Tony Bennett

Singer Tony Bennett is castaway by Michael Parkinson.

The son of Italian immigrants, Antony Benedetto started singing competitively with his brother and earned a living as a singing waiter in restaurants in New York while at art school. After singing in American military bands during the Second World War, he returned to New York, where he had his first hit with Because of You in 1951.

Since then, he established himself as one of the most popular jazz singers of his generation and worked with Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Woody Herman among others. In conversation with Michael Parkinson, he talks about his life and work, and chooses the eight discs he would take to the mythical island.

DISC ONE: Duke Ellington and His Orchestra - Take The 'A' Train
DISC TWO: Ella Fitzgerald - These Foolish Things
DISC THREE: Art Tatum - Don't Blame Me
DISC FOUR: The Julliard Quartet - Maurice Ravel's String Quartet in F Major
DISC FIVE: Judy Garland - Last Night When We Were Young
DISC SIX: Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby
DISC SEVEN: Frank Sinatra - Deep in a Dream
DISC EIGHT: London Symphony Orchestra - Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring

CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Art Tatum - Don't Blame Me
BOOK CHOICE: Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Crime & Punishment
LUXURY CHOICE: Suit

Producer: Derek Drescher

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1987.