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Tony Bennett: New York City
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Tony and Susan Bennett are founders of Exploring the Arts, an organization dedicated to creating, promoting, and supporting arts education. Through a unique approach of connecting private funders to public schools, a greater quality of arts resources and opportunities has become available for students of all means and backgrounds. Exploring the Arts' first major endeavor has been the founding of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (FSSA), a public high school in New York City. Located in Tony's hometown of Queens, New York, FSSA offers a strong academic curriculum combined with a rigorous art studio program offering dance, fine art, vocal and instrumental music, and theater. For more information, please visit www.exploringthearts.org.
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Bennett's big break came in 1949 when comedian Bob Hope noticed him working with Pearl Bailey in Greenwich Village in New York City. As Bennett recalls, "Bob Hope came down to check out my act. He liked my singing so much that after the show he came back to see me in my dressing room and said, 'Come on kid, you're going to come to the Paramount and sing with me.' But first he told me he didn't care for my stage name (Joe Bari) and asked me what my real name was. I told him, 'My name is Anthony Dominick Benedetto,' and he said, 'We'll call you Tony Bennett.' And that's how it happened. A new Americanized name, the start of a wonderful career and a glorious adventure that has continued for fifty years."
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Bennett, the son of an Italian-born immigrant grocer, was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Astoria, Queens (New York City) in 1926. He grew up singing and drawing pictures, and to this day enjoys a flourishing second career painting under his given name. After three years in the Army, he began singing wherever he could, including clubs in Long Island City with visiting stars like Al Cohn and Tyree Glenn.
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The documentary project was brought to Netflix and Red Envelope Entertainment by Danny Bennett, president of RPM Productions, on behalf of Tony Bennett and Clint Eastwood. Netflix is committed to providing consumers with access to the widest variety of films available and, in association with Red Envelope Entertainment, will fully finance the production. An innovative release plan will include DVD rental and sale, online and TV distribution, as well as an event-driven premiere and theatrical release this summer. The film is currently in production at locations around the country, including Astoria, Queens in New York City, where Bennett was born, as well as Hollywood, California.
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Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in New York City on August 3, 1926, Bennett was the youngest of three children and was already performing at the age of six. He was called up for the army in 1944 during WWII. After basic training, Bennett was assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division (the "Blood and Fire" Division) where he served in France and Germany.
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