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Bennett's 90th Birthday Celebration is a Ringing Success

By
Kristen Holland
Monday, August 22, 2016

Our "golden sun" shone briefly Friday afternoon on the festivities held at the Fairmont Hotel to honor legendary singer Tony Bennett on his 90th birthday.

A crowd gathers in next to California Cable Car 52 on California at Masonic in front of the Fairmont Hotel.
Leonard Oats, grip and Cable Car Bell Ringing World Champion, played the Cable Car bell version of the famous tune.

The connection between the hotel and Bennett's signature tune, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," has been widely reported. He first sang it at the hotel in 1961 and has reprised that performance numerous times over the years. As any Giants fan knows, the song is forever connected to this city and played after every Giants win at AT&T Park. In 1984 the city adopted "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" as well as the title song from the 1936 film San Francisco as official songs.

And the little cable cars that go half way to the stars were front and center to ring in another year for Bennett and wish him many home comings to his city by the Bay.

Many thanks to Ed Cobean, our cable car chief, who was front and center to get these great shots.

An eight-foot bronze statue of a man with his arms outstretched in front of a pale building with a gray metal structure around it.
The crowd at the Fairmont applauded the permanent performance that will grace its front lawn.