The Good Life

I'd had this book for a while and finally began reading it in May. I don't read as many book-books as I'd like, since audiobooks are so much easier for me. I was thoroughly disappointed that Mr. Bennett never recorded his memoirs. Oh, wouldn't that have been wonderful?! But alas, it was not to be. I was reading chapter six at the time of his passing and it's still sad to think that his light no longer shines here on Earth. He had a good, long life, but longevity doesn't negate the desire to have someone live forever. 

There were so many great moments in this book. Some of my faves are as follows:

• Bumping into his old pal Frank Smith at Thanksgiving in 1945 in Mannheim, Germany of all places! (page 69)

• When guitarist Chuck Wayne heard a comic trash-talking Tony and their act in Florida and the two of them went down to the club, went backstage and threatened the comic should he ever mention them again. Ha! Turned out it was Don Rickles. (pages 128-129)

• The stories about his devoted fans, Molly and Helen, and the pickles they'd find themselves in, like missing the bus back home, and came crying to Tony for help. (pages 129-131)

• The first song that really made me fall in love with Tony Bennett's voice was I Wanna Be Around. I was in high school and this sad love song just spoke to me. Sadie Vimmerstedt wrote the opening two lines and sent them along to Johnny Mercer. He finished it off, writing the rest of the lyrics and music, then gave Sadie fifty percent of the publishing rights. Tony said that for years he'd receive postcards from around the world from Sadie, who was able to quit her job and travel, travel, travel! (page 173)

• All the sweet, kind things he said about lovely Judy Garland. (pages 175-178)

• On a sad and lonely Christmas 1965 in a hotel room, away from his boys and estranged from his wife, Duke Ellington sent over a choir to sing On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever) as a Christmas gift. (page 189)

• Later in life he would spend Christmas Eve with Ella Fitzgerald. He'd take his daughters over and Miss Ella would cook up a feast and Tony said it was the "best food you could ever dream up." (page 220)

• My next trip to Ohio I simply must stop at the Butler Institute of American Art because Tony's painting "Homage to Hockney" is included in their permanent collection. The best bit is that all of Tony's paintings display his given name - Anthony Dominick Benedetto. (page 243)