Intimate singing had a wonderful style in the '30s and '40s. It came out of Broadway and the jazz of Louis Armstrong and Billie Holliday. But Sinatra created the best romantic era that we've ever had. Tony Bennett More Quotes by Tony Bennett More Quotes From Tony Bennett If something is good, it's always good. You don't have to change it. Tony Bennett good you always change Every day feels like just starting out because I still have so much more to learn. Tony Bennett every-day more day like No matter what age you are, there's a lot of room for learning. Tony Bennett you learning age matter Presley is country music, white music. Jazz is black music - it was invented by the blacks in New Orleans. And I'm really a jazz singer. I was impressed with Elvis - he was the handsomest guy I ever met in my life, and a very nice person, too. But the music doesn't impress me. Tony Bennett my-life me music life Performers should really go to the best schools, like Lady Gaga, you know, she went to NYU and had great teachers... It's best to really study your technique as much as you possibly can so you can have a long career instead of a quick one that's a failure. Tony Bennett best great you failure I loved my mom so much because she had to work on a penny just to put food on the table... During the Depression in the United States, everybody had a tough time. And I was so hurt because she was crying that she didn't have any food for us for Thanksgiving. Tony Bennett thanksgiving work depression food I was possessed with a wonderful example of my Italian American family. They would come over and join us every Sunday, all my aunts and uncles and nephews and nieces, and I would sing for them. Tony Bennett us american sunday family I still feel that I can get better somehow. And I search for it all of the time. Tony Bennett search feel better time I have grown to appreciate the power of believing in myself and of always having faith in myself. I rarely look back; instead, I always look forward. There is so much of life that we miss when we wallow in regret. Tony Bennett myself power faith life Fame comes and goes. Longevity is the thing to aim for. Tony Bennett thing longevity aim fame I have a simple life. I mean, you just give me a drum roll, they announce my name, and I come out and sing. In my job I have a contract that says I'm a singer. So I sing. Tony Bennett me you simple life In America, at the beginning of talkies, they pulled Fred Astaire from the theaters and put him on the screen and had all of these great composers write songs for him. They call it the Great American Songbook; I call it the Fred Astaire Songbook because they were written for him. Tony Bennett american beginning great america The United States created the best popular songs that were ever written, and from the 1920s to the 1940s, it was a renaissance period. It stopped in 1950. Tony Bennett 1920s songs best renaissance I love entertaining people; I strive to make them feel good, and they make me feel wonderful. To explain it simply, I like what I do, and my ambition is to get better as I get older. That's really what I'm all about. Tony Bennett good me love people Singing intimately is almost like thinking into a microphone, so it helps to have the song buried inside you. Tony Bennett you singing song thinking Nobody has communicated with the public more than Lady Gaga. Ever. I trust the audience, and I'm very impressed. As far as they're concerned, she's part of their family. The only guy who ever did that was Bing Crosby, years ago. Tony Bennett nobody lady trust family