Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga Sell Out Ravinia Concerts

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga's CHEEK TO CHEEK tour is now the fastest sell-out in Ravinia history! The Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, performances are officially sold out.

CHEEK TO CHEEK was recently honored with a Grammy (Tony's 18th!) for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album." It was released to rave reviews on September 23, 2014, debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 album charts, and was named Billboard's #1 Jazz Album of the Year.

The duo will be accompanied by Tony Bennett's Quartet: Musical Director and Pianist Mike Renzi, Guitarist Gray Sargent, Bassist Marshall Wood, and Drummer Harold Jones. Lady Gaga's Quintet will also be accompanying onstage: Trumpeter Brian Newman, Pianist Alex Smith, Drummer Paul Francis, Bassist Scott Ritchie, and Saxophonist Steve Kortya.

This will be Tony's 35th and 36th performances at Ravinia where he has been playing to Sold-Out crowds since first headlining there in 1984. The ageless 88-year-old music icon is riding a brand new wave in his 65-year career as he continues to pursue the art of excellence with the captivating 28-year-old Lady Gaga by his side.

In 2011, after hearing Lady sing at a Robin Hood Foundation Benefit where they both performed, Bennett said, "Let's record an album!" Now these two brilliant artists are making musical history! They are taking their "Cheek To Cheek" Tour all over the world. Tony and Lady Gaga have a mutual respect and a genuine admiration for one another, and it is apparent the moment they step onstage. Tony says, "I've never had so much fun (performing) in my life!" Former President Bill Clinton recently remarked, "I'm fascinated by this partnership between Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. I really think it is magic!"

Tony Bennett, the master interpreter of American Popular Song, received two Grammys in 1995 for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album" and "Album of the Year" with MTV UNPLUGGED. At the time of its release, The New York Times reported, "Tony Bennett didn't just bridge the generation gap, he demolished it!"

Now, just 20 years later, he's doing it all over again....and this time with Lady Gaga!

Tony's dear friend Frank Sinatra called him "The best singer in the business," and told Bennett to stay with good music. Count Basie offered this advice: "Why change an apple!" The songs that Tony Bennett sings are timeless. No one in American popular music has recorded for so long and at such a high level of excellence. He has introduced a multitude of songs into The Great American Songbook that have become standards including, of course, his signature tune, the double Grammy Award-winning "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," which Bennett recorded 53 years ago.

Tony is also a dedicated artist, painting under his given name Anthony Benedetto. The singer's life is as colorful and vibrant as his original artwork which is on permanent display in prestigious galleries and museums all over the world, including The Smithsonian, The National Portrait Gallery, The Butler Institute of American Art, and the United Nations. Even on tour he can be found enjoying the solitude of this other great passion, capturing on canvas the varied and beautiful locales he visits. Several years ago, Tony gifted Ravinia with an original work, "Ravinia: Music Under the Stars."

Tony Bennett has said that his music has made him "A citizen of the world," and he has always made his concern for humanity a priority. He marched in Selma alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and is the recipient of the King Center's "Salute to Greatness" Award. In 2014, Tony and his son and manager, DANNY BENNETT, created Voices Against Violence in support of stronger gun legislation. Tony is a 2005 Kennedy Center Honoree, an NEA Jazz Master, and the recipient of a "Citizen of the World"Award from the UN, amongst his many honors.

Bennett's inspiring memoir, LIFE IS A GIFT, highlights the singer's personal philosophies learned throughout his life and career. A documentary, THE ZEN OF BENNETT, is an intimate portrait of this remarkable man created and conceived by Danny Bennett. And the most recent tribute to the legendary singer is a magnificent coffee table book entitled LIFE UNSEEN: TONY BENNETT.

In 2001, Tony founded The Frank Sinatra School of the Arts as a permanent legacy to his dear friend. The School, now a state-of-the-art facility in Bennett's hometown of Astoria, Queens, provides an extraordinary education for youngsters who wish to pursue a career in the arts. With his wife, SUSAN BENEDETTO, Tony established EXPLORING THE ARTS (ETA), a nonprofit organization that supports arts education in 17 public high schools in NYC and Los Angeles.

Tony Bennett's legacy of musical excellence and his generous humanitarian spirit will be embraced forever!

The Ravinia Festival in Highand Park, IL. (suburban Chicago) is the oldest outdoor music festival in the country, 111 years old, having opened in 1904. Seating capacity: Pavilion - 3,400; Lawn - 12, 500. Each season the renowned and enchanting venue hosts hundreds of top musical artists.

Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

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