Photos have emerged of legendary crooner, Tony Bennett, giving away his daughter at her wedding over the weekend.

Bennett uploaded an image of him and his youngest offspring, Antonia, walking down the aisle to his Twitter account, and immediately his legion of fans fawned over how beautiful they both looked.

Bennett, who has won 17 Grammy Awards throughout his career, was beaming as he strode hand in hand with his daughter.

He added the caption, “Congratulations to my beautiful daughter, Antonia. What a fabulous wedding,” to the photograph.

Guests can be seen clapping and rejoicing as they walk towards her new husband, Ronen Helmann. They had an intimate ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, and Bennett attended the service with his third wife, Susan Crow.

Bennett four children from his first two wives. D’Andrea, 59, and Daegal, 58, were with his first wife, Patricia Beech, whilst daughters Joanna, 43, and Antonia, 39, were the result of his second marriage with Sandra Grant.

Several of his children have followed his career path, as Antonia is a singer too, whilst his son is his manager, and another child is a producer.

Speaking of his son’s talents, Bennett even credited him with turning around his financial problems around two decades ago.

Bennett remarked, “My son helped me to sort my life out. Those were dark days financially. I was spending more cash that I was making, just to keep my career going. I also owed a lot of money to the government in taxes, so I pleaded with my son to help me out.”

He then added, “I needed someone to handle the business side, so that I could focus on performing. Now he is considered to be a brilliant manager.”

Bennett gushed about his family, saying, “They are all good people and very nice and are doing a great job. This was always my dream.”

What is your favorite Tony Bennett song?

[Image via: s_buckley / Shutterstock.com]

Tony Bennett Gives His Daughter Away At Wedding is a post from: The Inquisitr

Paul McCartney has signed up to Tony Bennett‘s gun control campaign.

The 70-year-old former Beatle has recorded a voice message used in a text-to-call operation for “Voices Against Violence,” a campaign masterminded by Bennett and also supported by celebrities including Alec Baldwin, Gloria Estefan, and Josh Groban.

McCartney is probably the highest profile name linked to the operation. His voice can be heard by Americans who send a text reading “MYVOICE” to 877877.

The singer’s message then connects the caller to his or her local Senate office after providing a zip code.

Paul McCartney’s gun control stance mirrors that of Yoko Ono, widow of the late John Lennon. Ono tweeted a photograph last month of the bloodied glasses her late husband John Lennon wore the day he was murdered. The picture was accompanied by the words:

“Over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the USA since John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 Dec 1980.”

The campaign for tougher gun control hit a snag Wednesday, as the Senate voted 54-46 against the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act. The bill sought to expand background checks, especially applying them to online and gun show sales.

The provision fell short of the 60 votes required to be passed through the Senate.

Bennett responded defiantly to the blocking of the bipartisan plan on Twitter, stating:

The Senate voted against background checks, ignoring the will of the American people. We will not stop until our voices are heard. #myvoice

— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) April 17, 2013

Shortly after the plan was knocked back by the Senate, President Barack Obama criticized senators who had voted against. In a White House press conference, he told reporters that voters must play their part by expressing their disappointment to their senators:

“This was a pretty shameful day for Washington. But this effort is not over. If this Congress refuses to listen to the American people… then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters.”

Paul McCartney Joins Gun Control Campaign Led By Tony Bennett is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett will be recording an album together.

The Mother Monster, who recorded a duet with the legendary singer last year, announced today on Twitter that she was working on an album with Bennett.

Lady Gaga posted a photo of Bennett on Twitter and wrote:

“And here’s me and my handsome date, I simply cannot wait for our album together, he’s my darling!”

The pop singer recorded “The Lady Is a Tramp” in 2011 for the album Tony Bennett: Duets II. The two singers apparently got a long great (Bennett even painted Gaga in the nude) and have been planning to do an entire album together.

Bennett said:

“She’s the biggest. I’ll tell you, I never met anyone with more talent than that lady.”

The album was rumored last year but was quickly forgotten about when Lady Gaga started working on her ArtPop album. Well, it looks like the two sings haven’t forgotten about it.

There’s no word on a release date yet or what type of songs will be on the album. Are you hoping for Bennett classics? Or maybe some new original material?

And here’s me and my handsome date, I simply cannot wait for our album together, he’s my darling! twitter.com/ladygaga/statu…

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 24, 2013

Here’s Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett singing “The Lady Is A Tramp.”

Lady Gaga Confirms Tony Bennett Album is a post from: The Inquisitr

George Clooney may command $15 million a movie nowadays, but he hasn’t forgotten his early days … as Tony Bennett’s driver.

News that Clooney used to play chauffeur for Bennett emerged from a chance meeting on the Oscars red carpet. The 50-year-old actor, arm-in-arm with girlfriend Stacy Keibler, bumped into the legendary crooner outside the Hollywood and Highlands Centre on Sunday.

“Tony, this is Stacy,” said George to Tony, as he introduced his girlfriend. “I was his driver when I was 19,” Clooney told Keibler.

Like any good red carpet gossip hound, Billy Bush from Access Hollywood overheard this, and enquired further. According to Clooney, “I did [serve as his driver] – for about three weeks.”

When Bush asked about Clooney’s chauffeuring skills, Clooney interjected: “He doesn’t remember. I was Rosemary’s [Clooney] nephew.” This seemed to flick a light on in Bennett’s head: “[George] was very good. He had to tell me about it many years later. He actually drove me somewhere and I didn’t know who he was.”

As Clooney prepared to leave the scene, he told Bennett, “I’ll still drive you anywhere you wanna go.”

Clooney wasn’t drowning in awards himself last night, though The Descendants, a film in which the actor stars, did win an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Yet Clooney wasn’t moaning – he told Access Hollywood that he’d already brought his own gold statuette – a reference to Kiebler, who was rocking a strapless and slinky gold Marchesa gown. Being compared to a statue’s a compliment … right?

Don’t forget you can catch up with the full list of Oscars 2012 winners here!

[Via Access Hollywood]

George Clooney: I Used To Be Tony Bennett’s Driver is a post from: The Inquisitr

When Lady Gaga got together with Tony Bennett to record a song for the new album “Duets II” they did a little more than just sing together. Apparently, nude artwork is also part of Bennett’s recording process. Bennett sketched Lady Gaga nude and now the 18 x 24 charcoal painting is going up for auction.

The nude Lady Gaga painting had a starting bid of $5000 when the auction started today. At the moment, the price is already up to $7700. (The reserve still hasn’t been met.) The eBay auction, which you can bid on here, will end on December 19th.

All proceeds from the sale of Bennett’s painting will go to Tony Bennett’s charity, Exploring the Arts, and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation.

eBay writes:

“Tony Bennett created this charcoal portrait of Lady Gaga using Prismacolor Premier Art vine Charcoal sticks working on Fabriano Artisico heavy weight watercolor paper. The portrait measures 18″ x 24″ and is signed by the artist, using his given name “Benedetto” which is how Tony Bennett signs his original artwork.”

The auction also includes items like the Mercura sunglasses and the Brian Atwood heels that Lady Gaga wore during the Vanity Fair photo shoot, as well as a poster of the Vanity Fair cover signed by Lady Gaga. Tony Bennett is putting up a limited edition print of his “Gondola, Venice,” and a signed copy of “Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life in Art and Music.”

Here’s Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga singing “The Lady is a Tramp.”

Bennett also recorded with Amy Winehouse, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Natalie Cole, Mariah Carey, and Faith Hill for his new album Duets II. Gaga is the only artist (we think) that posed nude for the legendary crooner.

How much do you think Tony Bennett’s nude sketch of Lady Gaga will go for?

Tony Bennett’s Nude Sketch of Lady Gaga Goes Up For Auction is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lady Gaga will be appearing on the nation’s screens this Thanksgiving, having agreed a deal to shoot a 90-minute show for ABC. ‘A Very Gaga Thanksgiving‘ will consist of interviews, performances, and special guests, and is due to air on November 24th.

The 25-year-old ‘Born This Way’ singer will be interviewed by Katie Couric for the show, which ABC is promising will shed light on the personal life of Lady Gaga.

There’ll also be eight songs performed in front of Gaga’s close friends and family, including singles ‘Marry the Night’, ‘You and I’ and ‘The Edge of Glory.’ Crooner Tony Bennett will be popping along as well for a duet of ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ (video below).

Special guests will include celebrity chef Art Smith, who will be helping Lady Gaga prepare a Thanksgiving spread of deep-fried turkey and waffles for her guests, which sounds reassuringly surreal and weirdly kitschy.

Here’s Palin-griller and news anchor Katie Couric with some thoughts on her interviewee:

“We all know Lady Gaga is a phenomenon. This is a chance to see more of who she is beneath the wild costumes and staged musical numbers. Lady Gaga as a high school student still bruised by being excluded from the party, Lady GaGa as a devoted daughter and caring sister, Lady Gaga as a 25-year-old woman embracing fame and fortune that seemed to come overnight. She will impress you, delight you and surprise you.”

For all her exhibitionism on stage, Gaga’s ‘personal life’ has typically been kept under wraps. Will you be tuning in to see if the singer really is such an open book?

Lady Gaga Lands Thanksgiving TV Special is a post from: The Inquisitr

After making headlines earlier this month over interesting remarks regarding 9/11, legendary crooner Tony Bennett is once again turning heads with his candor and bluntness, this time regarding the late Amy Winehouse.

During an appearance on Thursday’s episode of “The Daily Show,” Bennett told host Jon Stewart that Winehouse knew her alcohol addiction was going to kill her, when she recorded a song for his recently released record-breaking album, Duets II.

“She knew that she was in a lot of trouble, that she wasn’t going to live. It wasn’t drugs, it was alcohol, toward the end,” said Bennett, who recorded “Body and Soul” with Amy, in what would be her last recording before her death at the age of 27.

After sharing his sad story, Bennett then went on to praise Winehouse’s vocal abilities, comparing her to legendary Jazz/R&B singer, Dinah Washington.

“She was really, since Elvis Presley and the Beatles and the Rolling Stones … the only singer that really sang what I call the right way,” Bennett said of Amy. “She was really a great jazz singer, a true jazz singer.”

To see Tony Bennett’s full interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, watch the clip below:

Tony Bennett Claims Amy Winehouse Knew She Was Going to Die is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tony Bennett this week scored the #1 album spot on the Billboard 200 for Duets II, the first time the 85-year-old singer has topped the list. Bennett’s age also makes him the oldest musician to take the honor after selling 179,000 discs in the first week of release.

The 14-time Grammy Award winner received his best placement in 2006 for Duets which actually sold more albums (202,000) but landed at No. 3 due to more competition.

Duets II features an impressive list of all-star singers including Amy Winehouse, Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey.

Bennett’s Billboard Hot 100 appearance which comes compliments of his Body and Soul duet with Amy Winehouse also makes him the oldest musician to reach that chart, the single has reached No. 87.

The only competition Bennett faced was Demi Lovato’s third album Unbroken which debuted at No. 4 with 96,000 units. Other releases including music from Pearl Jam and Gavin DeGraw.

In general digital track sales were down year-over-year with 20.78 million songs downloaded in the last week, a 1% drop (21.01 million) from last year.

Here’s the Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse single Body and Soul:

Have you had a chance to listen to Tony Bennett’s new album? Drop us a line and let us know what you think about his new work and about the Amy Winehouse duet.

85-Year-Old Tony Bennett Scores First #1 Album On Billboard Hot 200 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Beloved singing legend Tony Bennett has apologized for suggesting the United States caused the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York.

During a recent appearance on Howard Stern’s radio talk show, 85-year-old Bennett said, “Who are the terrorists? Are we the terrorists, or are they the terrorists? Two wrongs don’t make a right”, referring to the U.S wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, adding, “They flew the plane in, but we caused it. Because we were bombing them, and they told us to stop.”

Following the interview – originally intended to promote Tony’s upcoming Duets II album, which includes performances with Lady Gaga and the late Amy Winehouse – Bennett’s remarks were widely circulated in the media where they received numerous harsh criticisms.

In response to the negative buzz that his interview caused, Bennett, a World War II vet and self-proclaimed pacifist, took to Facebook to clarify his remarks:

“There is simply no excuse for terrorism and the murder of the nearly 3,000 innocent victims of the 9/11 attacks on our country. My life experiences — ranging from the Battle of the Bulge (in World War II) to marching with Martin Luther King — made me a lifelong humanist and pacifist, and reinforced my belief that violence begets violence and that war is the lowest form of human behavior.”

Tony continued, adding a direct apology to the families of the victims of 9/11:

“I am sorry if my statements suggested anything other than an expression of my love for my country, my hope for humanity and my desire for peace throughout the world.”

To hear Tony Bennett’s controversial 9/11 remarks during his interview on the Howard Stern Show, watch the clip below:

Tony Bennett Says “I’m Sorry” for Controversial 9/11 Remarks is a post from: The Inquisitr

To commemorate what could have been the 28th birthday of Amy Winehouse, the track and video of “Body and Soul” will be released in its entirety on September 14, Wednesday.

“Body and Soul” was recorded by Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett on March 23, 2011 at Abbey Road Studios in London. It was the final recording of Winehouse before her death on July 23.

In a statement that pays tribute to the talent of Winehouse, Bennett said:

“We had a beautiful time recording in the studio and I knew that Amy was very happy with how she performed that day. I thought she was absolutely brilliant and this recording truly captures the essence of her unique artistry. She was a rare talent.”

On Wednesday, MTV Networks will premiere the video at 6:00am ET. MTV, VH!, MTV Hits and MTV U will play the video every hour throughout the morning. MTV.com and radio stations across the country will also be playing the track as part of the launch.

The recording session was filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe (“Chicago,” “Memoirs Of A Geisha”) as part of a major documentary film on Bennett in the works. “Body and Soul” is one of 17 tracks to be included on Tony Bennett’s forthcoming CD, DUETS II, due out in the US on September 20.

Released in honor of Bennett’s 85th birthday, which he celebrated on August 3rd of this year, the album features a celebrated roster of artists who all recorded with Bennett live in the studio including Lady Gaga, Michael Buble, Queen Latifah, Carrie Underwood and John Mayer.

Proceeds of the “Body and Soul” single and video will be donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

Worldwide Release of Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett’s “Body and Soul” Set to September 14 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tony Bennett has been making music for over 65 years and has created an enormous body of work. In honor of the legendary singer’s 85th birthday, Columbia Records, RPM Records, and Legacy Recordings are releasing Tony Bennett – The Complete Collection, a Bennett box set that will include 73 CDs and 3 DVDs.

The Tony Bennett box set will include the singer’s entire catalogue, including a pair of previously unreleased albums. “On the Glory Road,” which was recorded in June of 1962, and “Live at the Sahara,” which was recorded over four nights during April 1964 in Las Vegas. The Complete Collection will also include a two disks of “Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights,” which will feature Bennett’s first recording, a 1946 take of “St. James Infirmary Blues.”

Bennett writes in the introduction of the box set:

“It amazes me to realize that it has been over 60 years since I was signed to Columbia Records… My ambition has always been to create a hit catalogue rather than hit records… I have been fortunate enough to introduce some three dozen songs into the ‘Great American Songbook.’”

Bennett is also releasing a new album this September. Tony Bennett Duets II will be released on September 20th. The new duets album will feature classic Bennett tracks performed by modern artists like Lady Gaga, Nora Jones, and Amy Winehouse.

Bennett told Billboard.com:

“You know, there’s 73 albums in that box set, and there’s not one side that makes me cringe when I hear it. It’s the best orchestrations, the best artists playing on the records and there’s a quality in the engineering, so I’m very proud of that work I did.”

Tony Bennett – The Complete Collection will be available from Barnes and Noble on November 8th. You can also buy a digital copy of the album at Tonybennett.com.

New Tony Bennett Box Set Celebrates 65 Years of Music is a post from: The Inquisitr

Bruno Mars paid a heartfelt tribute to late singer Amy Winehouse during Sunday night’s 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, belting out a version of “Valerie” – a song Winehouse covered for friend and producer Mark Ronson’s 2007 album “Version.”

Mars – who didn’t take home a “moon man” despite being nominated for multiple awards – was accompanied by a big band and doo-wop backing vocals as he shuffled around the stage in sequin blue suit and black tie singing “Say Amy, oh Amy/ I love you darling, I love you darling… Say Amy, whoa Amy, we’ll miss you baby.”

In the crowd Adele sang along as actor Russel Brand – who also shared his memories of Winehouse during the event – and his wife Kate Perry watched Bruno’s performance with tearful eyes.

“First time I met her, she was kind of like a daft, dopey person, just wandering around a little bit crazy,” Brand said in his touching tribute to Amy, adding that once he heard her sing, he saw her talent, her “timeless sound, like a roar from the guts of humanity. The kind of voice that Billie Holiday sung with, the kind of voice that Ella Fitzgerald sung with.”

In addition to the tributes by Mars and Brand, legendary singer Tony Bennett remembered Winehouse, calling her a “true jazz artist” and sharing video footage of himself and Amy recording “Body and Soul” earlier this year at London’s Abbey Road Studios.

Watch Bruno Mars’ performance of “Valerie” below:

Bruno Mars, Tony Bennett Pay Tribute To Amy Winehouse At 2011 MTV VMAs is a post from: The Inquisitr