Tony Bennett is best known for his musical career, but the octogenarian singer (like a growing number of public figures) is also an accomplished painter. As the crooner prepares to turn 90 this August, he’ll be kicking off the celebration early with an eclectic group of famous artists, including Marina Abramović, Dale Chihuly, and Jeff Koons, at Keep Memory Alive’s 20th annual Power of Love gala.
The milestone birthday party, which doubles as a philanthropic event featuring a silent art auction, will be held in Las Vegas on May 21, and will benefit the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
The singer-cum-artist signs his work “Benedetto,” his birth surname, and works primarily in oil and watercolor. Among his numerous accomplishments as a painter, Bennett has no less than three works in the Smithsonian collection, and created a commissioned artwork commemorating the United Nations’ 50th anniversary in 2001.
Celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck, Mario Carbone, and Nobu Matsuhisa will prepare the evening’s menu. Curator, creative director, and writer Neville Wakefield, as well as artists Jonathan Horowitz and Rob Pruitt will also be among the bold-faced names in attendance.
The silent auction include Chihuly’s Round About Red, a limited-edition lithograph print inspired by the artist’s large blown glass spheres, and a special piece created in Bennett’s honor by New York artist Peter Tunney.
In The Good Life, an original painting celebrating Bennett’s upcoming birthday, Tunney incorporates all of the singer’s albums covers dating back to the the 1950s. The painting’s buyer also gets Bennett’s complete discography on vinyl, plus a record player, affording the purchaser the unique opportunity to “listen to his painting.”
To mark the occasion, artnet News has rounded up a selection of the singer’s paintings below.