#TBT: Happy Birthday, Tony Bennett!

Singer Tony Bennett celebrated his 90th birthday Wednesday, so for this Throwback Thursday post, let’s look at Tony through the years.

Born and raised in Queens, Bennett started his career as a teenager singing in restaurants while waiting tables. He later sang in military bands while serving in World War II, but his big break came in 1949 when Bob Hope saw him perform as the opening act for Pearl Bailey.

Bennett has released more than 70 albums and received multiple honors, including 19 Grammy Awards (one a Lifetime Achievement Award) and two Emmy Awards, and was named a Kennedy Center Honoree. His first Grammys came in 1963 for Best Solo Vocal Performance and Record of the Year for the title song on the album I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

In 1962, Bennett joined the Dave Brubeck Quartet for a performance at the White House, recorded on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962. As you listen, you can imagine what it would be like to have Bennett play for you in an intimate concert setting. The recording includes favorites like “One For My Baby (and One More For the Road),” “Rags to Riches,” “That Old Black Magic” and “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town).”

Bennett has had three albums go platinum. The first was I Left My Heart in San Francisco. The second was MTV Unplugged, which also won two Grammy Awards in 1995. And the third was Duets: An American Classic, released in celebration of his 80th birthday. The album features Bennett singing with a variety of popular artists including Barbra Streisand, Elvis Costello, Bono and k.d. lang, just to name a few. The album inspired a television special of the same name and won seven Emmys.

Bennett is also an accomplished painter. His paintings have been featured in galleries around the world and in numerous publications. In the book Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art and Music, Bennett reflects on his life as a singer and a painter.

What's your favorite Tony Bennett song?