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Tony Bennett is a native of Queens, but he considers the Bay Area as a second “hometown.”
And the warm feelings are certainly mutual for the 93-year-old singer, whose signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” has endeared Bennett to Bay Area music fans basically ever since he first cut the tune in 1962.
Bennett, whose many honors include a lifetime achievement Grammy and being named both an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree, has also reportedly sold over 50 million albums worldwide during a career that now stretches eight decades.
I recently had the opportunity to interview this American music legend, who was supposed to perform at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Sept. 10. Unfortunately, the show has now been canceled due to Bennett coming down with “a summer virus,” according to a news release. Refunds available at the point of purchase.
Here is our interview with the iconic singer, who spends much time discussing “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”
Q: You have performed in cities all around the globe. But I am wondering how it feels each time you come back to play the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area? Does it feel a bit extra special, given your connection to the area with “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”?
A: How fortunate I have been to have another “hometown” in my life as I have been performing in the Bay Area every season for decades and when I come here I feel so welcome whenever I go.
The best is when a tourist, particularly from another country, sees me as I always get the impression that they think I am here all the time. I was told by my friends at the Fairmont (Hotel) that people come by the statue of me that they placed there for my 90th birthday and sing “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” to it which makes me smile.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories of this area?
A: Well, for sure, being part of various World Series games and celebrations with the Giants, as those have been tremendously exciting and I hope that there might be another opportunity again.
I think one of my most favorite events, which was of course spearheaded by my dear friend, Charlotte Shultz — every city should have such a positive force of nature as Charlotte (who is Chief of Protocol for San Francisco) — that took place at City Hall on the 50th Anniversary of the release of my signature song. It was held on Valentine’s Day and the public and dignitaries were so beautiful to me that I felt so much love that day.
Q: What were your thoughts the first time you saw the lyrics to “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”? Did you immediately know that it would be such a special song for you?
A: Actually it was equally possible that I may never have heard the song at all. Ralph Sharon, my musical director at the time, was packing to go on tour and at the very last moment he found the sheet music in a drawer and decided to pack it in his suitcase as we were going to play San Francisco and he thought it would be a good song to sing as a local tribute during the show.
The first person who really recognized the song’s potential wasn’t even from San Francisco. We were in Hot Springs, Arkansas, at a small club and after the show Ralph showed me the song and we both thought it was a good idea to include it in the set at the Fairmont so we began rehearsing it.
The bartender, who was cleaning up the room, said to us, “If you record that song, I’ll buy it.” I have to say even after it became a local hit and I recorded it on the B side on a record, I was still not expecting it to be a hit as I was certain the A side of the record, which featured a beautiful song called “Once Upon a Time,” was going to be the hit. It wasn’t until the record label promotion department called me up and said stop promoting the A side, “San Francisco” is catching on. The song has been a blessing ever since.
Q: As a native New Yorker, do you ever get any grief from your fellow Big Apple friends that your signature song is about San Francisco?
A: Not at all, no one has ever said that to me and most of the time when I walk down the streets in New York City a local fan will stop me and sing the first line to me so it’s never caused any friction.
Q: There is something of a rivalry between Northern and Southern California (especially when it comes to sports). What’s the reaction when you play “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in Los Angeles?
A: Here again, the song always just gets a beautiful reaction as even though it is so tied to San Francisco the song itself is really about coming home again and I think that feeling is something everyone relates to and why it has been so popular. Even when I travel overseas, everyone knows all the lyrics and many times people will tell me they decided to visit San Francisco just because of that song.
Q: What was it like recording with Diana Krall on last year’s “Love Is Here to Stay”?
A: I have known Diana for 20 years and during that time we have toured together and she joined me on a few duet recordings but we always wanted to do a record together so it was wonderful to finally get in the studio with her.
We had Bill Charlap and the rest of his trio in the studio and it was very relaxed and, although we knew what songs we wanted to record, we let the session unfold like a musical conversation. So it was just the way I like to record with the band in the room and everything prepared but still keeping the spontaneity in the room.
Q: You have won so many awards and distinctions over your long career — such as a Kennedy Center honor, lifetime Grammy Award — I’m wondering if there is any specific award or honor that really means something special to you? Or are they all meaningful?
A: It’s always more fun to go to an award show and come home with a trophy than empty handed but I have to say that being the first ‘interpretive singer’ to be presented with The Gershwin Prize by the Library of Congress was a very special honor, especially since one of the first records I ever made, before I was even signed to Columbia Records, was “Fascinating Rhythm.”
And I chose that song as I knew the Gershwins’ music was timeless and would communicate to everyone and since at that time I didn’t know if I would ever have a chance to make another record it was important to pick a song written by master craftsmen. It’s been my premise all along to record and perform the very best popular music that I can find and to respect the audience and give them 100 percent.
If at the end of the show the audience walks out of the theater and they have enjoyed themselves and are happy, well that makes me very happy.
