The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Honeysuckle Rose

The song of the day for Saturday, May 25, 2019, is “Honeysuckle Rose.”

About This Song

“Honeysuckle Rose” was written in 1929, with music by Fats Waller and lyrics by Andy Razaf. It’s one of Waller’s better-known songs and for good reason. The tune is very well written and Razaf’s lyric is delightful. Waller recorded the song in 1934 and that recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The song has been recorded steadily throughout the years, including the one from Lena Horne in 1963.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Honeysuckle Rose” in 1995 for his album Here’s To The Ladies. For this album, Tony sings songs made famous by the great female singers of the 20th century: from Billie Holiday to Barbara Streisand. “Honeysuckle Rose” was often sung by Lena Horne, who Bennett worked with in the 1970s.

Honeysuckle Rose

Honeysuckle Rose, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Honeysuckle Rose,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies is available from iTunes.

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Lena Horne

Lena Horne passed away on May 9, 2010. She was 92 years old. I read a news article about her death today. In any case, here is my much-belated post.

In 1973, Horne and Tony Bennett starred in Tony and Lena. She and Bennett subsequently toured the US and UK. Tony wrote about working with Lena in his book Life is a Gift.

Lena was such a class act, a great lady with an incredible work ethic. We sang Harold Arlen songs that had been arranged as duets for us, and later both Cary Grant and Fred Astaire separately told me that the concert with Lena was the best show they’d ever seen in their lives.

During rehearsals, we saw our managers talking in the wings. “I know what they’re saying,” Lena said. “They’re going to tell us to walk offstage in different directions, so it won’t seem as if we’re leaving together.” And sure enough, that’s what they told us to do. We could perform together, but we couldn’t appear to be friends or to be hanging out.

Here’s their medley of Harold Arlen songs, from their appearance on the Judy Garland show.

LENA HORNE and TONY BENNETT sing a HAROLD ARLEN medley

From the 70’s.

Lena Horne, Sultry Singer and Actress, Dies at 92

But when MGM made “Show Boat” into a movie for the second time, in 1951, the role of Julie was given to a white actress, Ava Gardner, whose singing voice was dubbed. (Ms. Horne was no longer under contract to MGM at the time, and according to James Gavin’s Horne biography, “Stormy Weather,” published last year, she was never seriously considered for the part.)

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Song of the Day: Honeysuckle Rose

The song of the day for Friday, January 5, 2018 is “Honeysuckle Rose.”

About This Song

“Honeysuckle Rose,” written in 1929, is one of Fats Waller’s better known tunes and for good reason. The tune is very well written and Andy Razaf’s lyric is delightful. Waller recorded the song in 1934 and that recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The song has been recorded steadily throughout the years, including the one from Lena Horne in 1963.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Honeysuckle Rose” in 1995 for the album Here’s To The Ladies. This album consists of songs associated with some of America’s greatest female singers. Today’s song was associated with Lena Horne, who sang this song frequently.

Honeysuckle Rose

Honeysuckle Rose, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify


“Honeysuckle Rose,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Honeysuckle Rose

The song of the day for Sunday, July 24, 2016 is “Honeysuckle Rose.”

About This Song

“Honeysuckle Rose” is one of Fats Waller’s better known tunes and for good reason. The tune is very well written and Andy Razaf’s lyric is delightful. Waller recorded the song in 1934 and that recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The song has been recorded steadily throughout the years, including the one from Lena Horne in 1963.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Honeysuckle Rose” in 1995 for the album Here’s To The Ladies. For this album, Bennett picked the great female singers of the 20th century and recorded a song that was widely associated with that singer. “Honeysuckle Rose” was for Lena Horne, with whom Tony performed in the early 1970s.

Honeysuckle Rose

Honeysuckle Rose, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify


“Honeysuckle Rose,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Honeysuckle Rose

The song of the day for Tuesday, May 17, 2016 is “Honeysuckle Rose.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “Honeysuckle Rose,” was composed by Fats Waller in 1929 with lyrics by Andy Razaf. It is one of Fats Waller’s better known tunes and for good reason. The tune is very well written and Razaf’s lyric is delightful. Waller recorded the song in 1934 and that recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The song has been recorded steadily throughout the years, including the one from Lena Horne in 1963.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Honeysuckle Rose” in 1995 for the album Here’s To The Ladies. For this album, Bennett honored great female singers of the 20th century by singing songs that are strongly associated with that singer. “Honeysuckle Rose” is for Lena Horne, who Tony performed with in the early 1970s. I had the great pleasure of seeing Miss Horne in Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music in 1981 on Broadway. I’m so glad I had that chance to see her in person and hear her sing and tell stories about her life and career.

Honeysuckle Rose

Honeysuckle Rose, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify


“Honeysuckle Rose,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies, is available from iTunes.

Even though it’s only Tuesday, I have a video for you. It’s Tony and Lena singing a medley of Harold Arlen songs from the early 1970s. Enjoy!

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