新加坡

For American singing icon Tony Bennett, doing shows and touring around the world is a family affair.存倉The multi-award winning 87-year-old was in Singapore to perform at the Star Theatre on Wednesday, and he brought along the youngest of his four children, Antonia, 39, as his opening act. His wife of six years, Susan Crow, 54, also travels with them."I couldn't ask for a nicer situation because my wife is with me and Antonia, and it feels like I'm at home whatever country I'm in because I'm with my family and it feels wonderful," he tells SundayLife! in an exclusive interview with both father and daughter, one day before their performance here.Antonia is Tony's second daughter from his second marriage, to actress Sandra Grant. He also has two sons from his first marriage to artist Patricia Beech. His marriage to Crow, a former teacher and artist manager, is his third.Best known for American standards such as Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Cold, Cold Heart and I Left My Heart In San Francisco, the elder Bennett is regarded as one of the United States' finest veteran singers still keeping alive traditional pop and jazz songs from the first half of the 20th century.He is also an acclaimed painter, who paints under his real name Anthony Benedetto. His works have been displayed in galleries around the world.Antonia, who got hitched in April this year to an Israeli and has been singing with her father since she was four years old, released an EP, Natural, in 2010 and an album, Ordinary Girl, last year. She has an upcoming jazz album, Embrace Me, that will be released soon.What is it like to tour around the world and do shows together as father and daughter?Antonia: It's great. I get to learn from him and to spend time with him. He's such a master of what he does, so it's great all around. To have this time together, it's very special.I have a lot of freedom to choose my songs but he often gives me pointers and says "Why don't you try this song out" or "Oh I really like that". He's always helping to make everything run smoothly.Tony: She comes up with a lot of good ideas herself, she's a natural and she loves people.One of the things that's unusual about Antonia that's different from many people I've met is that she's very friendly.In every city, she ends up with four or five good friends and I come backstage, I can't believe it, they're all nice people, and then if we go back to the city sometimes, they're still there, they still come by. She is a very gregarious person, she likes people a lot.Antonia, what was it like growing up with a father who is also a successf迷你倉l singer?Antonia: I grew up in Beverly Hills and I was in a very privileged situation. I was surrounded by a lot of amazing artists, all of my dad's contemporaries were famous people. And so I knew that there was something special. For example when we had Christmas, Santa Claus would always come to our house and things like that.It was normal for me, it was my reality and the one thing that I can say is that I've been really blessed to be surrounded by so much talent because it's inspired me to grow and to want to be the best artist I can be.Tony, did you encourage Antonia to get into singing just like you?Tony: No, she was just a natural. I was the first white singer to sing with (late American jazz icon) Count Basie's band and of all things, the first thing Count Basie said to Antonia was "Come on stage and sing with us". And that's the first time she got on the stage, to sing with the great Count Basie's band.Antonia: I must have been just about four or five years old.Antonia, how did having Tony as your dad help you in your singing career?Tony: Obviously it's given me an amazing opportunity to perform. We get to perform in the best places in the world and beautiful concert halls and it's been really wonderful, I've been really blessed.Tony, what kind of a parent were you to Antonia?Tony: I was just myself with her and she always liked what I was doing because I always painted and music was always around, other entertainers that were all quality artists. We never did any junk music that would go out of fashion a year later. Anything that we did was always based on such quality that no matter what year we're singing, it still sounds good.Antonia, what was the best advice that your father ever gave you?Antonia: It was really simple advice but it's the best advice I've ever gotten from anyone - to breathe before each phrase. And when you say "I love you" when you are singing the words "I love you", to make sure you really mean it.If the parent-child roles were reversed, what would you do differently?Antonia: I would probably get him to take a rest every now and then, he keeps going all the time.Tony: I'm not tired at all, I love what I do.Antonia: He never gets tired.Tony: I say something that no one believes but it's true. I've never worked a day in my life, I'm doing what I love. And I really love it. I love to paint and I love to sing and to be able to get an audience to enjoy themselves is the most comforting thing that I could think of. It makes me feel very good at night to go to sleep knowing that I made a lot of people feel good.dinohadi@sph.com.sg自存倉