TCA: NBC Slots Tony Bennett Birthday Bash

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NBC will air the two-hour special Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best Is Yet to Come Dec. 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The program will feature the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga, Billy Joel, Elton John and Stevie Wonder, as well as a performance by Bennett.

“Since we celebrated Tony’s 80th birthday on NBC, it only seemed fitting that we should also stop and pay tribute to his 90th, a true milestone for the greatest living vocalist of popular music,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman, NBC Entertainment. “Happy birthday, Tony, your achievements are epic and your voice has been the soundtrack of four generations. We and the entire music business are in awe.”  

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Born in Queens, Bennett is a 19-time Grammy Award winner whose discography includes 57 studio albums, 11 live albums, 31 compilation albums and 81 singles.

“I turn 90 tomorrow and feel like I’m just getting started and look forward to each day,” Bennett said. “I have loved performing for the public and sharing the music I love with the world. It’s a thrill to have NBC air a special in honor of my birthday and to have so many wonderful artists that I have worked with and admire participate.”

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Also appearing on the special will be Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Kevin Spacey, John Travolta, Bruce Willis and Homer Simpson.

TB TV, LLC will produce the event. Danny Bennett will be executive producer and Jerry Foley will direct with production.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.