[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 169 (Friday, December 7, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO TONY BENNETT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 6, 2001

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I take great pleasure in rising before you 
today to recognize one of the world's greatest and most admired 
entertainers--Tony Bennett.
  World-renowned as an ``individual of unequaled excellence,'' Tony 
Bennett has remained for over five decades, one of our leading male 
singers of traditional pop songs who has entertained all age groups 
with his magnificent voice and dynamic performances. Indeed, he is an 
American icon whose talents are timeless and who continues to be an 
inspiration to all generations.
  It is said of Tony Bennett that he is a superb performer, a true 
legend of American music, and a national treasure. While all that may 
be true, Tony is all those things and so much more.
  In addition to entertaining audiences through song, Tony Bennett is 
also an accomplished painter and author, as well as a devoted 
philanthropist. Throughout his career, he has participated in many 
humanitarian causes and concerns. He has raised funds for the American 
Cancer Society, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and the Hospice of 
Baltimore. He has worked with the Center for Handgun Control and has 
supported environmental issues through such organizations as Save the 
Rainforest and the Project for Walden Woods.
  His charity concerts have also benefited many causes, namely the 
preservation of the Apollo Theater in my Congressional District of 
Harlem in New York City.
  What many people may not know is that Tony Bennett served as a foot 
soldier in World War II, and was an active participant in the 
liberation of a concentration camp. In 1965, he participated in the 
March on Selma with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and 
refused to perform in South Africa during the era of apartheid.
  Tony Bennett, who celebrated his 75th birthday in August of this 
year, is a lifelong New Yorker born in the Astoria section of Queens. 
He attended the High School of Industrial Arts in Manhattan, where he 
continued nurturing his two passions--singing and painting.
  This year, Bennett founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in 
New York as a tribute to his friend and musical mentor.
  Recently, friends gathered together to commemorate Tony's 
extraordinary and enduring career at the pinnacle of popular music, a 
career that took off shortly after Bob Hope discovered Bennett in a New 
York nightclub in 1949. That discovery has resulted in scores of 
albums, ten Grammy awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction 
this year (along with Frank Sinatra), into the Black Entertainment in 
Sports Hall of Fame.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to pay tribute to Tony 
Bennett, an extraordinary entertainer, a true humanitarian, and a 
champion for all people. Legions of fans of all ages and musical tastes 
applaud his genius, and we can be assured that the legacy of Tony 
Bennett will live forever.

                          ____________________