Tony Bennett Had A Storied TV And Film Career – Usually Playing Himself

Tony Bennett Had A Storied TV And Film Career – Usually Playing Himself
Tony Bennett’s first record, “Because of You” was released in 1952 and it instantly codified the entertainer as one of the music world’s great crooners. In 1962, his 15th record, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was certified platinum by the RIAA, but that was after he had already established himself with Count Basie and his Orchestra and as a great fan of songwriter Harold Arlen. All told, he released 61 records in his decades-long career, not including his eight albums of collaborations and duets. He sang with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Carrie Underwood, Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, Mariah Carey, Bono, Sting, Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, and many others. Most recently, he released two collaborations with Lady Gaga in 2018 and 2021. Bennett passed away on July 21, 2023 at the age of 96. He will be deeply missed.
Naturally, a talent of Bennett’s stature couldn’t be ignored by Hollywood, and he would appear on TV and movie screens periodically over the decades, usually playing himself. This author recalls discovering Bennett as a youth watching an early episode of “The Simpsons.” When the title family visits the nearby Capital City, Bennet begins crooning to them on the soundtrack. He greets Marge personally. “It’s the kind of place that makes a bum feel like a king,” Bennett sang, “and it makes a king feel like some nutty cuckoo super king.” Bennett was game to appear in anything, so long as he was permitted to sing.
There was also at least one film in his career wherein he actually acted, and it has become strangely notorious for how misguided it was. Which, to my eyes, is a glorious benchmark that he could be proud of.