ArtZone 461 Gallery is pleased to announce the acquisition of three artworks by Anthony D. Bennedetto, which he gifted to a Columbia Records executive in San Francisco in 1990.  This artist is better known by his performing arts name, Tony Bennett.  His career spans generations – and in good part due to his soothing sound and the sentimental, romantic lyrics of his signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”  As a performing artist his career got a huge boost, becoming popular with the MTV crowd in the 1880s and once again starting this century with demands for performances and especially the release of a duets disk with contemporary singers.  His website notes he is still singing and in fact, is on tour through January 2014.

It’s not widely known that Mr. Bennett was resistant to performing what became his signature song in the first place – while appearing at the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel’s Venetian Room in 1962.  After they requested he do so - and much cajoling from his own manager and the Columbia Records northern California manager - Mr. Bennett agreed to add the song to one of his shows.  It was an instant success.  Eventually Columbia Records agreed with Tony’s manager Ralph Sharon (with encouragement - or pestering - from the Columbia manager,) to release the tune on the “B” side of an upcoming release.  “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” far surpassed the anticipated hit single and the rest is history.

The song is so iconic that even today, the octogenarian receives requests to sing that song.  At 87 Mr. Bennett is less inclined to perform and prefers painting, visiting museums and reading about art.  He is well known for having said he’s been a painter longer than he’s been a singer.  He maintains a studio in the same New York building in which he resides and while ‘on the road’ – for pleasure or performing – he is rarely without painting or drawing materials.  In a demonstration of the vitality gained through the pursuit of art making, Mr. Bennedetto has recently taken up sculpting.

The Columbia Record manager and Mr. Bennett became long-term friends. During a week in 1990 while Tony Bennett sang in the fabled Venetian Room, his alter-ego Anthony Benedetto produced the three works being shown at ArtZone 461 Gallery. 

Note, a Public Relations representative for the Fairmont Hotel kindly confirmed that Mr. Bennett and select performers continued to work the Venetian Room after its official 1989 closing.