Just Getting Started

by Tony Bennett, Scott Simon

“For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business, the best exponent of a song. He excites me when I watch him. . . . He moves me. He’s the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more.” — Frank Sinatra “As breezy and meaningful as one of his trademark songs as readers learn about the man by the company he kept and the heroes he worships. Bennett’s ethereal still lifes and landscape paintings adorn this simple yet profound and gracious homage.”—  Booklist Tony Bennett was one of our most vibrant musicians ever to grace the stage. In his previous book, Life Is a Gift , Tony reflected on the lessons he learned over the years. In  Just Getting Started , he pays homage to the remarkable people who inspired those lessons. In his warm and inviting voice, Tony talks about who and what have enriched his own life, including Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cole Porter, Amy Winehouse, Fred Astaire, Lady Gaga, members of his family, significant places, and more.  Just Getting Started  chronicles the relationship Tony enjoyed with each one of these legends, entertainers, humanitarians, and loved ones, and reveals how the lessons and values they imparted have invaluably shaped his life. As enchanting and unforgettable as his music,  Just Getting Started  is a beautiful compilation of reflections every Bennett fan will treasure, and a perfect introduction for those just getting to know this remarkable star and humanitarian.

Genres: Memoir, Music, Biography, Nonfiction, History, American History, American

288 pages, Paperback

Published November 14, 2017

About the author

Anthony Dominick "Tony" Benedetto , better known by his stage name Tony Bennett, was an American singer of traditional pop standards, show tunes, and jazz. He was also a painter, having created works under the name Anthony Benedetto that are on permanent public display in several institutions. He was the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Be...


Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

for the English academic please go to:
Tony Bennett

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a goodreads giveaway winner of "Just Getting Started" by Tony Bennett. I have read a couple of Tony Bennett's books. This one is part memoir part non-fiction. It is a homage to all the people and places that mean something to Tony Bennett. He goes back to his childhood up through the most recent years. He has a lot of nice things to say about the people he has known or influenced him. He writes of his parents. Growing up in Astoria Queens. He especially has very nice memories of a lot of famous people. He goes from Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald up to more recent stars like Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga. He also includes paintings he has done over the years. Not only is Mr Bennett a wonderful singer, he is also a talented painter. This is a very nice devotion to all the talented performers Mr. Bennett has met or influenced him in some way. No mud slinging in this memoir. He keeps it very nice. I liked this book very much and was glad to have had the chance to read.

[Jeff Grosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book! Tony takes you on an incredible journey through his career and details all the people who were important to him along the way. I was lucky enough to see Tony perform live a few years ago and now that I know more about his story, it makes seeing him all that more special. If you are a fan of Tony and his music, I highly recommend this book!

[Sharon Ouderkirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a life! Not without tragedy (the death of his father when Tony was 10), not without trauma (frontline experience during World War II), not without heartache (two divorces before he met Susan with whom he found deep happiness), and not without the rollercoaster movement of an entertainer's career that included a near fatal drug overdose, and a good decade of being 'out of fashion.' But always with music, and an open heart and a willingness to keep learning, and keep experimenting with the form. Tony Bennett was just shy of his 97th birthday when he passed last week (July 21, 2023), but in many ways, he was eternally young.
Just Getting Started is Tony Bennett's tribute to the people who were important to him, and touched his life. That includes family, other entertainers, and artists (Bennett was also a talented artist). The book is a constant high - there is no negativity in his remembrances, only good thoughts and love for people who shared his journey. The story starts with memories of his mother, whose work standards as a dressmaker taught him never to work with cheap material, and ends with his father. In between, we get sketches of singers and songwriters, and friends and artists. Bob Hope renamed him (Anthony Dominick Benedetto became Tony Bennett), and Tony took the stage with Hope in the first big break of his career which took him all over the world. He speaks generously of other singers - Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey and songwriters, Johnny Mercer, Charlie Chaplin (who wrote the melody to 'Smile'). In fact, he is generous and loving to everyone in this book, which is, I think, a clue to his longevity and to his icon status: he was a gentleman who only wanted to share music, art and beauty with the world. May the lessons of his life and career live forever.

[MaHfEr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting book. Super nice aesthetic but I just didn’t understand the relation between the paintings and the people...

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad gave me this book recently after he read and enjoyed it. He is a Tony Bennett fan and has always loved his music through the years.

I found it very interesting to read about the many different people (musicians and non) and cities that crossed Tony Bennett's path and how they influenced his musical career. Each chapter is very short, ranging from three to maybe seven pages each but focused on his experiences in detail. Since I was not familiar with some of the songs Tony referenced, I would look them up online and listen to them as I was reading the short chapter to help me capture the mood of that particular artist.

I also had no idea he was such a talented artist and I enjoyed looking at his artwork illustrations throughout the book.

Overall, a very enjoyable read!

[Harold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony gives us a few pages on many and varied people he has known, famous and not so famous. In so doing he reveals himself as a warm compassionate person. I found the book very readable and interesting.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely loved it. The stories about people and music that inspired him were fantastic. I loved the fact that his paintings were used throughout the book as well. They are beautiful.

[Lenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tony Bennett tells about all the great musicians and entertainers he has known in his lifetime.

[Kelli Santistevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I won an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway in 2016.*

I just finished listening to this book on Audible. I own an ARC of this book and I bought it on Audible so I could listen to it as well. I know who Tony Bennett is because I watched his tv special the year that he celebrated his 90th birthday. I enjoyed watching it and I also remember listening to the song he worked on with Lady Gaga. This book has chapters that are dedicated to different people that influenced him and I feel like I got to know him really well. I didn’t know anything about him before reading this but now I do. I enjoyed this book.

[Sandi McCourt]

Fantastic!

[Paul McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating talented man who is both interesting and humble, reflects on a huge variety of people who have influenced or had an effect on his life.
Each chapter is short and covers a different person.
A great entertaining book.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I understand that some of the books offered in these Goodreads giveaways give a reader the chance to win a book that's not even published to stores yet, I was disappointed to receive the "uncorrected proof" copy of this book. Instead of pictures, there was random sketching to serve as placeholders and the acknowledgements section simply read "to come, leave 4 pages." Several places had mistakes in the writing which made it feel more like I was translating than reading.

While I mistakenly expected this to be more of a storyline memoir, it was still interesting to read the stories about people who have been influential in Tony's life. I did notice a couple chapters overlap though and stories of working with these individuals got repeated. (i.e. a chapter about "Joe" featuring a story when he recorded with "Joe" and "Sue" only to have a chapter later in the book devoted to "Sue" with the same story.)

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each short chapter in this autobiography (with the incredible Scott Simon who makes Mr. Bennett’s voice his own, while smoothing memories into a flowing read) is a little piece of history. In his 91 years, Bennet gives thanks to the incredible array of people he has met/worked with throughout his life and career from Bob Hope to Harry Belafonte Junior to Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface. He reminisces about his father, his time in the military, how he got into entertainment with the help of others while being thankful for all of it. He’s not stuck in the past, however, and this becomes evident when he unapologetically calls on our current American government to cease their racist practices without any fear of repercussion for sharing these truths. What a brave artist! Rather than being the predictable tell-all smear book, this is a collection of thanks.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from my sister-in-law (thanks Joan!!). We saw Tony Bennett together at Ravinia last summer, & she gave me a signed 1st edition.
The book is visually beautiful- filled with full-color prints of Tony's original paintings. It consists of short chapters- each a short biography of somebody who had inspired him throughout his life- through influencing his music, serving as a mentor or as an admirable role model during the civil rights protests in the 60's. I learned about the life and history of Anthony Benedetto as well as many of his colleagues and counterparts. The short "snippets" inspired be to look up more about many of these topics- recordings of music, paintings by John Singer Sargent, etc

[Amy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely read. Tony Bennett has great stories about so many icons he knew and worked with: Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald - just to name a few. His friendships with these larger than life characters gives readers real insight to their personalities and what made them so special to Tony. He is unfailingly generous to every person he features in the book and ends with a very touching tribute to his father who died when he was 10. The pages and endpapers are filled with his own paintings and he is truly a gifted painter as well as talented singer. Overall I came away feeling that Tony Bennett is a very kind man who has lived an incredibly rich life that he is grateful for and he could not be more gracious about the people he calls inspirations.

[Nandi Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony Bennett never fails to get my interest whether it be by song or by the written page. In his latest offering, he writes on the various people who have had an interest and or been a part of his life. (Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, his pianist Richard Sharon, Amy Winehouse) as well as some he hasn't met but influenced him(Cole Porter, Pablo Picasso) and I must say, I read the majority of the book within a few days. I just saved the ones I didn't know on for last. On the pages before and after are his personal paintings that are quite good. I have enjoyed this book.

[Donna Ciccarelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely book this was. It's not an autobiography of Tony Bennett (although you do learn quite a bit about his life, especially in the music business and his love of painting), but rather an homage to people that have inspired him in one way or another throughout his life. Each chapter is devoted to a different person, so you learn about Mr. Bennett and all of these other people as well. The book is decorated throughout with his beautiful paintings, which is an extra treat.

[Doug Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is mostly divided into short chapters about the people who influenced him (Armstrong, Crosby), his peers (Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra), and more recent partners (Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse). Instead of giving us a chronological autobiography, he weaves his own stories within these, which is an interesting structure. Tony Bennett unfortunately doesn't read the audiobook, but the words are clearly his.

[Christine Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-known singer, Tony Bennett, tells his life story from an interesting perspective. Rather than give the reader a blow-by-blow account of his life, he writes about all the people, places and things that have influenced his life and his career. And, the list is a long one. This is a great read for all Tony Bennett fans.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony Bennett has been a family favorite for years beginning with my parent and aunts/uncles. It was fun to read this book as Mr Benedetto celebrates his 90th birthday. The style was as if you were sitting down talking with Tony and he told you about different important people in his life (both famous and not). There are many illustrations of his painting as well. A delightful read!

[Evalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Legendary singer Tony Bennett recounts his association with well-known singers, songwriters, artists and others, and what he gained from each of them. Great stories from a humble, amazingly talented man about fascinating people. Each chapter includes a picture of one of Tony Bennett's paintings, showing he is as accomplished in his artwork as he is at singing.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This latest book by Tony Bennett is a fun, light and entertaining read. In this book, Tony tells the story of those who most influenced him throughout his life and career (all 90 years of it!). Each chapter covers a single person with the highlights of the individual's life and how Tony was inspired by them. And, as an added bonus, Tony's paintings are sprinkled throughout the book.

[Anita Schweppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony Bennett is one of my husband's favorites and he picked this book for me. I had a good vibe about Mr. Bennett before reading it but now even more so. And the illustrations that he painted himself are amazing. Such a talented man and still performing! Worth the price of the book just for the illustrations although I did not cut up the book and frame them.

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book - makes you fall even deeper in love with Tony Bennett. I loved it!!! I breezed through it - enjoying every moment. I couldn't put it down. Thank you, Mr. Bennett, for writing as beautifully as you sing.

[Carmela devito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply outstanding. This is a love story to all the people and places and events that have impacted Tony's life and made him the person and artist that he is today. There are many wonderful anecdotes on the legends he's worked with as well as photos of his artwork. Just loved it

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read with each chapter devoted to someone who had an important influence in Tony's life and who are famous mostly in the music world but also art. One of the best parts of the book are the reproductions of many of his paintings.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my many favorite singers.... this was a nice little book filled with people who made a difference in his life. I would have loved longer chapters on just about everybody....especially Pearl Bailey, Ella, Lena, etc.... The Amy Winehouse made me sigh...their voices were perfect together...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I confess I skimmed this one but I enjoyed hearing Tony Bennett's view of many famous and not so famous people in his life. He's such a positive guy - make no mistake this is a love fest [and that is okay]. I think what impressed me most was all of his artwork, fantastic!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining reflection, told through anecdotes about different people (famous and non-famous) he's worked with over the years. Surprising no one, the part I loved the best was about his involvement with the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

[Sean Wicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less a biography, more of an outline of people who have influenced and inspired the 90-year old Bennett. Best story in the book is by far the tale of a woman in Ohio who wrote a couple of lines to Johnny Mercer, which then turned into one of his biggest hits. Inspiring.