BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

Julien’s Auctions, the industry-leading music memorabilia auction house presents Tony Bennett: A LIFE WELL LIVED, an exclusive two-day auction event celebrating the legendary life and career of the iconic pop-jazz vocalist that will take place on Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19, 2024 in his birthplace of New York City at Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame in Jazz at Lincoln Center, following their star-studded gala honoring Tony Bennett. 

In celebration of this momentous occasion, exclusive exhibitions showcasing highlights of Tony Bennett’s historic collection will be mounted leading up to the gala and auction at two iconic venues associated with Bennett’s illustrious career beginning at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco April 8^th – April 10^h and Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame in Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York April 10^th –April 16^th. 

Danny Bennett, Tony’s son and long-time manager commented, “It is astonishing to have the opportunity to view all these items in a collection such as this, which represent Tony’s remarkable life, but also embody a part of our shared American history.  Beyond his unparalleled musical legacy, which will remain relevant, his lifetime of positive engagement impacted so many people and events.  He did everything with such artistry, compassion and integrity which is a testament to the extraordinary person he was each and every day.” 

Personal notes from four former U.S. presidents to Tony Bennett

 Tony Bennett’s life mirrored America’s cultural, social and political history.  The 75^th Birthday Book of Extraordinary Letters was given to Bennett to mark his 75^th birthday in 2001. 

Apart from the messages from superstars such as Madonna, Elton John and John Travolta, there are personal notes from four former presidents. “Hillary and I are grateful for the blessing of your friendship.  There are many perks and privileges I enjoyed as President — not least among them was the opportunity to hear you perform on many unforgettable occasions,” former President Clinton wrote to Bennett.  In another 2001 message to Bennett, former President George H.W. Bush wrote, “I turned 77 in June. Yes, it’s hard to believe, I know, because, you see, you and I are much too young to be this old.” The book also includes letters to Bennett from former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. 

 In a peerless career spanning eight decades as one of the 20^th and 21^st century’s great entertainers, Tony Bennett was musical splendour. His masterful recordings and performances of the most popular classics from the Great American songbook from his signature 1962 hit “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “Because of You,” “Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words),” “Rags to Riches,” to numerous other standards and duets with the top music artists of all time from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga became instant classics and cultural touchstones.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Bennett’s career soared and fan base flourished, under the management of his son Danny Bennett, with his appearances on The David Letterman Show, MTV Video Music Awards and recordings of his Platinum albums MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett (and accompanying MTV special) and Duets: An American Classic, and chart-topping albums, Perfectly Frank, Steppin’ Out and The Art of Excellence. In the new millennium, Bennett reached even greater artistic peaks with a Grammy-winning streak of performances and albums featuring collaborations with pop music legends such as k.d. lang, Stevie Wonder, and Billy Joel, and the next generation’s biggest superstars, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, and Lady Gaga, whom he recorded with on the Grammy Award-winning albums Cheek to Cheek and Love for Sale, his final release. 

“The world was blessed beyond words to have had the incomparable Tony Bennett in it. He changed the world with his artistry, humanitarianism, and one-of-a-kind voice that transcended generations,” said David Goodman, CEO of Julien’s Auctions. “Julien’s is honored to represent his Estate and celebrate Mr. Bennett’s extraordinary legacy at this once-in-a-lifetime auction event at Jazz at Lincoln Center with exhibitions at two cities that were most dear to his heart, New York and San Francisco.”

JULIEN’S AUCTIONS Public Exhibitions 

Fairmont Hotel 

950 Mason Street San Francisco, CA 94108

April8^th – April 10^th (open 10:00am-6:00pm Pacific Time) 

Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame in Jazz at Lincoln Center

10 Columbus Circle New York, NY 10023

April 10th – April 16th (open 6:00pm-11pm Eastern Time) 

JULIEN’S AUCTIONS LIVE & ONLINE AUCTION

Tony Bennett: A LIFE WELL LIVED

Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame in Jazz at Lincoln Center

10 Columbus Circle New York, NY 10023

Thursday, April 18 

10:00am-5:00pm Eastern Time

Friday, April 19, 2024

10:00am-5:00pm Eastern Time

Registering to Bid
Registration is required to bid in this auction and can be done in person on the day of the auction, or online before the sale at the Julien’s Auctions.

For inquiries, please email [email protected] or call 310-836-1818.

Placing Bids
There are three ways to bid in Live Auctions:

1. Bid with Julien’s Auctions online. You can either place a bid at the next increment, or leave a maximum bid which will be executed against other competitive bids.
2. Bid over the telephone through an auction house representation.
3. Bid in person in the room at our auction events

*Cover Photo/Thumbnail Photo from Julien’s Auction