Lady Gaga Celebrating his 85th birthday on Wednesday (Aug. 3), Tony Bennett received a shout-out from another musical icon, Lady Gaga, who recorded a special message that was posted to YouTube on Tuesday.
"Happy 85th birthday. Have a whiskey for me!" Gaga tells Bennett after serenading him with the "Happy Birthday" song. The pop star recorded the message in New York last week, where she recorded a cover of "The Lady is a Tramp" that will appear on Bennett's forthcoming duets album, "Tony Bennett: Duets II."
The follow-up to Bennett's 2006 release "Duets: An American Classic" also features a duet with Amy Winehouse on "Body and Soul" that stands as the singer's last known recording before her death last month. Bennett confirmed that the song will be released as a charity single during an appearance on "The Today Show" on Tuesday.
"What's going to happen is that we're putting that out ahead of the album," says Bennett, according to MTV. "And it's going to a foundation that her father started to teach all the young children not to take drugs, and all the royalties of the record will go to that."
"Duets II," set for a Sept. 20 release on Columbia Records, will also feature duets with Mariah Carey, Michael Buble and Norah Jones.
Amy Winehouse duet will be 'fitting tribute'
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Amy Winehouse's father said a plan to release one of her last recordings - a duet with Tony Bennett - as a charity single will be "the most fitting tribute of all" to his daughter.
The royalties from her version of the jazz classic Body and Soul with the veteran crooner will go to the foundation set up in her name by Mitch Winehouse.
Mr Winehouse said: "We wanted to make a positive difference and help a range of causes close to Amy's heart. This could include help for children in trouble, suffering from health problems, children's hospices and more.
"While it is separate from my campaign to find more help for young addicts, that may be one of the areas the foundation contributes to.
"We intend to raise funds and distribute them to individual projects who apply for help. I couldn't be happier that everyone involved with Amy and this recording felt they wanted to contribute.
"Amy was so excited to be working with Tony Bennett and really looking forward to her fans hearing this new recording.
"The fact that Amy's voice is sounding as amazing and beautiful as ever and she is singing with the great Tony Bennett seems the most fitting tribute of all at this very difficult time."
Mr Winehouse visited Parliament earlier this week to plead with the Government to reform drug rehabilitation centres for youngsters.
Bennett told NBC's Today programme that Winehouse, who died last month, "sang beautifully" on the track which features on his new album of duets.
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