Winehouse’s life was success, says Bennett
Tony Bennett doesn’t think Amy Winehouse’s life was tragic. He believes the singer who died at age 27 lived a complete life because she was able to achieve her goal: becoming a respected musician.
“Her dream was to become famous and a beautiful singer and she accomplished that,” he said Thursday night at the first Amy Winehouse Foundation Inspiration Awards and Gala, where he received the lifetime achievement award.
“Even though she had a short life, she had a great life because she ended up praying for the success that she wanted and it happened. This is what this night’s about.”
Bennett, 86, was honored at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where attendees included Winehouse’s father, mother and brother, her ex-boyfriend Reg Traviss, Harry Belafonte, Jennifer Hudson, Sean Lennon and producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, who was also honored.
Winehouse died in 2011 from accidental alcohol poisoning. Though troubled, she was a critical darling and earned five Grammy Awards for her sophomore album, “Back to Black.” The foundation established in her name assists disadvantaged youth. It was launched in Europe in 2011, and last year in the United States.
Winehouse and Bennett won a Grammy Award last year for the duet “Body & Soul.”
Actress Tilda Swinton is performing the art of sleeping at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.
A museum spokeswoman says the “Moonrise Kingdom” star presented her one-person piece called “The Maybe” on Saturday.
In “The Maybe,” Swinton lies sleeping in a glass box for the day. The exhibit will move locations within the museum every time Swinton performs.
There is no published schedule for the piece, which will occur about a half dozen more times through the end of the year.
Swinton first performed the piece at the Serpentine Gallery in London in 1995. In 1996, she performed it in the Museo Barracco in Rome.
She won an Oscar in 2008 for best supporting actress for her role in “Michael Clayton.”
The birthday bunch
Movie critic Gene Shalit is 87. Singer Anita Bryant is 73. Singer Aretha Franklin is 71. Actor Paul Michael Glaser is 70. Musician Elton John is 66. Actress Bonnie Bedelia is 65. Actress-comedian Mary Gross is 60. Actor James McDaniel (“NYPD Blue”) is 55. Saxophonist Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet) is 53. Actress Brenda Strong is 53. Actress Marcia Cross is 51. Actress Lisa Gay Hamilton is 49. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is 48. Singer Melanie Blatt (All Saints) is 38. Actor Lee Pace (“Pushing Daisies”) is 34. Singer Katharine McPhee is 29. Actor Kiowa Gordon (“Twilight”) is 23.