'Ever the pro:' The night Tony Bennett played Cork's Live at the Marquee

Tony Bennett has died at the age of 96. In 2010, the singer came to Cork and performed at the Marquee 

Tony Bennett on the stage Live at the Marquee, Cork. Picture: Miki Barlok

This article was originally published on July 10, 2010.

In three weeks' time, Tony Bennett will be 84. As he began the first of three encores at the Marquee on Thursday night, with the 1932 classic, You Can Depend On Me, the legendary icon of American popular music was in full swing, showing how global audiences have depended on him to deliver consistent, top-notch performances, which have spanned a career of more than 60 years.

While his voice has eased — just a little — over the years, it seems as if his insight into the lyric has become more precise and his musicianship remains masterly. Welcomed on stage after a brief warm-up set by his daughter, Antonia, Mr Bennett, aided by a stellar quartet, opened with watch What Happens and was quickly into Gershwin's They All Laughed, followed by Maybe This Time, from the musical Cabaret.

The last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century, Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create “a hit catalogue rather than hit records”. Picture: Andrew Parsons/PA Wire

Ever the pro, Bennett (who showed a penchant for performing a few pirouettes during the 90-minute show) managed to rattle through more than two-dozen numbers, (including Cold, Cold Heart; Boulevard of Broken Dreams, The Best Is Yet To Come; Steppin' Out With My Baby; Smile, and I Left My Heart in San Francisco), peppered along the way with some showbiz anecdotes about Rosemary Clooney, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and how Bob Hope suggested he change his name (Joe Bari) to Tony Bennett.

Performing what is, essentially, posh and pricey intimate dinner-table jazz at the Marquee wasn't easy, especially during some of the more tender ballads, when even former Count Basie drummer, Harold Jones, was kept at bay by the deluge and the dull drone of lights and amplifiers — Mr Bennett still managed to hold sway. 

Such is the presence and professionalism of the man who does 200 shows a year — yeah, it's true, you can depend on him.