August 22, 2006

Musical Icon Tony Bennett Guest Stars on Canadian Idol, Sept. 4 & 5 on CTV

--Canadian Idol takes Manhattan as competitors visit Big Apple to work with iconic singer -

Toronto, ON (August 22, 2006) – CTV announced today that the legendary Tony Bennett will make his first appearance on any Idol program in the world when he graces Canadian Idol for episodes dedicated to his career on Monday, Sept. 4 and Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV (check local listings). The Canadian Idol Top Three travel to the Big Apple next week to rehearse with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and tape segments for “The Music of Tony Bennett,” airing Sept. 4. Then, Bennett, who says he and Rosemary Clooney were the first Idols, makes his world television premiere on the Idol franchise when he performs in a special, hour-long Canadian Idol results episode on Sept. 5 from 8 – 9 p.m. ET.

** Media Note ** - Photography and audio clips from Canadian Idol are available online at the Canadian Idol Media Centre at www.idolpix.ca.

"Back in the 1950s, I was just starting out with Rosemary Clooney and we were on a live talent show ourselves - so we were the first Idols," said Bennett, who recently celebrated hits 80th birthday. “I am looking forward to working with the young talent that is in Canada and am thrilled to be making an appearance on Canadian Idol."

“The Top 3 are only the latest performers to witness the incredible generosity of spirit that Tony Bennett has shown his fans and colleagues around the world throughout his illustrious career,” said Susanne Boyce, CTV President of Programming and Chair of the CTV Media Group.

"It's an honour and a privilege to have the Mr. Tony Bennett not only grace our stage, but also share his decades of experience at the top of the charts," said Executive Producer John Brunton. "Having him on our show will be the thrill of a lifetime."

RPM Records/Columbia Records artist Tony Bennett is a music industry icon who has touched the hearts and souls of audiences for generations. The son of a grocer and Italian-born immigrant, Anthony Dominick Benedetto was born on August 3, 1926, in the Astoria section of Queens, NY. Bennett’s big break came in 1949 when comedian Bob Hope noticed him working with Pearl Bailey in New York City. Since that time, Bennett has sold over 50 million records worldwide and has many gold and platinum albums to his credit. He is the recipient of 13 Grammy Awards throughout his career, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Bennett’s next release, Tony Bennett: Duets/An American Classic, will be released in stores on Sept. 26 by SONY BMG MUSIC (CANADA) INC. The CD features Bennett performing duets of his best loved songs with many of the top names in music, including Bono, Michael Bublé, Elvis Costello, Dixie Chicks, Juanes, Billy Joel, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, John Legend, Paul McCartney, George Michael, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder. Instrumental musical guests on the album include trumpeter Chris Botti and violinist Pinchas Zukerman.

Known as the singer’s singer, Tony Bennett is one of a handful of artists to have albums charting in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond. His initial successes came via a string of hits such as “Because of You,” “Rags To Riches,” “The Good Life,” “I Wanna Be Around,” and his signature song, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.” Over the years, Bennett has introduced a multitude of songs into the great American songbook that have since become standards for pop music. With the help of his son and manager Danny Bennett, Bennett has successfully captured a whole new generation of listeners.

Canadian Idol was created by Simon Fuller and is produced in association with CTV by Insight Productions. John Brunton and Barbara Bowlby are Executive Producers. Mark Lysakowski is Supervising Producer. Senior Producer is Sue Brophey. Mary Sexton is Regional Producer. Jane Rimer is Executive Consultant for FremantleMedia. Rick Lewchuk is CTV’s Senior Vice-President, Program Planning and Promotion. Ed Robinson is CTV’s Senior Vice-President, Comedy, Variety and Talk. Susanne Boyce is CTV President of Programming and Chair of the CTV Media Group.

FremantleMedia is one of the largest international creators and producers of programme brands in the world, with leading prime time drama, serial drama, entertainment and factual entertainment programming in over 40 territories. FremantleMedia has production offices in over 20 countries worldwide, providing local sales and production support for its international TV brands such as Idols and the world’s longest running game show, The Price is Right.

The company’s licensing operation, FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, exploits FremantleMedia’s many strong brands across multiple off-screen platforms including merchandising campaigns, interactive and wireless support, home entertainment and music publishing. Fremantle International Distribution, the company’s international distribution division licenses over 19,000 hours of programming to 150 countries worldwide. FremantleMedia is the content arm of the RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company. For further information please see FremantleMedia’s website www.fremantlemedia.com.

CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV National News With Lloyd Robertson, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTV owns 21 conventional television stations across Canada and has interests in 17 specialty channels, including the number-one Canadian specialty channel, TSN. CTV is owned by CTVglobemedia, Canada's premier multi-media company. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at www.ctv.ca.
- CTV -

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