The song of the day for Tuesday, March 25, 2025, is “How Do You Keep The Music Playing?”.

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett is proud to honor Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul, who was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, TN. She won 18 Grammy Awards and was the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Rolling Stone magazine named her the greatest singer of all time twice.

About This Song

“How Do You Keep The Music Playing?” was written in 1982 by Michel Legrand, with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, for the movie Best Friends, starring Burt Lancaster and Goldie Hawn. The initial recording was a duet by Patti Austin and James Ingram, which became a hit single in 1983. The song has become a popular standard and has had many fine recordings, including those by Frank Sinatra, Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett and George Michael, and, most recently, Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin recorded “How Do You Keep The Music Playing?” in 2011 for Duets II. Jorge Calandrelli arranged and conducted the recording.

“How Do You Keep The Music Playing?,” as well as Duets II, is available on Apple Music.

Duets II won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

We have two videos today.

First is the official video with Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin for today’s song. Keep an eye on Tony Bennett at 4:19–a single tear as they are finishing the song. I had the privilege of seeing him live many times and seeing how tuned in he was to his emotions when he sang. There will never be anyone as great as Tony Bennett.

Second is her appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors to honor Carol King by singing “Natural Woman.” This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. Keep an eye out 2:56 into the video and watch the entire audience go crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it and I don’t think I ever will.