Exclusive Interview: American Music Legend Tony Bennett Still Wowing Audiences Nearly 70 Years After His First Hit Single

Anthony Dominick Benedetto was born in 1926 in the rough-hewn New York City borough of Queens. Growing up during the Great Depression, Benedetto attended the High School of Industrial Arts in New York City, but dropped out to help the family. Working as a singing waiter, he then served in the Army during World War II and fought in the infamous Battle of the Bulge.

Like so many infantry soldiers, Anthony saw the very worst of humankind during the war, and he came home determined to spread positive feelings to an ailing world through his singing. That’s when Anthony Dominick Benedetto became Tony Bennett, who took some terrific advice from his vocal coach Mimi Spear, who told him not to imitate other singers but instead emulate instrumentalists.

The rest of course is American music history. Tony enjoyed his first hit single, "Because of You," in 1951. And he’s been wowing audiences ever since. Unbelievably, that's just about 70 years in the limelight. Sure, there’ve been ups and downs in his unprecedentedly long career (mostly ups). But he’s never fallen out of favor among those of us who love traditional American popular music: pop standards, big band songs, show tunes and, of course, jazz.

Tony to me has always been a jazz guy above all else. I think that is frankly where he will always leave his heart. But he has managed to transcend most of the fads and fashions and admirably stuck to his original plan. At times he has locked horns with record company execs and others over what he should be singing. But his musical choices have been spot on, and it has paid off. He's gained newfound fame among younger music fans with his hugely popular DUETS albums and his choice to sing with some of today's biggest stars such as Lady Gaga. 

Tony is arguably America's finest singer of jazz and pop standards. And even Frank Sinatra would agree. Frank often said that Tony was his favorite singer. Tony’s singing heals, calms and inspires. He has complete command of his voice, which indeed does often sometimes sound more like a musical instrument. The way he teases, manipulates and negotiates a melody is uncanny. He really has no rival.

Tony, who appears at Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, just east of San Diego, on Jan. 28 as part of his "I Left My Heart" tour, is also an acclaimed author and painter whose works are on display at the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other lofty locales. 

Not bad for a kid from Astoria, Queens. 

In an exclusive interview with The Reno Dispatch, Tony both reminisced and looked forward. He was spry, effusive and reflective. My interview with Tony revealed at least one sad and shocking truth: At age 93, Tony Bennett has far more energy than me!

The Reno Dispatch: Of all the shows you have done over the last 70 years, does one performance stand out as your very favorite?

Tony Bennett: “It’s so hard to pinpoint that, but I would have to say performing live at Carnegie Hall in 1962, which became a live album. That was a true highlight as it came on the heels of the success of my signature song, ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco'. And the celebrating of my 85th birthday by performing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House. It doesn’t get much better than that. But I have always said that my first job as a singing waiter in Queens was something I loved doing, and if I hadn’t made a career as an entertainer professionally I would still be happy doing that.”

As a member of the Greatest Generation, you fought in the Battle of the Bulge. How did serving in World War II change your perspective on life, and on your music?

“Well, being a foot soldier at the end of the war in Europe, stationed in Germany, I can say that my experience made me a life-long pacifist with the understanding that violence is the lowest form of human behavior. Years later when Ella Fitzgerald was my next-door neighbor she would say, ‘Tony, we are all here.’ So simple but so true that we are all on this planet together and we have to move forward with cooperation and not divisiveness. As to music, I was fortunate enough to perform in Army bands during that time, and we would perform blues and in particular jazz tunes all the time, so it was an incredible training ground. And then after I returned to the U.S. under the GI Bill of Rights, I was able to study at The American Theatre Wing which gave me an exceptional foundation as a performer.”

Why do you think that your singing transcends generations, why do you think you are you as popular now as you were 70 years ago?

“When I started out with Columbia Records in 1950, even at the very start of my career, I had it as my intention to stick with quality material and take the long view of establishing a ‘hit catalog, and not just ‘hit songs’ which often led to recording novelty songs that hit it big for a few weeks and then were forgotten. I had to fight for the opportunities to bring a jazz-influenced style to the popular standards. Eventually Mitch Miller and I came to an agreement that for every pop record I made, the next one would be jazz. The point is that I had to fight to record the material that I felt would stand the test of time by virtue of its quality, and looking back 70 years later I know it was worth that effort.”

Which of today’s singers do you enjoy the most and why?

“I think Beyonce’ is terrific and is an artist who has kept true to her creative vision and then of course ‘Lady’ [Gaga] is one of those rare authentic artists who had it all and does it all. She has a true understanding of herself but more importantly of her audience and I have never seen an artist with a more loyal following - not just fans but followers who feel very committed to her at all times.  That’s a very special thing to achieve and reflects back to the time and effort that she makes in everything she does. Sinatra once told me when I went to him for advice that it’s important to let the audience know that you care about them.  I have always felt that being an entertainer was a very noble endeavor, and if you can make people feel good and forget about their own problems for a few hours in the theatre and they walk away saying they enjoyed themselves, then you can hit the pillow at night satisfied. So, I appreciate performers who understand their audience and make sure that they have been entertaining - it sounds simple but it’s often forgotten.” 

Is there anyone you have not sung with that you would like to sing with?

“Although I have sung with Stevie Wonder on many occasions, I have always wanted to do a jazz piano album with him. I remember when he came into the studio to record with me on my DUETS album. We had a bit of downtime while they were setting things up and he sat down at the piano and did this jazz solo - completely spontaneously - that made me think I was listening to Oscar Peterson. I remember when we recorded the track of ‘For Once In My Life,’ I ended the song by calling him Stevie Wonderful. Which he is.”

What are you working on now, is there another recording in the near future?

I hope so. There are always a few projects in the mix.

Thank you, Tony.

Can Global Biopharmaceutical Alliances Bring the World Closer Together?

While covering the American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference this past week, I was moved by the international flavor of the event. For a few days, the world seemed refreshingly small. And united. Science can do that. Sometimes. It’s not like the 30,000-some cancer researchers joined hands and sang a verse of “Kumbaya.” But it was darn close.

ASH is the largest blood cancer and blood disease conference in the world. I cover it each year. And it never fails to educate me and frankly light my fire. ASH reminds me just how much groundbreaking research is going on out there. Here's what matters: much of what you see at ASH will eventually make its way to your local cancer clinic and prolong, improve and save lives.

I always learn from this event, but there was something about this year’s ASH that stopped me in my tracks. I guess I never fully considered just how global and significant this thing really is, and what it can mean not only for cancer research but for the planet. ASH’s international impact was on glorious display as companies and scientists from 25 countries announced their latest data. And most of these scientists don’t just take their research home to their respective countries. They share their research, and clinical trials, with clinicians, and patients, around the world.

Drug companies now are literally global. Many of them anyway. And many of these companies from Europe, Asia and other corners of the globe now have a presence in North America, and vice versa, and are actually partnering with American pharma and American cancer hospitals.

Can pharmaceutical companies bring this world a little closer together via science? Well, one might argue that they’re already doing just that. Pharma has gotten some bad press in recent years. But let us please remember that drug companies are seeking and finding new treatments and cures every day.

And they are working together in a way they have never done before. Providing combination treatments and joint clinical trials in multiple countries is an undeniably good thing for patients and for the future of this wobbly blue sphere. It's harder for countries to fight when they are working together every day to find cures for cancer.

Here are some examples:

Daiichi Sankyo

Daiichj Sankyo, the pharmaceutical concern based in Tokyo, has an increasing presence in the US, and globally. Daiichi provides innovative products in oncology and much more to 20 countries around the world.

Daiichi is studying a new treatment for adult T-cell lymphoma (ATL), one of the most aggressive forms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

At ASH, Daiichi announced encouraging early results for valemetostat, the company’s oral, potential first-in-class EZH1/2 dual inhibitor, in patients with relapsed/refractory ATL. Although rare, ATL occurs with greater frequency in certain regions including Japan. An often fast-growing form of T-cell lymphoma, ATL is associated with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1).

Treatments for ATL, which is a complex and heterogeneous disease, have to date been largely limited to systemic chemotherapy combinations, and patients who relapse often face a difficult prognosis.

Arnaud Lesegretain, vice president, oncology R&D at Daiichi Sankyo, explained to me during the ASH conference that research has shown that EZH1 and EZH2 are highly expressed or mutated in many blood cancers and are involved in suppression of genes that control tumor cell growth and proliferation.

Valemetostat has displayed preliminary activity in various blood cancers in preclinical models. Early clinical data is very encouraging, said Lesegretain, who noted that the response rate among ATL patients is 55 percent in 9 patients. “We have four patients that have remained on the treatment for more than 300 days,” he said. “But it is early.”

As Lesegretain explained, this is the only dual inhibitor in development, and it is an oral treatment. “This is not chemotherapy. Patients benefit and can stay on it. The safety profile appears to be manageable and acceptable,” he said.

In addition to the pivotal phase 2 trial in relapsed/refractory ATL, valemetostat is in phase 1 clinical development for several types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, including ATL, peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) and B-cell lymphomas.

 

Trials are now enrolling patients in the U.S. and Japan. A phase 1 study is also underway with valemetostat in other blood cancers including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia.

“Valemetostat is a novel targeted therapy that has demonstrated preliminary potential in several types of NHL including ATL, which represents one of the greatest areas of need among lymphoma patients, particularly in Japan,” Kaszushi Araki, DVM, PhD, valemetostat global team leader, Oncology Clinical Development Department, Oncology Function, Daiichi Sankyo, said last week at ASH.

Added Lesegretain, “We want to fulfill our commitment to science and technology and deliver first in-class treatments that can change the standard of care. It is early, there is still lot of work to be able to fulfill our vision, but we are on a very interesting journey to defeat cancer.” 

BeiGene

I have been writing about China for more than a decade. I have many friends and colleagues in China, I covered the Beijing Olympics for Newsweek, and I have covered China’s booming biopharmaceutical industry for the last several years.

I'm currently directing a technology and friendship initiative, The China Lymphoma Project, which will provide support and information to my friends in China who have been diagnosed with lymphoma and their families.

Among the most significant pharmaceutical companies in the lymphoma space in China is BeiGene, a company that began with a handful of scientists in Beijing and is now a global entity with a large presence in the United States. 

BeiGene’s slogan? We have no borders.

BeiGene just announced last month that the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to BeiGene’s lead cancer drug, Brukinsa (zanabrutinib), for adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received at least one prior therapy.

BeiGene also showed its presence at ASH with new data on its successful drug Brukinsa for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma.

In two oral presentations, the treatment demonstrated consistent safety and a high overall response rate. Brukinsa combined with BeiGene’s investigational anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab in patients with previously treated B-cell malignancies showed preliminary efficacy and was generally well tolerated.

Jane Huang, M.D., chief medical officer, hematology at BeiGene, said the trial results demonstrated “robust clinical activity and a safety profile consistent with what we’ve observed to date in our clinical trials, including safety data that supported the recent U.S. FDA accelerated approval in patients with previously treated mantle cell lymphoma.”

That's the world. Coming together.