Tony Bennett turned 86 last month. Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Astoria, Queens, New York, in 1926, Bennett started singing, and painting, when he was a kid. He hasn't stopped.
After a stint in the Army during World War II, Bennett was singing in Greenwich Village with Pearl Bailey. Bob Hope caught the act, gave him the name Tony Bennett and helped launch one of the most successful careers in American music.
Bennett has rung up a long string of hits including “Because of You,” a cover of Hank Williams'
“Cold, Cold Heart,” “Stranger in Paradise” and his signature song, “I
Left My Heart in San Francisco.” He's also earned more than a
dozen Grammys.