Tony Bennett is one of the most famous singers in the world. He's released music since 1950 and hasn't stopped into his 90s despite being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. His newest record with Lady Gaga, Love for Sale, has earned him a Guinness World Record for being the oldest ever recording artist to release an album of new material. Bennett's sung about virtually everything on his 61 albums and 83 singles. But while he was making hit record after hit record, Bennett was also trying to make a family. Bennett didn't always have the best love life despite releasing some of the most romantic love songs. He's been married three times. But what happened between Bennett and his second wife, Sanda Grant?
Tony Bennett Married Patricia Beech In
After performing in a nightclub in Cleveland, Ohio, Bennett met his first wife, Patricia Beech, in 1952. Their wedding ceremony took place at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. According to Good Housekeeping, "some 2,000 wailing young women, clad in black dresses and veils, ringed New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral in mock mourning."
The couple had two sons, D'Andrea (Danny), born in 1954, and Daegal (Dae), born in 1955. But Bennett's heart didn't really lie with Beech, so they separated in 1965 for several reasons. It was hard keeping a marriage afloat when Bennett was off touring America and making records one after the other.
After separating from Beech, Bennett started a relationship with an aspiring actress named Sandra Grant. Meanwhile, Bennet's divorce from Beech was finalized in 1971.
Bennett Married Sandra Grant In 1971
Bennett started a relationship with Grant after meeting her while filming The Oscar in 1965 after splitting from Beech. The couple dated for six years until Bennett's divorce was final in 1971. They had their first daughter, Joanna, in 1970, and then they privately wed shortly after when Bennett's divorce was finalized in 1971. Their second daughter, Antonia, was born in 1974.
However, Grant wasn't Bennett's true love either. According to Closer Weekly, they separated in 1979 but didn't formally divorce until Bennett wanted to tie the knot with his future third wife, Susan Crow, in 2007. Grant was actually pretty happy to give Bennett a divorce finally.
"Thank God, my divorce papers are finalized with Tony after all these years. I was not legally divorced until just a few months ago," Grant told Page Six that year. "The Tony I knew is not the same smiley Mr. Nice Guy the world knows. My side was supposed to file and we just didn’t, and it just went on and on."
Grant thinks she should have married her old boyfriend, Yankee baseballer Joe DiMaggio, instead of dealing with Bennett’s "drug use, a near-deadly cocaine overdose, and his onetime financial woes."
"Tony is not much of a gentleman compared to Joe," Grant continued, comparing Bennett to DiMaggio. "[Some years] after Joe divorced Marilyn Monroe in 1954, I was with him on and off for many years until I met Tony. I guess I married the wrong man. I am very happy to be free at last, and good luck to his current wife. But maybe it’s the opposite and I should wish him luck. There’s no fool like an old fool. I have very little feeling for him anymore."
According to Bennett, the reason for two failed marriages is that he was always away from home. "For a marriage to work, both parties have to be there," he said.
Bennett Finally Found Love
After Bennett left Grant, he started dating Crow in the 1980s. But that's not the first time they technically met. In 1966, Bennett met Crow's parents backstage, and Crow's mother was pregnant with her. So he met his future wife before she was actually born.
"As fate would have it, [Susan’s mother, Marion] was pregnant at the time with … Susan!" Bennett wrote in his memoir. "It’s a photo we all laugh about, knowing the incredible turn of events that followed." Later on, Crow was named the president of Bennett's fan club in the Bay Area. Eventually, she met the singer backstage after one of his shows, just like her parents did.
Crow was 19 years old, 40 years younger than Bennett, yet he agreed to meet her. She clearly had something about her that made Bennett want to ask her out. Since then, they've lived in perfect marital bliss.
In September 2020, Bennett wrote a birthday tribute to his wife, writing, "She makes my life better in every way, and I owe so much to her. Susan inspired the lyrics I wrote for ‘All For You,’ and I once again dedicate this song to her today." It's great that Bennett found his soul mate and that they've had many years together.