SINGING WAITER

Like Irving Berlin and Frank Sinatra before him, Bennett began as a singing waiter.

"I remember saying very clearly to myself and the musicians I was with then that if I never become famous or successful I'm going to do this for the rest of my life," he said. "That's how much I loved entertaining people".

Bennett dropped out of high school to help support his widowed mother. He served in World War Two and after some false starts had his first big hit in 1951 with "Because of You".

"My mom did something that changed my life. She would make as many dresses as possible but when she got a bad dress she would throw it over her shoulder and say 'don't let me work on a bad dress, only the good dresses'," he said.

"Later that became my whole premise with music. I said 'I don't want a hit record, I want a hit catalog. I don't want to do one song that isn't intelligent or quality music.'".

The 1950s were dotted with hits such as "Rags to Riches," "Blue Velvet," and in 1962 he released what would become his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco".

Bennett likes to recall that he recorded San Francisco in one take because "I was prepared" and says it still astonishes young artists that he prefers to record in so few takes even now.

His two "Duets" albums in 2006 and 2011 were smash hits and brought him wide appreciation among younger listeners because of his collaboration with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Bono, Dixie Chicks, Sting, Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones.

Indeed, the two million-selling albums have introduced old classic such as "Stranger in Paradise", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Rags to Riches", "I Wanna Be Around", "The Lady is a Tramp" and "Body and Soul" to millions of young people.