Tony Bennett's Early Life:

Tony Bennett was born Anthony Benedetto in Queens, New York City August 3, 1926. His family's roots are in the Calabria region of Italy. Tony Bennett grew up as part of an impoverished framily during the Great Depression. He began singing publicly as a child and became employed as a singing waiter. Tony Bennett was forced to drop out of school at the age of 16 to help support his family.

World War II Veteran and First Recording Success:

Tony Bennett was drafted into the US Army in November 1944 and he saw front line combat as World War II was drawing to a close. After the war ended he remained stationed in Germany as part of the occupying force and did not return home until 1946. Upon his return to the US, Tony Bennett began studying music with support from the GI Bill. In 1949 Pearl Bailey became aware of his talent and invited him to open for her at a live show in New York City's Greenwich Village. Bob Hope was invited to the show, and he decided to take Tony Bennett on a tour under the shortened name "Tony Bennett" instead of Anthony Benedetto. In 1950 he was signed to a contract with Columbia Records and his first major hit "Because Of You" reached #1 on the pop chart in 1951.

"I Left My Heart In San Francisco":

From the beginning Tony Bennett was known as a crooner and often sang accompanied by lush orchestral arrangements. He has focused his career on performing pop standards.

Although the advent of rock and roll in the mid 1950s reduced the size of Tony Bennett's audience, he remained popular. In the late 1950s he began recording jazz songs and expanded the range of material in his live repertoire. In 1962 Tony Bennett recorded "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" which would become his signature song. Although it only reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song remained on charts for a year and the album of the same name was a top 5 hit. Both album and single were certified gold. In 1963 "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" received the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

Tony Bennett's Top Hits:

• 1951 - "Because Of You" - #1
• 1953 - "Rags To Riches" - #1
• 1953 - "Stranger In Paradise" - #2
• 1954 - "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight" - #7
• 1954 - "Cinnamon Sinner" - #8
• 1957 - "In the Middle Of an Island" - #9

Career Decline:

In an effort to raise his commercial profile as the 1960s drew to an end, it was suggested that Tony Bennett record contemporary rock material. The effort was a failure, and soon he found himself without a recording contract. By the end of the 1970s Tony Bennett hit bottom and nearly died from a drug overdose. With the help of his son Danny Bennett as manager, he climbed back into the music business and in the 1980s he signed a contract again with Columbia Records. His first album under the new contract was 1986's The Art Of Excellence which began his career renaissance.

Tony Bennett For a New Generation:

In the late 1980s Tony Bennett began appearing on a wide range of TV shows gaining exposure with younger audiences. His 1992 album Perfectly Frank, an homage to Frank Sinatra, and 1993's Steppin' Out, a tribute to Fred Astaire, won Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Pop Vocal. The comeback was complete when Tony Bennett's 1994 MTV Unplugged album took home a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Career accolades began to come the way of Tony Bennett including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001.

The Duets Albums:

To celebrate his 80th birthday in 2006 Tony Bennett released the album Duets: An American Classic. It featured new performances of songs he had previously recorded. However, this time they were performed live in the studio with a wide range of other prominent artists. The album reached #3 on the Billboard album chart, his highest charting album yet. Duets was ultimately certified platinum and won two Grammy Awards. Five years later in honor of his 85th birthday Tony Bennett recorded Duets II, a sequel to his previous success. This time he was rewarded with his first #1 hit album, and he became the oldest living artist to hit #1 on the chart. The album was the subject of a PBS TV special. Duets II won Tony Bennett's 17th Grammy Award, his 11th for Best Traditional Pop Performance.