Tony Bennett has received 20 Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award, but his greatest pride is his four children, Danny, Day, Joanna and Antonia Bennett.
The legendary singer passed away on July 21, 2023, at age 96, a representative confirmed to PEOPLE. Bennett had been quietly living with Alzheimer's disease since 2016, but his family also confirmed it in 2021.
The jazz singer, who married longtime girlfriend Susan Benedetto (née Crowe) in 2007, became a father for the first time when he had his first son, D'Andrea “Danny” Bennett, with then-wife Patricia Beach in 1954. The former couple had another son, Dagal “Day” Bennett, in 1955, but ended their relationship in 1965. Their divorce was finalized in 1971.
In 1969, Tony's daughter Joanna was born, followed by his younger daughter Antonia in 1974. Tony married his mother, Sandra Grant, in 1971, but the couple separated in 1979, only officially divorcing in 2007.
The “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” crooner spoke about fatherhood in the interview. Forbes 2016. “Personally, I'm most proud of my four children and seven grandchildren,” he said of his greatest accomplishments.
He also praised his sons for their contributions to his career. Danny managed the singer for more than 40 years before announcing Tony's retirement in 2021. Day, meanwhile, has worked closely with his father to produce albums and songs from his catalog. “They do a great job. They just want me to sing and paint the picture, and they take care of all the little details,” Tony said. The Washington Post 1985. “They work hard to ensure that they do not injure my dignity or injure my vanity.”
Here's everything you need to know about Tony Bennett's four kids.
D'Andrea “Danny” Bennett, 70
D'Andrea “Danny” Bennett was born on February 3, 1954 to Tony and his first wife, Patricia Beach. Danny served as the singer's manager from 1979 until his retirement in 2021. In 1999, The New York Times Danny credits his father with reviving his career after a series of financial and drug abuse hardships in the late '70s. “I'm not just managing a career, I'm managing a legacy,” Danny said. Billboard In 2011.
As a child, Danny was surrounded by celebrities, including jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, but in 1965 his parents divorced and 10-year-old Danny began living primarily on the beach in New Jersey, and his world changed forever.
However, he inherited his father's love of performing arts, and in 1973 Danny's band, Quacky Duck and His Barnyard Friends, signed a record deal with Warner Bros. With his brother Day playing in the rhythm section, Danny and the band released their first album. Media Push1974.
The album was not a commercial success and Danny soon switched his focus to business management: “I was always the business manager for the bands I was in,” he said. The New York Times.
The skills came in handy in 1979 when Tony called his son to ask him to take over the business. Tony was struggling personally and financially, owing $2 million in back taxes. After the IRS told him they planned to seize his house, Tony “indulged in lavish spending” and ended up in the hospital. “That was the big day. That's when he called me. I think it was a desperate move,” Danny said. The New York Times.
By 1986, Danny had negotiated a new deal for his father with Columbia, the former label that he had released him from in 1971. He introduced his father to a new audience and allowed him to play with new artists like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The New York TimesBy 1990, Danny had successfully paid off his father's debt to the IRS.
Danny was also instrumental in Tony's decision to record. MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett And in marketing his father's 2011 album, Duet IIaccording to Billboard.
“I'm very lucky to have someone like Danny who really has my best interests in mind and not just for the money,” Tony said. The New York Times 1999.
The eldest Bennett son used his business acumen to eventually found the entertainment management company RPM Productions, which has worked with Tony as well as artists such as Elvis Costello, Ozzy Osbourne and Pearl Jam.
Danny is also the father of two daughters, Kelsey and Remy Bennett, who are both artists based in New York City. circle Magazine. June 2017, page VI Danny announced that he is expecting a baby with his girlfriend Hadley Spanier. Danny's third child was born in September 2017.
Following Tony's death in July 2023, Danny spoke to People magazine about being a “small part” of his father's legacy.
“My father, Tony, instilled in us the essence of the American Dream,” he said. “He taught all of us that great opportunities await us, that anything is possible if you follow your passion, believe in yourself and dedicate your life to quality.”
Danny added, “He was an artist, a humanitarian and an inspiration to all who experienced his grace and grace. He and I experienced an incredible journey together as father and son.”
Dagal “Day” Bennett, 68
Dagal “Day” Bennett was born to Tony and Beach in 1955. Bennett was born in the Bronx, New York, and later lived with the couple and his brother, Danny, in Englewood, New Jersey, he said. Sound on Sound year 2012.
Influenced by the music and culture he was exposed to daily while growing up, Day learned to play the drums at the age of 9. Day's parents separated while he was growing up, and although their divorce was finalized in 1971, Day continued to pursue a musical career. As a teenager, he joined the band Quacky Duck and His Barnyard Friends with his brother Danny.
According to his website, Day founded his first music studio, Hillside Sound, in his late 20s, where he worked with industry heavyweights like Naughty by Nature and Salt-N-Pepa over the next two decades before starting to work with his father's music in the late '90s.
In 2001, Day expanded the small studio into the state-of-the-art Bennett Studios, which he led for 10 years. During the economic downturn, he closed Bennett Studios in 2011 and began working as a freelance producer, engineer and mixer. He has won 10 Grammy Awards, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and Best Engineered Recording for Tony and Lady Gaga albums. Selling loveproduced, engineered and mixed by Dae.
In 2018, Tony congratulated his son on winning an award for producing the film. Tony Bennett celebrates his 90th birthday“I'm so happy that my son Day won a Grammy,” he said. Tweeted.
In 2000, The New York Times Day is reportedly married to a woman named Anita and has two children, Austin and Jared.
Joanna Bennett, 53
Tony's eldest daughter, Joanna Bennett, was born in 1969. Named after the musician's 1964 hit song, “When Joanna Met Her,” Joanna grew up in Beverly Hills, California, with her father, mother Sandra Grant, and sister Antonia.
Joanna has kept a low public profile for most of her life, but her sister Antonia revealed in a 2019 interview with the Twin Cities Arts Reader that she and Joanna moved to the East Coast when they were older. According to Page Six, the Bennett girls would travel with their father on tour during the summers as children. In 1998, People magazine reported that Joanna was an actress.
According to Antonia, Joanna reunited with her family on holidays and for big Tony performances, and she also walked the red carpet with her father and siblings at major events in New York, including her father's 80th birthday celebration in 2006 and NBC's “The Beatles.” Celebrating Tony Bennett's 90th birthday: The best is yet to come Events for 2016.
Antonia Bennett, 50
Tony's youngest child, Antonia Bennett, was born on April 7, 1974 and grew up in Los Angeles before moving to New York.
She began singing with her father at the age of four and showed early musical talent. Jazz Times She later performed with and learned from musicians of her father's generation, including Count Basie, Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra. “I've been singing my whole life,” Antonia told the magazine. The Israel Times In 2015. “My parents always exposed me to music and all the arts. From an early age I was surrounded by musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors.”
Antonia also gained some experience touring as a child, saying at a May 2017 concert that she and Joanna would accompany their father “a lot in the summer.”
Tony, who named his 1990 song “Antonia” after his daughter, spoke about her musical talent in a 1985 interview. The Washington Post“This girl is so talented,” he said of 11-year-old Antonia. “At the risk of sounding like a proud dad talking, she's so bright, she's got it all, she's a brilliant artist, she's a great singer. All my kids are happy and healthy and talented, but this one just fascinates them all.”
Antonia then enrolled at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. paradeShe has made friends from all over the world. “Singing is my forte,” Antonia said. The Israel TimesShe also trained as an actor at the Lee Strasberg Institute of Theatre and Film.
Like her famous father, she built a career out of her love of music, performing regularly as an opening act for the Tonys at iconic venues like Radio City Music Hall. “I can't believe I have a father who is so good at what he does,” she said, according to her website. The Israel Times“I'm constantly learning from him. I have the privilege of working with him, so I get to see him perform every night. … Every night [that] It's great to be on stage and do what I love.”
Antonia was featured on Tony's album. Swingin' ChristmasIn 2008, he released his own EP. Naturein 2010. She also acted during her training at the Lee Strasberg Institute, then in 2008's Changeling With Angelina Jolie.
The singer married Ronen Hellman in 2013, with Tony escorting her down the aisle. “Congratulations to your beautiful daughter Antonia,” said the proud father. Tweeted At the time I thought, “What a wonderful wedding.”
Antonia and Hermann A daughter was bornMaya, May 2016.
