Private Air New York Magazine
Issue link: https://privateair.uberflip.com/i/767256
www.privateairny.com Private Air New York | Winter 2016 92 ESCAPE B y definition, timeless is something not affected by any passage of time or changes in fashion. Quite a heady description; but one that suits legendary crooner Tony Bennett well. From his very first hit 'Because of You' recorded in 1951 to his current work with megastars including Lady Gaga and the late Amy Winehouse; generations have grown up listening to Bennett's silky, instantly recognizable voice. Yet despite a seemingly endless string of hits, there is one song that personifies the entertainer like no other. at song of course is, 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco'. First performed by Bennett in 1961 in the Venetian Room of the equally iconic Fairmont Hotel, 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco' became not only an instant classic but an inextricable tether that forever connected the New York-born Bennett to the beautiful City by the Bay. "Tony Bennett and San Francisco are inseparable," says former mayor Willie L. Brown. "roughout the world, people associate San Francisco as being Tony Bennett's home for one reason and one reason only - his signature song, I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Illustrating Brown's point, an 8-foot-tall statue of the legend was recently unveiled in the front courtyard of the Fairmont San Francisco. Created by Bay Area sculptor Bruce Wolfe, the statue was funded by private contributions to the San Francisco Special Events Committee and presented to the public amid cheering crowds this past August on what the City deemed 'Tony Bennett Day' – an event that also celebrated the singer's 90th birthday. On hand for the ebullient ceremony were Tony Bennett along with his wife Susan and family members, San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, former Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr., San Francisco Giants' CEO Larry Baer, Fairmont Regional Vice President & General Manager of Fairmont San Francisco, Paul Tormey, Chief of Protocol for the City and County of San Francisco and State of California, Charlotte Mailliard Shultz and her husband, former Secretary of State George P. Schultz. A highlight of the dedication ceremony, the San Francisco Boys and Girls Choruses raised collective voices in their charming rendition of 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco' (accompanied by the SFJAZZ High School All Stars Combo) – a performance that