"Paul, you've got a great way with you, I like you a lot!" - Sharon Osbourne (America's Got Talent 2010)
Born and raised in Buffalo, NY. His grandfather (from Tempera, Italy) first introduced him to music and to traditional Italian classics. He remembers sitting at the piano after learning some scales (in Italian of course) and then being taught God Bless America. He recalls the song as being one of the first he ever sang. Paul comes from a very close-knit family with a younger brother and an older sister as well as his loving and supportive mother Bernadette (Scirri) and father Paul Sr. (family from Zaita, Labanon). As you may have guessed, Paul is a family kind of guy.
He first got into "the crooners" when he found a tape of "Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits" in his fathers collection. I remember listening to "That's Life" and "Forget Domani" over and over because I loved them so much. As he grew up, so did his musical interests, expanding to Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Motown, Country and the other hits of the 50s and 60s. So with a very diverse background in music genres by the time he entered high school at the age of 15, he fell in love all over again with the great crooners of the mid 20th Century. He bought up whatever he could get his hands on from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and Sammy Davis Jr.
He was inspired when he first saw the film "Goodfellas". When I heard the title track "Rags to Riches" and discovered that it was Tony Bennett who was singing, the hook was in! "I became so enthralled with his style, power, and range that I couldn't stop listening." Paul is a graduate of The State University of New York at Buffalo. While attending school, he recorded his debut album, "Introducing Paul Safy", which included two Bennett songs that he really loves; "I Wanna Be Around" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco".
After winning the Fox affiliated (American Idol), Buffalo Idol in 2007, Paul was invited to sing with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra as a special guest star with The Duke Ellington Orchestra. He opened in Rochester, NY for the Buffalo-born singing family sensation "The Scintas" at the High Falls Festival. And for the second consecutive year he performed for the Buffalo Sabres Aces and Blades annual charity event. He has also preformed for The Catwalk for Charity hosted by his friend, goalie Brian Miller. Paul sang for Macy's national fund raising Shop for the Cure event. Later that year he was invited once again to perform with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra as their featured guest singer at the "Holiday Pops Concert". At the invitation of the Philharmonic's conductor Robert Franz, Paul was asked to solo with the Mansfield Symphony at the "Holiday Concert" in Mansfield, OH.
I first met Paul last spring through my long-time friend Ray Reneri who was working with "The Duke Ellington Orchestra" at the time Paul first sang with them in Buffalo.
Along with my associate (Director & Co-Writer) Donna Drake we have written a show and...
NOW WE'RE BOOKING OUR TRIBUTE TOUR*
"If I Were Tony Bennett" - Paul Safy, Jr. is "A Tribute Evening & A Story", with songs from "The American Songbook", that "You know who, made famous".
The show can be booked with "a trio or Symphony" and is from 45 minutes in length, to 90.
After listening to Paul Safy, Jr., I'm sure you'll agree WORLDWIDE AUDIENCES will "flock" to hear this handsome and very talented young man sing these American Classics... "With a little help from YOU KNOW WHO"!
Sincerely,
Richard Currier
@: http://www.richardcurrierfilms.com
(Producer & General Manager - If I Were, LLC)
P.S. "The Best Is Yet To Come"
E-mail: Booking@ifiweretonybennett.com
*All Voice-overs & Vocals by Paul Safy, Jr.
© 2008 ifiwere, LLC
http://IfIWereTonyBennett.com
DISCLAIMER: WE MAKE NO CLAIM TO THE PUBLISHING RIGHTS OF THIS SONG. [COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER UNDER SECTION 107 OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT 1976 "FAIR USE" ALLOWANCE IS MADE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. WE ARE IN NO WAY PROFITING FROM THE USE OF THIS MATERIAL.]
Loading...
This is my favorite version of this song..better than the classic crooners..
midasbrain 5 months ago
Sounds like the legitimate successor to Tony B. Great job.
angeluomo 6 months ago
wow great cover
namkooc 8 months ago
Great version.
cepinobel 9 months ago
Splendid job! I was born and raised in San Francisco.
wonderglory 11 months ago
I love that there are young crooners out there following in the footsteps of the greats.
Hathor2006 1 year ago
Fantastic. You must have some talent in the US if this guy didn't win America's Got Talent! or didn't Simon like him??
TheBritishUnionist 1 year ago
Awesome!
awe
Michael5191949 1 year ago
(4 of 4) Laurie Armstrong, vice president, public relations of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau said, "The song itself is a musical postcard from a place, San Francisco, which is known as 'Everybody's Favorite City.' Mr. Bennett's heartfelt performance delivers that postcard every time he sings it, whether it's heard in Paris, Prague or Phuket."
conyelp 1 year ago
(3 of 4)The song has sold more than 14 million records, one million copies of sheet music in the U.S. and has been a huge commercial success oversease as well. The song writers, Cory and Cross, were honored with the Towering Song Award from The Songwriters Hall of Fame for Writing the song and they gave Bennett the Towering Performance Award for his timeless vocal rendition.
conyelp 1 year ago