After Dark | interview | Merrill Auditorium | Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett

He’s bringing his heart to Portland October 24 at Merrill Auditorium.

Tony Bennett Exploring the Arts dinner 2007

What’s your favorite lobster dish?
I happen to love all kinds of seafood—in particular, mussels with a bit of garlic. I think keeping seafood preparation as simple as possible is best, especially when it’s caught fresh and served right away.

Many Portland families come from Southern Italy. Our Italian Heritage Center celebrates this in a big way. Which song of yours will speak to them most?
How interesting—I was not aware of that. My family originated from Southern Italy as well, in the town of Podargoni, which is the Reggio Calabria region. I was told that my father would go up to the top of the mountain overlooking the village in the valley and sing “’O Sole Mio,” and his voice was so powerful that everyone could hear it.

Music is such a big part of Italian culture. When I was growing up, our Italian-American family would come to our house on Sunday afternoons. After the meal they would form a circle, and my brother, sister, and I would perform for them. It was during those Sunday afternoons that I discovered how much I loved to perform for people and make them happy. In fact, my first stage name was Joe Bari, which I took from the city in Southern Italy of the same name. When I met Bob Hope and he asked me to join his show at the Paramount Theatre in New York City, he asked me my name. I said, “Joe Bari,” and he said, “That sounds like a fake name. What’s your real name?” I told him, “Anthony Dominick Benedetto.” He said that’s too long for the marquee—let’s Americanize it and call you Tony Bennett. So, the first time I ever heard the name Tony Bennett was when Bob Hope introduced me that way to the audience at the Paramount Theatre.

What’s your favorite Italian saying?
Pasta.

Growing up, you couldn’t miss hearing Rudy Vallée on the radio. He grew up in Westbrook, Maine. Ever meet him?
No, I never met Rudy Vallée, but I am familiar with the song that he first recorded. I made a recording of “Sweet Lorraine” in 1965 to pay tribute to Nat King Cole, who did a beautiful rendition of it. It became his signature song. Nat was a dear friend. As he had just passed away, Bobby Hackett and I decided to make a recording of “Sweet Lorraine” to honor him.

As a painter, you know the work of Andrew Wyeth, John Marin, Marsden Hartley, Louise Nevelson, Rockwell Kent, Marguerite Zorach, Robert Indiana, Jamie Wyeth. Have any of them inspired you?
Yes, I certainly know many of those painters, and it doesn’t surprise me that the state of Maine inspires so many visual artists. It’s such a beautiful country with nature everywhere you look.

Nature never disappoints when you choose to paint it.

Portland, Maine, has been called the San Francisco of the East. If you were to sing an unforgettable song about Portland, Maine, what would the first line be?
Well, I am not really a songwriter—I am a song interpreter—but I think it would be a song celebrating the natural beauty of Maine’s surroundings.