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Tony Bennett Returns to the Orpheum, Dec. 18
By: Sally Henry Fuller Nov. 10, 2015
Tony Bennett's daughter, Antonia Bennett, has been touring with her father and will open the performance with a collection of jazz/pop standards. Antonia Bennett is a graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music.
No one in popular American music has recorded for so long and at such a high level of excellence than Tony Bennett. In the last ten years alone he has sold ten million records. The essence of his longevity and high artistic achievement was imbued in him in his loving childhood home in the Astoria section of Queens where he was born on August 3, 1926.
With millions of records sold world-wide and platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett has received eighteen Grammy Awards -- including a 1995 Grammy for Record of the Year for his "MTV Unplugged" CD which introduced this American master to a whole new generation -- and the Grammy Lifetime Award. His 2007 prime-time special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," won seven Emmy Awards. His initial successes came via a string of Columbia singles in the early 1950's, including such chart-toppers as "Because of You," "Rags to Riches," and a remake of Hank Williams "Cold, Cold Heart." He had 24 songs in the Top 40, including "I Wanna Be Around," "The Good Life," "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" and his signature song," I Left My Heart In San Francisco," which garnered him two Grammy Awards.
Tony Bennett is one of a handful of artists to have new albums charting in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and now in the first two decades of the 21st century. He has introduced a multitude of songs into the Great American Songbook that have since become standards for pop music. He has toured the world to sold out audiences with rave reviews whenever he performs. Bennett re-signed with Columbia Records in 1986 and released the critically acclaimed The Art of Excellence. Since his 1991 show-stopping performance at the Grammy Awards of "When Do The Bells Ring For Me," from his Astoria album, he has received a string of Grammy Awards for releases including Stepping Out, Perfectly Frank and MTV Unplugged.
In the new millennium, Bennett's artistry and popularity was higher than ever. In 2006, the year of his 80th birthday, his Duets: An American Classic was released. The album-which included performances with Paul McCartney, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Bono and others-won three Grammy Awards and went on to be one of the bestselling CDs of the year and Tony's career. Bennett's first Duets album also inspired the Rob Marshall-directed television special Tony Bennett: An American Classic which won seven Emmys making it the most honored program at the 2007 Emmy Awards.
In celebration of his 85th birthday in 2011 the release of Bennett's highly anticipated, Duets II, featured Tony performing with a new roster of celebrated artists including, the late Amy Winehouse (her last recording was their duet of "Body and Soul") , Michael Buble, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, and many others. Duets II debuted at #1 on the Billboard Album charts, making Tony the only artist at the age of 85 to achieve this in the history of recorded music. Bennett won two Grammys for Duets II in the 2012 Grammy ceremony and this year marked the 50th Anniversary of the recording and release of his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Tony's latest endeavor is a collaborative jazz album with Lady Gaga, released this September, titled, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek. Cheek To Cheek debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts making Bennett, at the age of 88, the oldest artists to have a #1 album - a record he originally established at the age of 85 when his Duets II debuted at #1. Cheek To Cheek won a Grammy in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal category.
Today Tony Bennett's artistry and accomplishments are applauded all over the world from people from 12 to 90 years old.
For more information and additional tour dates, visit www.tonybennett.com.
About The Orpheum Theatre
The Orpheum Theatre is operated by the Memphis Development Foundation, a non-profit organization that depends on the financial support of the community to carry out its mission to foster the enjoyment and understanding of the arts in Memphis, as well as the economic prosperity of Downtown and surrounding areas. For more information, visit www.orpheum-memphis.com or call 901-525-7800. The Orpheum is located at 203 South Main Street Memphis, TN 38103.
TICKETS: $70 - $125
BOX OFFICE: 901.525.3000
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