An Icon Passes

RIP Tony Bennett, 96. Born Anthony Benedetto in Queens, he had one of the longest runs ever by an artist in any field— if not the longest. He began singing in Italian restaurants at 13. A high school dropout, combat WWII veteran and Bronze Star recipient, his first professional success came in 1951 with the release of Because of You, which hit #1. He would earn 20 Grammys and two Emmys, and a host of honors. He sold more than 50 million records worldwide. He was the oldest person to release an album of new material, 95 years, 60 days. He did duets with the greats. His final performances came in August 2021, at Radio City Music Hall. He also was a successful painter under his real name of Anthony Benedetto or just Benedetto. He wrote five books. He acted in many TV series and a few films, often playing himself. He was a lifelong Democrat who marched and sung for civil rights. Married three times, he was a father of four. His music will last as long as mankind does. Who hasn’t sung along to I Left My Heart in San Francisco? An incredible run, Maestro. Thank you. (Facts from Wiki, photo from thriftbooks.com)

Headline from nypost.com concerning the grilling of RFK: “Dems love censorship so much they do it . . . at a censorship hearing.”

Unsurprising escalation in UK, headline from NYP: “‘Slow walk’ Driver savagely beats protester blocking traffic in the middle of the street.”

From NYP: “Fastest-growing job market? Government — and that’s a disaster.” Indeed.

This sounds promising, headline from newsmax.com: “Twice a Year Shot Could Replace Hypertension Pills.”

The forecast called for rain, so I was delighted when the sun was shining as I left the building at 10:30. The floating book shop enjoyed a bonus session. My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases. Here’s what sold: five books in Russian, a garment bag; a carry-all; Code to Zero by Ken Follett; Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice; Quarto, a compilation of modern literature; When to Speak up and When to Shut Up by Dr. Michael D. Sedler. I am blessed.

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