Tony Bennet performs for Istanbul fans

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Tony Bennet. Hürriyet photo

Living legend of jazz and winner of 16 Grammy Awards, Tony Bennett, the American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes and jazz, is coming to Istanbul thanks to the organization of Map İletişim.

Raised in New York City, Bennett began singing at an early age. He fought in the final stages of World War II as an infantryman with the U.S. Army stationed in Europe. After his military service Bennett developed his singing technique and signed with Columbia Records. His first number one popular song was “Because of You” in 1951 and several top hits such as “Rags to Riches” followed in the early 1950s. Bennett then further refined his approach to encompass jazz singing. He reached an artistic peak in the late 1950s with albums such as The Beat of My Heart and Basie Swings, Bennett Sings. In 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” His career and his personal life then suffered an extended downturn during the height of the rock music era.

Bennett staged a remarkable comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s, putting out gold record albums again and expanding his audience to the MTV generation while keeping his musical style intact. He remains a popular and critically praised recording artist and concert performer. Bennett has won 16 Grammy Awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. The singer has also won two Emmy Awards and has been named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree. He has sold over 50 million records worldwide during his career.