Tony Bennett Calls Lady Gaga 'Highly Professional'

When it came to the current crop of A-listers collaborating on his new 'Duets II' album, legendary crooner Tony Bennett admitted he "didn't know any of them." But he says the roster -- which included Lady Gaga, the late Amy Winehouse, Josh Groban and Michael Buble -- left him with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

"I was very surprised because they were so talented when I finally met them," he told Spinner. "I was honoured. There's a new thing that's happening in the entertainment world. The youngsters are now going to the performing arts schools and they are being taught and getting accepted and know the rules of being polite."

Bennett was in Toronto Oct. 17 as part of a day-long promotional stop behind the album which has now gone platinum in Canada. The day concluded with a special invite-only question and answer session at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum following a viewing of a behind-the-scenes documentary of 'Duets II.'

The singer was particularly pleased with Lady Gaga and her rendition of 'The Lady Is a Tramp.'

"I can't believe how well these artists showed up and how they memorized the material," he said. "Lady Gaga came in and it was a crazy, wonderful talented session we did with her. She went to all of the people that made the recording possible and quietly thanked them for being so nice to her. She was highly professional. That's something that takes years [to know] how to do that. The new group that I just met and sang with are going to be around for a long time."

The evening also featured a gallery of photos taken by Kelsey Bennett, the singer's granddaughter, an accomplished photographer who was also on hand for the event. The photos included many of the artists on the album, including a shot of Bennett and the late Winehouse at London's Abbey Road Studios.

"In professional situations, I refer to him as Tony," Kelsey said, adding one of her favorite moments was shooting "Tony" singing atop of a mountain in Calabria, Italy. The spot was the exact location Bennett's father would sing to his relatives from when he was just a youngster.

"I stood right on the spot where he stood and sang 'O Solo Mio,'" Bennett said. "As I was singing the first verse of 'O Solo Mio' there were clouds, but as I got to the chorus of 'O Solo Mio' the clouds went away. My face turned white."

Bennett said he has no plans to retire and has gigs being scheduled throughout the rest of this year and into 2012.

"I had a very strong passion through my life to sing and paint," he said. "Now I'm 85, and I'm not being cute about this, but there's so much more to learn."