, here is one of my favorite songs ("Autumn Leaves") performed by Mr. Bennett:
As Sinatra himself said about Tony Bennett, he really is one of the best there ever was.
Do you have any favorite songs performed by Tony Bennett?
Cheers.
