Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. He is also a painter, having created works under his birth name that are on permanent public display in several institutions. He is the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York.
In 1944, Anthony Benedetto (his birth name) was drafted and trained at Fort Dix and Fort Robinson, becoming an infantry rifleman.
He was soon transferred to Europe and joined the frontline in March 1945. By that time, the Allies had already entered Germany and were fighting for every inch of land against an enemy which had nothing left to lose. He quickly rose to the rank of Corporal, due to his active duty in dangerous urban combats where Americans faced stiff resistance in house-to-house fighting.
The fact that he escaped death by a whisker several times together with the horrors he had witnessed in the concentration camp turned him into a lifelong pacifist. The war ended soon afterward, but due to his late arrival to the frontline, Corporal Benedetto was tasked for peacekeeping in Germany, as the torn up country was slowly getting back on its feet.
He was stationed in Mannheim, where he counted the days before he could go home to New York. To pass the time, and to forge his craft, Benedetto became part of the informal Special Services band unit, practicing jazz standards and meeting up with other musicians in the US Army. He served until 1946 and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal.
In 1949, Pearl Bailey recognized Benedetto’s talent and asked him to open for her in Greenwich Village. She had invited Bob Hope to the show. Hope decided to take Benedetto on the road with him and simplified his name to Tony Bennett. In 1950, Bennett cut a demo of “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and was signed to the major Columbia Records label by Mitch Miller.
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