Bob Hope invited Tony Bennett to be in his show at the famed Paramount Theatre, "But first he told me he didn't care for my stage name and asked me what my real name was. I told him, 'My name is Anthony Dominick Benedetto,' and he said, 'We'll call you Tony Bennett.' And that's how it happened," Bennett said, per the bio on his website. Previously, Bennett performed under the name "Joe Bari," but Hope clearly had something else in mind.

According to his website's timeline, Bennett quickly went on to sign with Columbia Records' in 1950 after singing "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and had his first No. 1 song with "Because of You" a year later. Famous albums like "The Beat of My Heart" and "Basie Swings" followed and in 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

The rest is history, but it hasn't always been easy. In February, Bennett announced he was battling Alzheimer's disease, and had been doing so for four years. His family spoke out for the first time to AARP and his wife, Susan Benedetto, said, "Singing is everything to him. Everything. It has saved his life many times." In spite of his illness and thankfully due to its slow progression, Bennett has continued to record and perform.