Who is Susan Crow?
Susan Crow Benedetto is a former teacher, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, who rose to popularity after marrying the 40-years-her senior Tony Bennett, the famous singer. She was born under the Zodiac sign Virgo on 9 September 1966, in San Francisco, California, USA; as of 2022, Susan is 55 years old and holds American nationality.
Early life and Family
She was born an only child to parents Dayl, a former insurance agent, and her mother Marion Crow, a housewife. From a young age she aspired to become a teacher and work with children. While attending high school, she took singing and acting classes and engaged in sports, particularly tennis. Reportedly, she emerged as one of the best students in her class.
Following her matriculation in 1984, Susan enrolled at Fordham University, and graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts. She then furthered her education at Columbia University’s Teachers College, and obtained her Master’s degree in 1990.
Career
Susan has worked as a social studies teacher for most of her adult life. After meeting Tony, she expressed an interest in philanthropy, and in 1999 they co-founded the non-organization Exploring The Arts (ETA), aiming to educate youth through carefully selected arts programs. The organization has built over 17 schools in the US, and helped many students by transforming their lives through art. Susan serves as a board president, and their joint humanitarian efforts were rewarded the George Washington University Medal in 2010.
Besides her extensive work in philanthropy, she was also the CEO of her agency Creative Artists Management, located in New York City, which helps new and established artists reach their full potential.
How did Susan and Tony meet?
Before meeting Susan, Tony had already walked down the aisle twice: he married non-celebrity Patricia Beech in 1952, and divorced her in 1971. During the same year, he married the actress Sandra Grant.
Susan and Tony met in the late ‘80s after Lady Gaga, their mutual friend, introduced them backstage during one of his concerts. In his autobiography “Just Getting Started,” Tony disclosed: ‘I not only agreed to say hello to her backstage, but asked her to be my date for the evening. So that’s how it all really began.’
Interestingly, Susan admired Tony while growing up, and was a big fan of his music, as was her mother, Marion. Reportedly, upon meeting, they locked eyes on each other, wholly smitten, and not long afterwards began a secret relationship.
After nearly 20 years of dating, while he was married to Sandra Grant Bennett during their entire relationship. After divorcing Sandra, Tony and Susan walked down the aisle in 2007 in a small private ceremony with two guests, Mario Cuomo, the former governor of New York and his wife.
Later Tony explained that he and his ex-wife, Sandra, separated in 1979 but never took time to file for a divorce even though they were clearly not together and not on good terms. Talking to a media outlet, Susan said: ‘My side was supposed to file, and we just didn’t, and it just went on and on.’
Susan and Tony don’t have any off-spring, however, she’s a somewhat mature stepmother to four children from Tony’s marriages to Patricia Beech and Sandra Grant.
Physical stats and Hobbies
Susan is 5ft 7ins tall (170cm) and weighs around 135lbs (61kgs). Her hair is blonde, further adorned with brown eyes.
She devotes most of her time to attending charity events and engaging in charity work. In addition to the organization she and Tony founded, Susan has collaborated with numerous other causes, such as the education of underprivileged kids and war veterans, collecting money, creating programs and raising awareness.
Susan likes to travel and has visited many countries with her husband, who toured all over the US and Europe. She has been to Paris in France and Venice in Italy.
Given that she trained in singing and vocal techniques, she loves to sing, but believes that her voice isn’t that good and definitely can’t compare to her husband’s talent.
Susan also likes to watch series and movies; her favorite actors are Will Smith and Emma Watson, while she cites “Seven Pound,” “I am Legend,” and the film series “Harry Potter” as her favorites. In addition, Susan is a fan of comedy series – her most beloved is “The Third Rock from the Sun”.
What is her net worth?
Considering that she is retired from her job as a teacher, it’s hard to estimate her net worth acquired through her career, but, on the other hand, her husband’s wealth is in the range of $200 million, which he’s earned through his career as a singer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfT7Da9OQ3I/
Is she active on social media?
It appears that Susan isn’t engaged on social platforms, and doesn’t use Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. On the other hand, Tony is quite popular on Instagram, which boasts over 350,000 followers.
Briefly about Tony Bennett
New York native Anthony Dominick Benedetto, born on 3 August 1926 in Queens, New York City USA, is one of the most recognized singers worldwide, who has amassed a huge fan base during his career spanning over seven decades, receiving critical acclaim and seven Grammy Awards. Coming from a modest background, he developed an interest in music at a young age, which also served as an escape from reality, and struggles with poverty.
In his early teens, he began making money by singing in bars and restaurants and selling his drawings, as he also had a knack for the arts.
He attended New York’s School of Industrial Art, where he studied music and painting, but was forced to drop out to support his family financially.
In 1944, he joined the US Army in the final stages of World War II as an infantry rifleman. Tony fought in France before advancing into Germany. Fighting on the frontlines, witnessing deaths and escaping it himself several times made him a pacifist and changed his outlook on the world.
After his discharge from the Army in 1946, he enrolled at the American Theater Wing, which supports education in theater. Three years later, he found himself opening the show for the actress and singer Pearl Bailey in Greenwich Village, where he met Bob Hope, the famous singer and comedian. Bob invited him on tour with him, and in no time, he landed his first record deal with Columbia Records.
Upon entering the music industry, he did not struggle to achieve success as he struck gold with his debut single, “Because of You.” Topping the pop charts, the single became a major hit, followed by his two other tracks, “Blue Velvet and “Rags to Riches,” which received positive reviews.
Soon he was invited to record the song “Stranger in Paradise”, in collaboration with the producers of the musical “Kismet”. The single is considered one of his biggest successes as it became popular in the US and the UK. Tony released his debut album “Cloud 7” in 1955, achieving moderate success. However, the following album, “The Beat of My Heart,” brought him fame, and he emerged as a name synonymous with commercial pop tunes.
He continued building his profile, while his track “I Left my Heart in San Francisco” landed him two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance. However, in the early ‘70s, his struggles to record a hit became more expressed as the arrival of rock bands such as “The Beatles” severely hindered his success. Struggling to stay in the music business, Tony found consolation in drugs, which nearly caused him to lose his life, as he overdosed on cocaine in 1979.
He has recorded over 70 albums during his career – “MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett” and “Duets: An American Classic” went platinum, selling over a million copies worldwide.
Besides his prolific career as a singer, he’s also dipped his toes in other avenues as a painter and writer; Tony has written five books, and has had his paintings exhibited in galleries worldwide. Additionally, he has received several recognitions and holds several Guinness Records.
Although in 2016 he revealed that he has Alzheimer’s disease, Tony is still active at 95 years old, and often collaborates with Lady Gaga; in 2021, Tony released the collaborative album “Love for Scale.”
