Coming from Frank Sinatra himself, in an interview in 1965, there could be no higher compliment.The pair had become firm friends and went on to perform together several times over the years.But as they both matured, Sinatra always continued to call Bennett"kid" - even into old age.
"Life is a gift - even with Alzheimer's," was the message shared on his social media accounts in February 2021.Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on 3 August 1926, in Queens in New York City, to parents John and Anna, the young Tony and his older brother and sister, John and Mary, were raised by their mother following his father's death when he was aged just 10.
During his teenage years, Bennett sang while waiting tables, before enlisting in the army during the Second World War. The singer's first nightclub performance came in 1946, alongside trombonist Tyree Glenn at the Shangri-La in Queens' Astoria neighbourhood. Bennett's first singles came in the 1950s, including chart-toppers Because Of You, Rags To Riches, and a remake of Hank Williams' Cold, Cold Heart.