Moment Tony Bennett brought some lockdown joy to the world during COVID with the global chant of ‘I Left My Heart In San Francisco’
The poignant moment Tony Bennett brought some lockdown joy to the world during COVID with a global chant of ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ has resurfaced in the wake of his death.
Iconic singer Bennett died in his hometown of New York at the age of 96 on Friday, just two weeks shy of his 97th birthday.
After a decades-long career that saw him collaborate with superstars from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, the eminent musician used his signature song to lift spirits in April 2020, during the pandemic lockdown period.
The music giant posted a video of himself wearing a vintage black and orange San Francisco Giants jacket as he rounded up people to sing his 1962 hit.
“I love you, San Francisco, let’s sing our song,” said Bennett, then 93.
San Franciscans came together for a powerful moment of solidarity Saturday to join Tony Bennett in singing the Bay Area anthem I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Bennett announced the chant on Twitter encouraging residents to join in.
Members of the San Francisco Fire Department shared a video of members singing the choir and sharing a salute to the frontline workers saving lives in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am very proud to see San Francisco come together and make a difference during this uncertain time.”
He encouraged people from all over the world to join in the performance and share a recording of his performance online.
Bay Area residents came together for the moment of powerful solidarity, which was also used to praise healthcare workers who had been hard at work on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis.
A small crowd of people practicing social distancing also gathered in Union Square on Saturday, where jazz singer Mark Robinson sang the rousing anthem while wearing a mask, in a livestreamed performance.
Bennett’s I Left My Heart in San Francisco was released in 1962 and has become the city’s theme song.
Others gathered in front of a statue of Bennett at the Fairmont Hotel, where he first performed the hit song in 1961.
The San Francisco Opera shared their moving rendition of the Bay Area theme song in a Zoom conference call shared on social media.
Paul Torney, regional vice president for Fairmont Hotels, led hotel workers in a chant in front of a statue of Tony Bennett in San Francisco. Both he and the statue wore masks.
Jazz singer Mark Robinson performed Bennett’s iconic 1960s tune that has become San Francisco’s official theme song from Union Square. Some people attended his performance while wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
People from all over the city recorded themselves singing the chorus on social media using the hashtag #SingOutSF.
Members of the San Francisco Opera, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, members of the San Francisco Fire Department and Sutter Health doctors at CPMC Van Ness hospital shared videos on social media singing at the top of their lungs.
