Legendary Singer and Artist

Last week when I was waiting in the doctor's office for my annual exam, I picked up a copy of a magazine with Tony Bennett and Christina Aguilera on the cover. I always bring my own reading material with me just in case I have to wait anywhere I have an appointment...but then I invariably see one of the magazines displayed that I never get to read and curiosity gets the better of me and I read theirs; although, I don't think it's a good idea...because of germs, especially in a doctor's office.

In any event, in this instance, I had recently seen the duo perform on one of the award shows, and I was impressed with how the much-younger Christina held her own with the master. I haven't really followed her career, although I own almost every album/cd Tony has put out.
I like Christina's voice and admire her confidence in the way that she promotes herself.

The interesting thing about this article that talked almost exclusively about Tony, not only his singing, but his art work as well, are quotes from two talented persons. One is from Phil Ramone, who produced Tony's "Duets" cd. Phil mentioned that among musicians, Tony is admired and known for never performing a song exactly the same way twice. (If you're a singer, you can appreciate this with all the thousands of songs he has sung.) Phil states, "I think he's one of the ultimate artists in seeing life from a musical point of view. Whereas many performers need a crowd's response to spark a fresh idea, Tony completely comes from within himself."

Paul McCartney, on meeting Tony, "I was reminded that most of the great people are nice to be with, because they don't have anything to prove."

He's certainly one of my favorites. And congratulations to his son, Danny, for his vision in managing his father's career.