Featuring some of the hottest voices in music, including Lady Gaga, Michael Buble, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, and the late Amy Winehouse, the album was up for several Grammy awards this year.
Bennett recently talked to Parade.com about his monumental career, his love of painting, and why he has no plans to retire. Here are some highlights:
On his Amy Winehouse duet “Body and Soul” (the last song she recorded before her untimely death)…
“She was a very genuine singer. She wanted to hit the top. I met her mom after she died and her mother said, ‘A lot of people feel tragic about what happened, but I know that it was her dream to become very successful and it actually happened.’ Even though she had a short life, she actually attained what she had dreamed about and wanted to do.”
On recording with Lady Gaga…
“She’s so good. She’s got the biggest fan club that I think anybody’s ever had. There are so many people that love her. She’s one of the best singers I ever heard. She also plays great piano and dances very well. She’s an all-around great performer. I’m 85 and I’ve met so many people in show business over the years and I’m very impressed with her. She’s one of the great talents coming up. She’s going to always surprise everybody with her artistry.”
On his lasting success…
“I had very good training. I was in WWII and when I came out of that war, the G.I. Bill of Rights allowed us to go to any school that we wanted to go to to make up for the schooling that we missed while we were in the Army. I joined The American Theatre Wing and they gave us the best teachers that anybody could ever dream of. I had amazing teachers that taught me what to do and I listened to them. As a result, I’ve been able to sustain my voice all these years. I’m very fortunate. I was taught to never compromise myself and just do quality songs. This is what I’ve done my whole career.”
For more on Tony Bennett, including how he stays so energetic on stage and why he’ll never retire…
http://www.parade.com/