Another titan of the music industry has died, and we’re here to pay our respects: Tony Bennet, the 96-year-old master interpreter of the Great American Songbook, born Anthony Dominick Benedetto. He received his now legendary stage name from Bob Hope in the late 1940s, just before embarking on a tour with the famed comedian. Over his long and storied career, Bennet had a hand in shifting the stylistic course of jazz performance with his ultra-smooth signature croon. While his style remained constant, his relevance shifted throughout the decades as Bennet would meet new generations where they were — i.e. appearances on The Simpsons and Late Night With Conan O’Brien in the 1990s, and collaborations with the likes of Amy Winehouse, John Legend, and (perhaps most famously) Lady Gaga later on in his life.
Throughout his extraordinary career, he remained a devout pacifist and has the distinction of having marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He won countless Grammy awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement, and his signature song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” is not only one of the city’s official anthems, but was chosen for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.
You’ll hear “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” during today’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, alongside a treasure trove of additional Tony Bennet gems. Plus, in anticipation of Saturday’s Summer Nights With Grand Performances: Afro Funke’ 20th anniversary — hear Afro Funke’ resident DJ (and KCRW’s own) Jeremy Sole remixing Novalima’s “Macaco.” All of this, and many more bittersweet serenades await, so please mosey on in and grab a seat.