TONY BENNETT

Iconic Vegas Performer and Grammy Winning Artist died at age 96

Tony Bennet was born, in Long Island City, Queens, NY on August 3rd , 1926 with the name Anthony Dominick Benedetto. He lived the life of one of the most recognized Jazz and Pop singers of all time. His time finally came to an end on July 21st, 2023, when he passed away at his home in Manhattan. Tony was one of those artists that committed early in his career to continue performing his artistry until the day he died, and he lived up to that goal, with his last performance taking place alongside Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall at the age of 95. He also broke the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to release an album of new material, at the age of 95 years and 60 days. If there is anything that sums up the life and times of Tony Bennett, it would be consistency and dedication.

Tony served his country honorably during World War II, seeing active front line action, including serving as an infantryman during the Battle of the Bulge. He was directly involved in the liberation of the Kaufering concentration camp, a subcamp of Dachau, a place where American POWs were kept alongside Jewish prisoners. In his autobiography he wrote ” I saw things no human being should ever have to see.” After the war was over, he was punished and demoted for socializing with a black friend he personally knew from high school, because of the segregation laws that were in place at the time. To pass the remaining time in his military service he began singing in the Army Services Band Unit which entertained the troops.

When he came out of the war and returned to NY he sang wherever he could, even while waiting tables and he was actually discovered in 1949 by Pearl Bailey who asked him to open for her in Greenwich Village. Incidentally, she had invited Bob Hope to the event and he decided to take Tony on the road with him. He decided to shorten the stage name to Tony Bennett. In 1950, He cut his first successful demo “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” and was signed to Columbia Records. Tony Bennett quickly made a name for himself as a crooner, up there with Frank Sinatra. As a matter of fact, he was warned by Columbia Records to make sure not to emulate Sinatra too much, because he had just left the label. His first big hit was “Because of You,” selling over a million records in 1951 and becoming a diner jukebox hit. Over the next few years, Bennett had multiple chart-topping number one hits.

Tony Bennett became one of the top Nightclub musicians of his time, singing at the classiest Jazz Clubs and being one of the first male pop singers to be featured at a concert in Carnegie Hall. During this time Bennett also began his famed career of headlining top Vegas venues. He began this legacy in 1952 at El Rancho Vegas’s Opera House as Milton Berle’s opening act.

He performed everywhere in Vegas, From the Sands, to MGM, to the Cosmopolitan on New Years Eve. He headlined at The Sahara, Dunes, Desert Inn, Golden Nugget and Encore Theater at the Wynn and eventually he was the main headliner at the legendary Circus Maximus showroom in Caesars Palace. Even when he returned to New York to focus again on recording in the late 1970s and early 1980s Tony Bennett never truly left Las Vegas and was always known as one of the kings of the nightclubs and lounges. His career was one for the record books, and over the course he earned himself 20 Grammy Awards, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. He earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and earned 2 Primetime Emmy Awards. Throughout his career he headlined at the dozens of Casino Showrooms, and legendary ballrooms like Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall, and he sold over 50 million records. To say that Tony Bennett worked hard and earned his legendary status would be an understatement.

Although he lived a very full life and performed for over 70 years, his work was never done. He was the consummate professional and even continued performing for the last 7 years of his career while battling Alzheimer’s and only pulled out of the spotlight late in his 95th year because of failing health. Tony Bennett, you will be remembered forever, by the families of people you directly touched in World War II, and by the fans who adored you in Las Vegas and New York and throughout the world. And those memories will allow your legacy to live on forever more. Rest in

Peace Sir. By Michael Devine u

ORLANDO FLORIDA

Aug 19th 2023

Venue: Level 13 Event Center

5043 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL

Top1100 SONGS this month

1- Karma by Taylor Swift

2- Calm Down by Rema & Selena Gomez

3- Sure Thing by Miguel

4- Flowers by Miley Cyrus

5- Last Night by Morgan Wallen

6-Creepin' f/The Weeknd, 21 Sav. by Metro Boomin

7- Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift

8- Eyes Closed by Ed Sheeran

9- Dance The Night by Dua Lipa 10- Cupid by Fifty Fifty

Top1100 MOVIES this month

1- Barbie

2- Oppenheimer

3- Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

4- Sound of Freedom

5- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

6- Insidious: The Red Door

7- Elemental

8- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

9- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

10- No Hard Feelings EVENT

REEVESTOCK

Music Festival

Venue: Elkin’s Hidden Amphitheatre

August 4th & 5th, 2023 Elkin, North Carolina