Monday, July 24, 2023

James Taylor on Tony Bennett

 

"I remember seeing Tony Bennett 
on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, 
the children's TV show. 
He was basically explaining what his job was 
to the children who were the show's audience...

"Tony was such a bright light in our world 
and the longevity of his career gave him a depth, 
a gravitas that tied together two main generations of contemporary, popular music, 
Frank Sinatra to Stevie Wonder. 
 
"Our baby boom generation 
turned away from our parents' music, 
Sinatra, the Las Vegas Rat Pack ethos, 
Big Band swing and Broadway.

"In the mid 60s, starting with folk music and Dylan, 
then the Beatles, Motown, Memphis, San Francisco… 
we would have our own music 
and drew a distinct line with the past. 
 
"Somehow, Tony Bennett weathered that abandonment 
and persevered. 
Then, in his late 70s, Tony was reborn …. 
 

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