08/05/2026
Elvis Costello reflects on the great Tony Bennett on the occasion of Tony's 100th birthday.
One hundred years from now people will still be listening to this great singer and artist.
This is the last photograph that I have with Tony Bennett.
Doesn't he look swell?
He was about to appear on "The Tonight Show" with my wife Diana. I was so delighted and proud to witness it.
I am so grateful to have known this man and that Tony was so forgiving to me when I turned up for our first duet with a bad case of laryngitis, having screamed myself hoarse over the combined ranks of Attractions and the T.K.O. Horns, on the previous evening.
That was in 1983 at the taping of an unaired NBC television special with the Count Basie Orchestra at "The Red Parrot". Needless to say, it was mortifying to find that I could barely speak, let alone sing, on the morning of the taping but both Tony and Count were kind and encouraged me to do the best I could with very little that I had.
Thankfully, Tony and I did get to sing together again, both on his "MTV Unplugged" special and live album - my only appearance-to-date on a Platinum-selling record - and on "Are You Having Any Fun?", which we cut for his 'Duets' album, in just three takes; one for the sound balance, one for the master recording and an additional pass, just for the cameras. We even got to reprise the song on "The Late Show with David Letterman".
In 2008, Tony was among my first guests on "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...", an interview and performance show, aired on the Sundance Channel. As ever it was an absolute joy to talk with him about art and music although a completely impromptu duet on, "The Best Is Yet To Come" with Diana - who Tony summoned from the audience - which actually stole the show.
From his return to Columbia Records in 1987 (just after I left the building), Tony added to his many superb recordings for that label throughout the 1960s. Many of those newer records were themed salutes to those that Tony admired and took inspiration from, whether Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellngton or Fred Astaire or exquisite songwriters such as, Jerome Kern.
Indeed, his penultimate album was a George Gershwin collection - 'Love Is Here To Stay' recorded with the more vocally gifted member of this household.
I attended Mark Seliger's photoshoot for the album cover and I can tell you there was not a frame in which Tony's eyes and fabulous smile were not shining out of the moment.
I will always be grateful for "The Shadow Of Your Smile" - perhaps my mother's favourite record—and for Tony's graciousness to her when he last played the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool. She had taken me to see Tony and Buddy Rich when I was about 12 or 13. If you're curious, my favourite record is 'The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album' on Fantasy.
This was a man for the ages, whether as a singer, a painter or simply sitting in the sunshine on a bench in Central Park, where we encountered him one day by chance.
Diana and I send love and much respect to Susan, Danny, Dai and Antonia and indeed to all of Tony's family, friends and colleagues in this Centenary Year.
