Tony Bennett & 'Exploring The Arts' Host First Major Benefit Event in Support of Arts Education at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, September 9

Tony Bennett & 'Exploring The Arts' Host First Major Benefit Event in Support of Arts Education at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, September 9

Tony Bennett Performance to Feature Special Duet Appearances with k.d. lang, John Legend, James Taylor and Chris Botti

Regis Philbin to Host Event with Gala to be Held at Rockefeller Center Summer Garden Following Radio City Concert

NEW YORK, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Just over a year ago, New York feted Tony Bennett for his 80th birthday party, and now Tony Bennett is hosting a big bash in the Big Apple, throwing the first major fundraising event for his Exploring the Arts organization which supports and funds arts education in public schools. The benefit event will be held on Sunday, September 9th with Tony Bennett in concert at Radio City Music Hall at 7 pm. Joining the 15-time Grammy winner on stage for special duet performances will be k.d. lang, John Legend, James Taylor and Chris Botti, all of whom performed with Bennett on his "Duets: An American Classic" CD. A seated gala at the Rockefeller Center Summer Garden will directly follow the concert. Regis Philbin will be serving as the evening's host.

High end luxury items and one-of-a-kind celebrity donations from luminaries including Clint Eastwood, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Andre Agassi, Annie Leibovitz, and Michael Buble will be offered during a live auction at the dinner. Benefit tickets priced at various sponsorship levels include both the concert and the gala. For further information please contact Livet Reichard Company, Inc. at 212-868-8450, ext 205.

Exploring the Arts was founded by Tony and Susan Bennett and is dedicated to creating, promoting and supporting arts education. Through a unique approach of connecting private funders to public schools, a greater quality of arts resources and opportunities has become available for students of all means and backgrounds. Exploring the Arts' first major endeavor to-date has been the founding of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, a public high school in New York City. Located in Tony's hometown of Queens, New York, FSSA offers a strong academic curriculum combined with a rigorous art studio program offering dance, fine art, vocal and instrumental music and theatre. For more information please visit www.exploringthearts.org.

Benefit co-chairs for the Exploring the Arts Gala are Iris Cantor, John Desiderio, Mariana and George Kaufman. AARP is the evening's presenting sponsor. The benefit committee includes: President Bill Clinton, Dina and Clint Eastwood, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, Senator and Mrs. Edward Kennedy, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Kelly Preston and John Travolta, U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel, Barbara Sinatra, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.

Non-benefit seating for the September 9th concert at Radio City Music Hall is also available as are tickets for Tony's non-benefit performance at the venue on Saturday, September 8th. Tickets may be purchased through tickettmaster.com or by calling 212-307-7171/201-507-8900.

This fall will also mark the release of several Tony Bennett projects including:

-- September 12th airing of the Clint Eastwood produced documentary on
Tony's life and career "CLINT EASTWOOD PRESENTS: TONY BENNETT THE
MUSIC NEVER ENDS" on PBS' American Masters.

-- September 25th release of the Legacy Recordings CD, "TONY BENNETT SINGS
THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN SONGBOOK, Vol. 1" featuring 15 tracks personally
hand-picked by Tony as examples of the finest songs from the Great
American Songbook. A new edition of Tony's beloved "SNOWFALL" holiday
CD will also be released that day in a deluxe package featuring a bonus
DVD.

-- September 25th release of Clint Eastwood's documentary on Tony as
Netflix rental and DVD purchase exclusively at Target.

-- October 1st release of "TONY BENNETT IN THE STUDIO: A LIFE OF ART AND
MUSIC," a new art book of Tony's paintings, published by Sterling.
This beautifully produced book, showcasing more than 200 images of
Bennett artwork, includes a foreword by author Mitch Albom and a
preface by former New York State Governor Mario Cuomo.

Tony Bennett will also be attending the PRIMETIME EMMY Awards on Sunday, September 16 as an Emmy Nominee. His NBC special, TONY BENNETT: AN AMERICAN CLASSIC, which aired in November of 2006, is up for eight Emmy awards this year. Director Rob Marshal was nominated along with Tony Bennett and his two sons Danny and Dae. The special recently earned a juried Emmy award for Outstanding Costume Design for Colleen Atwood.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: RPM/Columbia Records

CONTACT: Sylvia Weiner, RPM Productions, +1-908-301-1779,
sweiner@rpm-productions.com

Web site:

http://www.tonybennett.net/
http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.exploringthearts.org/
http://www.columbiarecords.com/

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