Music legend and one of America's most iconic crooners, Tony Bennett will appear live on HSN for a special one-hour multi-platform concert at 7 p.m. (EDT) to celebrate his 85th birthday and to launch his latest CD, Duets II (RPM/Columbia Records). Bennett fans can also go to www.hsn.com, keyword: Tony Bennett to send birthday well wishes to Tony and view special content and videos leading up to his HSN debut. The 17-song compilation includes hit songs featuring today's biggest stars including "The Way You Look Tonight" with Faith Hill; "The Lady is a Tramp" with Lady Gaga; "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" with Michael Buble; "It Had To Be You" with Carrie Underwood and "Stranger in Paradise" with Andrea Bocelli. Other powerhouse musicians joining Bennett on the CD include Mariah Carey, Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Norah Jones, Lady Gaga, k.d.lang, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Alejandro Sanz and Amy Winehouse. "Continuing to keep HSN current and relevant while entertaining our customers is a core component of our entertainment strategy," Sandy Conrad, SVP of Merchandising for HSN. "Welcoming Tony Bennett for the launch of his new Duets II CD collection gives us the chance to provide our customers an exclusive opportunity to connect with one of the world's greatest talents." HSN customers will have the opportunity to order a special exclusive 2-disc bundle that will include Duets II and a bonus disk which will be available on-air at HSN, through hsn.com and via HSN Mobile for $14.95. An exclusive pair of Koss Stereophones will also be available to HSN customers for $149.99. With numerous gold and platinum albums and millions of records sold worldwide, Bennett has received fifteen Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Award. A champion of the Great American Songbook, Tony is one of the very few artists whose music spans both the 20th and 21st centuries, setting an ongoing standard for popular music. Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with over 100 albums and 15 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over. He remains the Columbia recording artist with the greatest longevity at the label. In 2006 his Duets CD was released in honor of his 80th birthday and became the singer's best selling CD to date garnering three Grammy Awards and platinum sales. His 2007 prime-time special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," won seven Emmy Awards. A visual artist as well, three of his original paintings are part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian. He has published three books – his autobiography, "The Good Life" and two books of his paintings, "Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen," and "Tony Bennett In the Studio; A Life of Art and Music." His humanitarian efforts are renowned and the United Nations honored him with their Humanitarian Award in 2007 Bennett founded, in association with the Department of Education in New York City, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts – a public arts high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife Susan, he established Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization that supports arts education in NYC public high schools.
Of note is his work with the late Amy Winehouse on "Body and Soul," a heartbreaking, apt tune for the chanteuse's final recording. Both are in their element, and the result is fraught with unrequited longing and slow-burning desperation. It is a fortunate teaming of two great talents bathed in instant pathos in its reminder of how fleeting art, like life, can be. Winehouse's voice was a fine instrument indeed, and "Body and Soul" showcases it.
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