Music

Tony Bennett "met" his wife before she was born

by Richard Howard

In the entertainment industry, large age gaps between spouses is pretty old hat. While the difference between 90-year-old Tony Bennett and his 50-year-old wife Susan Benedetto is considerable, their relationship is barely likely to raise an eyebrow. At least until Bennett delivered a legendary overshare in his new memoir, Just Getting Started. Everybody likes a cute ‘how we first met’ story, right? Well this isn’t one of them. It begins with Benedetto’s parents, Marion and Dayl Crow, going backstage to meet Bennett after a 1966 concert.

Ah yes, how we laugh and laugh. “Remember that time I was a middle aged man and met you guys who were (presumably) younger than me, and congratulated you on being pregnant, and then years later married and had relations with that child? Hilarious!”

Another interesting tidbit – Benedetto’s parents, being superfans, inundated the young Susan with Bennett tunes. Eventually she became the president of the singer’s San Francisco fan club and finally met him (as a non-fetus) at age 19, you guessed it, backstage at a show. Think anything creepy went down at that meeting?

“It tickled me that someone of her age was so devoted to my music. I not only agreed to say hello to her backstage but asked her to be my date for the evening, and that’s how it all really began, foreshadowed by a backstage photo taken in 1966!”

Hey, we agree that love knows no age, colour and what not, but some stories seem to sit firmly in the ‘this is for us’ realm, and this might be one of them. Regardless, the couple is undoubtedly deeply in love and they’ve both founded and worked extensively with charities throughout the years. It a true love story for the ages – just one with a creepy, creepy beginning.