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. ♪ marvelous ♪ >> reporter: the legendary crooner was born anthony dominic benedetto in queens, a kidsion raised by a single mom at 16 he dropped out of school and was later drafted by the army to serve in world war ii. >> i decided that when i get out of the army, i'm going to go into show business. >> reporter: and that's exactly what he did. >> i love -- my whole life i love what i do. >> reporter: bob hope discovered him in a new york nightclub and hired him on the spot, introducing him on stage with a new name, tony bennett ♪ everything i've got belongs to you ♪ >> reporter: his career skyrocketed in 1962, a special song released as a "b" side sent him into the stratosphere ♪ i left my heart ♪ [ applause ] ♪ in san francisco ♪ >> reporter: at the height of his fame, even frank sinatra, a friend, but also a rival, told "life" magazine, for my money tony bennett is the best singer in the business, but performing night after night, the dark side of fame eventually caught up to bennett addicted to drugs, he took a step back from music. ♪ from now on, there will be a change in me ♪ >>

don't enjoy it half as much as dancing cheek to cheek ♪ >> reporter: tony bennett was born anthony dominic benedetto class astoria in new york city. his father emigrated from southern italy, and he was just 10 when his father died. his mother was left to raise the children during the great depression. he told me in recent years that it was his mother who was his inspiration. >> that's the reason i went into show business, because she was working so hard to raise three children. >> reporter: as a young man, tony bennett would serve in the infantry in world war ii, helping to liberate a concentration camp. he would come back to america on the g.i. bill and go to school, working as a singing waiter. it was bob hope who discovered him one night and asked him to open for him, and it was bob hope who suggested tony shorten his name from benedetto to bennett. from then on, tony bennett. ♪ who can i turn to? ♪ >> reporter: bennett once told us about his early years, counting frank sinatra as a mentor and a friend. >> sinatra was my best friend he gave me the best advice. he was ten years my elder and he was

anthony dominic benedetto had come a long way from his far from glamorous childhood. them. # without a song...# but singing made his fortune. he was also a talented painter and politically he was a liberal, supporting the civil rights movement. # don't deplore my fondness...# but as fashions changed, the work began to dry up. by the end of the �*70s, he was divorced, taking drugs, and without a recording contract. # with my top hat...# he turned it around not by changing style but by taking his music to a new generation. # make it one for my baby, one more for the road...# he even performed at the glastonbury festival. the music and the image the same, but suddenly he was cool again. # the world has gone mad today. ..# i said i would love to do an album with you someday. she said definitely, let's do it. and this, for me was... is the most important album of my career. because i'm making music with a legend. # when i come home to you # san francisco. ..# his days as a teen idol may have been over but his music was timeless. # the sun will shine for me...# throughout t

anthony dominic benedetto had come a long way from his far from glamorous childhood.d painter and politically he was a liberal, supporting the civil rights movement. don't deplore my fondness... wright but as fashions changed, the work began to dry up. by the end of the 70s, he was divorced, taking drugs, and without a recording contract. # with my top hat... he turned it around not by changing style but by taking his music to a new generation. # make it 1 for my baby, one more for the road. he even performed at the glastonbury festival. the music and the image the same, but suddenly he was cool again. # the world has gone mad today... she said i would love to do an album with you someday. i said definitely lets do it. and this, for me was... is the most important album of my career. because i'm making music with a legend. # when i come home to you... # san francisco... his days as a teen idol may have been over but his music was timeless. # the sun will shine for me...# applause hello, if you have outdoor plans this weekend, the weather may have a part to play. not t

anthony dominic benedetto, august 3rd, 1926. this world war two combat veteran was born and died in new york city for eight decades. planet earth knew him as tony bennett. rebecca feynman and bill ye came to place flowers. they were married at the fairmount to their favorite tony bennett song, the way you look tonight, he's an artist that made us feel love for ourselves and one another. and for the city. though he was from a city almost 2600 miles away, it was a song about san francisco that made him a household name world wide, a song that became his signature. you know, he first sang i left my heart in san francisco here in our venetian room in 1961. he won 20 grammy awards. the recording academy's lifetime achievement award, two primetime emmys, the gershwin prize, the kennedy center honors and many others from soul train to the glad awards, as well as an accomplished fine arts painter. he also had no ego. tony was so great to talk about other singers and how much he respected them. he was the most wonderful man. he'll live f

his smooth crooning making him a household name, but he came from humble beginnings born anthony dominic benedettod from italy. at just 18, he served as a foot soldier in world war ii. in the mid '60s when the world became more excited about the beatles than big band, he tried his hand at acting. >> you must be suffering from oxygen starvation. >> he came back in the '90s, and suddenly he's back, and he's the epitome of cool to people who are 40, 50 years younger than him. >> reporter: his career, a long journey in working with music legends from frank sinatra to more modern day icons like amy winehouse. ♪ i'm all for you, body and soul ♪ >> reporter: he teamed up most famously -- >> hi, tony. >> reporter: -- with lady gaga. ♪ i've got you under my skin ♪ >> there's 60 years between us, but when we sing, there's no distance. >> reporter: at 88 years young he released "cheek to cheek," a duet album with gaga making him the oldest artist in the world to have a number one album. >> i always wanted to be one of a kind somehow, and it happened. >> reporter: at age 90 bennett was diagnosed with alzheime

. ♪ anthony dominic benedetto was born in queens in 1926 and he started singing as a child and eventually a job as a singing waiter but the big break came in 1949 when pearl bailey asked him to open for her. in the audience was bob hope who was so impressed he took the young singer under his wing. >> you know, he said -- what's your real name? i said anthony dominic. he said that's too long for the marquee. he said let's americanize it and call you tony bennett. >> reporter: tony bennett went on to have a string of hits in the '50s and '60s. and spent the next decades performing to sold out crowds. ♪ although the old standards were bennett's specialty, he always stayed close to pop culture. >> you know guys, this is mtv. >> tony bennett. >> hey, gold to see you. >> reporter: but music was not his only talent. bennett also became a respected painter using his real name. >> when i get just a little tired of singing, i paint. when i get tired of painting, i sing. >> reporter: his career was not without controversy. in 2011, the world war ii veteran told shock jock howard stern he opposed ame

. ♪ i know i go from rags to riches ♪♪ >> reporter: before he was tony he was anthony dominic benedetto great depression, born and raised by a single mother in queens, new york. >> when i was ten years old, we love the way you paint and we love the way you sing, and so i said that's who i am. >> he dropped out of high school to support his family at age 16. and was later drafted by the army. serving in world war ii. >> i decided that when i get out of army, i'm going to go into show business. >> he got his big break in 1949, when entertainer bob hope saw him sitting in a new york city club and hired him with one suggestion, that he change his name to tony bennett. ♪ the best is yet to come and babe won't that be fine ♪♪ >> reporter: a star was born. ♪ san francisco ♪♪ >> reporter: in 1962, bennett topped the charts with the hit "i left my heart in san francisco," winning his first of many grammys. ♪ as i approach the prime of my life ♪♪ >> reporter: as his career skyrocketed, he also became an activist in the civil rights movement while developing his other love, painting. >> when you g

generation with shiny tuxedos, big bands, and smokey jazz joint, but before he was tony, he was anthony dominic benedetto great depression, born by a single mother in queens, new york. >> he said, we love the way you paint or we love the way you sing. i said, that's who i am. >> reporter: he dropped out of high school to support hid family at 16 and was drafted by the army in world war ii. >> i decided i would go into show business. >> reporter: he got his big break in 1949 when he was seen in a new york club and he was hired with one suggestion, that he c hame to ton bennet >>. ♪ the best is kwet to come, and won't that be fine ♪ >> reporter: a star is born. ♪ san francisco ♪ >> reporter: he topped the charts witith his songng "i lef heart t in san frarancisco," w g his first of many grammys. >> as his career skyrocketed, he became an activist in the civil rights movement while developing his over love, painting. >> if you get lucky enough to nail one painting that really looks good, it's really a quiet celebration. >> reporter: but there was a dark underbelly to his success. bennett developed a drug ad

and anthony dominic benedetto known as tony bennett an american jazz traditional pop sing are partnered in life with the greatest voices in music history including amy winehouse and led gaga and submit web his charm. 20 grammys, a lifetime achievement and 2 primetime emmies. his voice sparked romances and ensued many broken hearts. you cannot hear his carmel voice singing about san francisco without images of hill and cable cars. or winning a giant's home gamil goet in i bit. i had the privilege of meeting him in person when this board of supervisors renamed a portion of mason street in front of the fairmont hotel pruned his san fremantle song. a stunt double repelled off the side of the hotel make the crowd gasp it was not hard to imagine it was tony given how spright he was in his 90's. passed at the age of 96 in san francisco left its heart with tony bennett. rest in pes and condolences to your wife susan, children and all of those who loved you. i like to close today's board meeting in the memory of an exceptional individual who many of you know and influenced this board and governm

and anthony dominic benedetto known as tony bennett an american jazz traditional pop sing are partnered in life with the greatest voices in music history including amy winehouse and led gaga and submit web his charm. 20 grammys, a lifetime achievement and 2 primetime emmies. his voice sparked romances and ensued many broken hearts. you cannot hear his carmel voice singing about san francisco without images of hill and cable cars. or winning a giant's home gamil goet in i bit. i had the privilege of meeting him in person when this board of supervisors renamed a portion of mason street in front of the fairmont hotel pruned his san fremantle song. a stunt double repelled off the side of the hotel make the crowd gasp it was not hard to imagine it was tony given how spright he was in his 90's. passed at the age of 96 in san francisco left its heart with tony bennett. rest in pes and condolences to your wife susan, children and all of those who loved you. i like to close today's board meeting in the memory of an exceptional individual who many of you know and influenced this board and governm