Tony Bennett: At 85, he's still winning over young fans

There was a surprising scene last week at the WhartonCenter. A group of five young women — probably in their late teens orearly 20s — were oggling a framed poster of a singer just outside theentrance of the venue.

“Do you have his new CD yet?” one asked her friends.“It’s so great!” another chirped. “I can’t wait to see him. Did you gettickets already?”

If the face on the poster had belonged to JustinTimberlake or Justin Bieber or Eminem, there wouldn’t have beenanything startling about the situation.

But the man who had the ladies all excited was none otherthan Tony Bennett, a performer old enough to be the grandfather of anyof them. 

Bennett has been entertaining audiences for more thanhalf a century, and he’s still on the road. He’ll return to the WhartonCenter Friday.

In an interview with Canada’s National Post newspaperlast week, writer Mike Doherty noted, "At 85, he’s fit as aStradivarius, his singing voice still strong enough to fill a concerthall without amplification.

"His new album, ’Duets II,’ on which he collaborates with17 younger stars, is his first-ever chart-topping effort in the U.S.,out of 73 releases dating back 60 years.”

"Duets II" includes teamings with John Mayer, Amy Winehouse and even Lady Gaga, who won over Bennett.

"What I couldn’t believe is this highly intellectualartist — she’s different every night," he told The National. "I’venever seen anybody that creative in the performing arts. She sings asgood as Ella Fitzgerald, or anybody that I ever heard.”

He was also wowed by the late Winehouse, in what turned out to be her last recording session.

“‘She felt a camaraderie with me, and realized, ‘This guyknows what I’m doing.’ And she put a couple of Dinah Washington lickson the record.”

Tony Bennett

8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28

Great Cobb Hall

Wharton Center,

East Lansing
$37-$77
(800) WHARTON

www.whartoncenter.com