Tony Bennett on opera

You recently sang at the Metropolitan Opera House and you will be singing in Baltimore at the Lyric Opera House. Did you hear any opera as a kid, and were there any opera singers you found inspiring as you developed your own craft?

I grew up in the Depression, and one of the very first recordings I ever bought was an Enrico Caruso record, not just because I loved Caruso, but I knew that the whole family enjoyed his music. And back then. if you were going to spend your money, it had to be on something that everyone would enjoy, not just yourself.

…My older brother, John, had a beautiful operatic voice as a young boy … and was known as the “Little Caruso.” I have to say I consider performing at the Metropolitan Opera House the absolute pinnacle of my career.

via Baltimore Sun